Glasgow Warriors v Connacht | Match Preview

Glasgow’s visitors on Friday evening are Connacht, who 14 years ago provided the first ever win of a new era for the Warriors as they made Scotstoun their permanent home.

Team’s up 🔥 Your squad for tomorrow’s clash with Connacht, back at Scotstoun ⚔️ 🎟️ Don’t miss out – https://t.co/vGJVTlFZdz #WhateverItTakes | @MackenzieConstr https://t.co/s2ecuepv4S

— Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) October 8, 2026

Since that evening there has been drama aplenty when the Galwegians have been in town.

History of matches at Scotstoun

Glasgow are a perfect 10 from 10 in games at Scotstoun against Connacht but that 100% success rate conceals just how much of a battle many of these fixtures have been.

Among opposition sides, only Leinster (30) and Munster (27) have scored more tries at Scotstoun since 2012, with both having played three more games than their Irish rivals.

The free-scoring nature of their opponents has ensured the Warriors have been pushed hard, needing at least 27 points to subdue Connacht in eight of the ten games.

Frequently, Glasgow have been left clinging on to a game decided by a penalty or less:

8–6 in 2013/14
33–32 in 2015/16
29–27 in 2022/23
22–19 in 2024/25

That fixture in 2015 encapsulated the gritty determination that makes Connacht so tricky to play against.

The Warriors had stormed into a 30–6 lead just after half-time, but the visitors refused to concede and kept chipping away to make it 33–32 with five anxiety-inducing minutes left to play.

Glasgow held on but had been sorely tested – recurring themes from these clashes.

Standout stat

Glasgow have collected 42 of the 45 possible points from their nine regular season games against Connacht at Scotstoun.

That return of 93.3% of available points is the Warriors’ best record at this venue for any of their current URC opposition, outwith the two Italian sides, Zebre (98.5%) and Benetton (95.0%).

In fact, Glasgow have a strong record of harvesting points from matches against the Irish province at all venues.

There has been only one occasion in the last 31 games between these sides, spanning 20 years, when the Warriors haven’t picked up at least one bonus point.

Last time out

It’s just 132 days since Connacht were last at Scotstoun, on that occasion for a URC playoff quarter-final.

The side from Galway came into that game as one of the form teams in the league and it showed as they defied their eighth-seeded status to push top seeds Glasgow all the way.

The visitors were the more consistent threat throughout the game, with ten entries into the 22 compared to just six for the Warriors.

The key difference was Glasgow’s efficiency when they did have opportunities, crossing for tries on all but one of their trips to the opposing 22.

This was the key statistic where Connacht didn’t come close to matching the Warriors.

Kyle Steyn eventually crossed in the 73rd minute for what would prove to be the try that finally took the game beyond the Irish side.

Evern then, there was still nervousness all around Scotstoun until the final whistle sounded.

It was Steyn’s 11th try in knockout fixtures for Glasgow – already a club record and one he would extend with a double against the Bulls the following week.

Much of the win was built on a huge amount of tireless graft to subdue the Connacht challenge.

This was epitomised by the Fagerson brothers – starting together in Glasgow colours for the 70th time – who combined for 54 carries and tackles in a typically robust pair of performances.

Hard work and a sprinkling of stardust have nearly always been the order of the day against Connacht, and it’s likely that more of the same will be required on Friday.