The Action Will Be Blazing In Galway Tonight

AS I type this, the sun is fighting a losing battle to emerge from a slate-grey sky, but, it is dry. Let us hope it remains dry out there at Galway, in the West of Ireland for tonight's Guinness Pro12 play-off semi-final between Connacht and Glasgow.

As we all know, the statistics do not stack up in Glasgow's favour, a home semi-final has, hitherto pretty much proved to be a free pass into the Pro12 Final. But, if any team can buck these odds, it is the Warriors. On paper, they are the better team, playing the more-attractive style of rugby. I do not think Connacht, great season though they have had, can play any better than they did in the meeting of the two clubs in the final regular season match, a couple of weeks ago – Glasgow can play a lot better than they did that night, and, if they do, they will win.

Gregor Townsend - will be hopng his real Glasgow shows up tonight 

One difference between the two games is, tonight the complete officiating tea will be neutral. Marius Mitrea of Italy is the man in the middle, which, I must admit, worries me somewhat. However, the great Nigel Owens is on one flag and I am sure he will keep the Connacht defensive line a lot more honest than the Irish touch judges allowed them to be two weeks ago.

Hopefully touch judge Nigel Owens can keep the Connacht defence honest tonight

It will still be a terrific game, as will the other semi-final, a traditional North v South encounter between Ulster and Leinster at the latter's Royal Dublin Showground base. Everything points to this one being settled with less than a score between the sides.

The line-ups for tonight's Galway game are:

Connacht Rugby		V	Glasgow Warriors
	Tiernan O'Halloran	15	Stuart Hogg
	Niyi Adeolokun	14	Tommy Seymour
	Robbie Henshaw	13	Mark Bennett
	Bundee Aki	12	Peter Horne
	Matt Healy	11	Sean Lamont
	Alan MacGinty	10	Finn Russell
	Kieran Marmion	9	Henry Pyrgos
	Ronan Loughney	1	Gordon Reid
	Tom McCartney	2	Fraser Brown
	Finlay Bealham	3	Zander Fagerson
	Ultan Dillane	4	Leone Nakarawa
	Aly Muldowney	5	Jonny Gray
	Eoin McKeon	6	Ryan Wilson
	Jake Heenan	7	Simone Favaro
	John Muldoon	8	Josh Strauss
Replacements
	Dave Heffernan	16	Pat MacArthur
	JP Cooney	17	Ryan Grant
	Rodney Ah You	18	D'arcy Rae
	Andrew Browne	19	Tim Swinson
	Sean O'Brien	20	Adam Ashe
	John Cooney	21	Grayson Hart
	Shane O'Leary	22	Duncan Weir
	Peter Robb	23	Taqele Naiyaravoro

EARLIER today, we have the two Aviva Premiership play-off semi-finals, between Saracens and Leicester and Exeter and Wasps. There is Scottish interest in both games, and, while quite frankly it does not bother me at all which side emerges on top from the Exeter v Wasps game – these are two of my favourite English sides, both of whom play a very attractive style of rugby; not merely because my late elder brother played for Sarries, but also because they play the better rugby and have the greater Scottish presence, I am putting my fez on Sarries to keep their dream of an English Championship-European Cup double alive.

Also, I just don't like Leicester, never have. Mind you, their need for victory is probably greater. They have, for a long time, had the sporting bragging rights in Leicester, then, along came Claudio Ranieri and his Foxes to shunt them aside.