SEAN LAMONT leads a group of six Scotland World Cup squad members who will be involved tonight when Glasgow Warriors take on Leinster in the Guinness PRO12 in Dublin.
Eleven players – Ryan Grant, Gordon Reid, Fraser Brown, Jonny Gray, Josh Strauss, Henry Pyrgos, Finn Russell, Pete Horne, Mark Bennett, Tommy Seymour and Stuart Hogg – have been rested following the Scots' controversial exit at the hands of Australia – and Craig Joubert – last Sunday.
However, Lamont, Richie Vernon, Duncan Weir, Tim Swinson, Ryan Wilson and Kevin Bryce are pressed back into club action with the first five named in the starting XV.
With the Italian back-row Simone Favaro starting and the USA second-row Greg Peterson on the bench it means that eight of the 21 Warriors who were at the World Cup have returned, Leone Nakarawa (Fiji) and Sila Puafisi (Tonga) the other two still to reappear.
Warriors’ head coach Gregor Townsend said: “Obviously, the guys were emotional after the quarter-final, but they are used to a quick turnaround and all of our Scotland players came in on Tuesday and we wanted to show them how much we appreciated their efforts.
“The Scotland guys who are involved against Leinster are itching to play and cannot wait to get out there again. At the end of a World Cup, there are a lot of emotions going round your brain.
They all want to get out and play again, but that is a big commitment they have just had from the Scotland training camp over the summer right through to the Australia match.
“As a result a number of the guys have been given time off and we very much take it on a case by case basis. By the time we get around to the [European Rugby] Champions Cup starting in November, everybody will be back and ready for selection.”
The last time the Warriors met Leinster the teams played out a 34-34 draw.
“I really enjoy matches against Leinster. They are a club who have great players and a great support and the matches that we play against them always seem to be entertaining,” Townsend added.
"Last year was a classic for the neutral. After 30 minutes we thought we were going to win and then with 10 minutes to go we thought ‘how are we going to win this?’
"We know this is a good opportunity with some international players back to really put in a good performance.”
Italian Favaro for one is looking to put in a good performance this evening in the RDS, his first start for the Warriors since joining in the summer.
The 27-year-old said: “Everyone in Glasgow has really gone out of their way to make me feel welcome here.
“I was privileged to play in the most amazing tournament in the world recently with Italy. Of course I am not happy about the Italy results, we did not perform well but it is in the past now and my focus at the minute is on Glasgow.
“I know there are a lot of good players here at the club, but I am confident in my own abilities and I think the way to be the best is to have a lot of competition.
“For the game against Leinster I have been given the No.7 shirt and I have to give 100 percent to try and keep it.”
Meanwhile, Alex Dunbar is set to be out for a couple of weeks after he took a blow to his chest last Friday in the win over the Dragons during his first competitive match in seven months following a knee injury.
Glasgow Warriors team to face Leinster (7.45pm, RDS): S Lamont; T Naiyaravoro, R Vernon, F Lyle, R Hughes; D Weir, M Blair; A Allan, P MacArthur, Z Fagerson, T Swinson, S Cummings, R Harley, R Wilson, S Favaro. Subs: K Bryce, J Yanuyanutawa, M Cusack, G Peterson, A Ashe, H Blake, G Hart, R Clegg
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