Welsh earns first Magners League start at Firhill

Chris Cusiter soaks up the Glaswegian sunshine ahead of tomorrow night's Magners League opener against Munster.

Three of Glasgow Warriors’ summer signings have been handed starting jerseys for the Warriors’ first competitive game of the 2009/10 season against reigning Magners League champions Munster at Firhill tomorrow night (Friday 4 September, kick-off 8pm).

The all-Scottish trio of scrum-half Chris Cusiter, centre Peter Murchie and wing Rob Dewey have impressed head coach Sean Lineen during pre-season as well as the Warriors supporters as they played their part in defeating London Wasps (16-15) at Firhill last weekend in the Warriors’ final pre-season friendly of the year.

Tickets for Friday night’s game - priced at £15 for adults in advance with a new AnyGame voucher (£20 on match days), £10 for concessions (including students) and £5 for under 18s – can be purchased now by calling the Ticket Hotline on 0844 800 3490 or by clicking here.

Glasgow Warriors’ new AnyGame Vouchers have been introduced to encourage supporters to buy early and, to avoid queues, are not for sale or collection on match days.

Johnnie Beattie returns to the back-row alongside Kelly Brown and John Barclay.

Of his new recruits, Lineen said: “It’s the first Magners League start for Chris Cusiter, Peter Murchie and Rob Dewey, three backs I rate very highly.

“We have three quality scrum-halves and Chris has made a huge impact since he arrived here over the summer. I can’t wait to see him perform in the Magners League.

“Rob has shown his scoring potential already and you can see the quality left out of the team as a result with Hefin O’Hare and DTH van der Merwe challenging for a starting place.

“Peter Murchie is a classic case of a guy taking his chance. He is still learning but his work ethic is first-class and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do against Munster.”
 
Despite a rousing result against Wasps in front of a fervent Glasgow support last weekend, Lineen is adamant that pre-season achievements will count for nothing unless they deliver tangible results on the pitch.
 
“Munster is a huge first-up challenge,” said Lineen. “This is where it all starts. Pre-season is pre-season and it will all count for nothing unless we perform on the pitch on Friday night.
 
“There’s intense competition for places. The players have been working very hard and I’ve been impressed with their attitudes both on and off the field.
“A special mention must go to Gary Mercer who’s done a huge amount of work on our defence. This is a massive area we’ve looked at and certainly so far, the players have bought into what we’re doing in this area.”

Also among those named in the side is young prop Jon Welsh who makes his first Magners League start at Firhill.
 
Lineen feels that the application shown by Welsh is exactly why he has earned his call-up to the starting XV.

“Jon is keeping two international props out of the starting XV. Walter Malcolm [a member of the Glasgow Warriors community board] brought him to my attention when Jon was playing for GHA and his attitude was what impressed me most. He is very young but everything about him is so refreshing because he is so focussed on being the best he can be.”

Jon Welsh earns his second competitive start for Glasgow - his first at Firhill.

Elsewhere, Johnnie Beattie returns to the back-row, re-establishing the Killer Bees’ partnership that was last season interrupted by the impressive Richie Vernon.

Lineen continued: “Nowhere in the squad is competition more intense than at No.8. We have two quality performers in Johnnie Beattie and Richie Vernon which is hopefully the start of a positive rivalry even though they share a flat together. It’s good news for Glasgow to have these two guys pushing each other and it’s exciting for a coach.”

Glasgow Warriors team to play Munster in the Magners League at Firhill on Friday 4 September (kick-off 8pm)

15 Bernardo Stortoni

14 Rob Dewey
13 Peter Murchie
12 Graeme Morrison
11 Thom Evans

10 Dan Parks
9 Chris Cusiter

1 Jon Welsh
2 Dougie Hall
3 Moray Low
4 Tim Barker
5 Alastair Kellock CAPTAIN
6 Kelly Brown
7 John Barclay
8 Johnnie Beattie

Substitutes
16 Pat MacArthur
17 Kevin Tkachuk
18 Dan Turner
19 Richie Vernon
20 Mark McMillan
21 Ruaridh Jackson
22 Colin Shaw

ALL THE BIG NAMES HAVE SIGNED… NOW IT’S YOUR TURN
All the big names have signed for The Biggest Team in Glasgow and now it’s your turn.
 
The new deal includes free entry for you and a friend for the pre-season friendly against London Wasps, entry into the ticket ballot for RBS 6 Nations tickets, free admission to the away 1872 Cup match against Edinburgh in addition to two further Edinburgh fixtures at Murrayfield plus free entry into a Partick Thistle league game.
 
Season ticket holders aged 12 and under will also be entered into the exclusive prize draw to run out with the Warriors as the official mascot at a Glasgow home game.
 
Season ticket prices remain at just £30 for under 18s with concessions and students enjoying all the action for only £80. Adult season tickets are priced at £160.
 
Call the ticket hotline on 0844 800 3490 or CLICK HERE to add your name to the list of signings for The Biggest Team in Glasgow.