Thompson and McLean to make first starts

Glasgow Warriors duo Ross Thompson and Rufus McLean will make their first starts for the club tomorrow night, as Danny Wilson makes four changes to his starting XV for the visit of Edinburgh to Scotstoun.

It will be a debut appearance in a Glasgow jersey for Scotland U20 star McLean, whilst Thompson is selected at fly-half after impressing in his cameo off the bench last weekend.

Oli Kebble’s return to full fitness sees the Scotland prop come into the lineup at loose-head, joining George Turner and Zander Fagerson in an otherwise unchanged front row.

The towering duo of Richie Gray and Scott Cummings continue in the second row, the former having led the Guinness PRO14 with four lineout steals in last weekend’s clash at BT Murrayfield.

Ryan Wilson once again captains the side from the blindside flank, as Tom Gordon and Matt Fagerson round out the pack.

Thompson’s first run out at Scotstoun will see him partner Ali Price in the half-backs, with the scrum-half the player with the most club appearances in the Warriors back-line.

Robbie Fergusson comes into the midfield in place of Sam Johnson, the Scotland 7s captain resuming his centre partnership with Nick Grigg.

The back three sees McLean and Lee Jones start on the wings, with Huw Jones getting the nod once more at full-back.

Aki Seiuli rotates to the bench after starting last weekend, as the prop joins Johnny Matthews and Enrique Pieretto as the front-row cover.

Fresh from scoring his first try for the club last time out, Lewis Bean is once again named in the number 19 jersey, whilst TJ Ioane continues in the matchday 23 for the eighth successive fixture.

Jamie Dobie and Brandon Thomson will cover the half-back positions, with Glenn Bryce completing the Warriors squad.

Speaking to glasgowwarriors.org, Head Coach Wilson said: “We wanted to give an opportunity to a few boys we think deserve their shot based on their efforts in training over the last couple of weeks.

“We’re excited to see how Ross [Thompson] goes at fly-half and for Rufus [McLean] to get his first run out for the club – he’s a young man with an impressive skillset and electric pace.

“At the same time, though, it’s all about continuing to gel and grow as a squad.

“We’ve worked on a few things we learned from last week, and we’re excited to get back out at Scostoun on Friday night.”

Glasgow Warriors team to face Edinburgh in the Guinness PRO14, Friday 8 January, kick-off 7.35pm, live on Premier Sports 1. You can follow the action in our Live Match Centre at glasgowwarriors.org.

1. Oli Kebble (52)
2. George Turner (55)
3. Zander Fagerson (96)
4. Richie Gray (52)
5. Scott Cummings (74)
6. Ryan Wilson (C) (180)
7. Tom Gordon (26)
8. Matt Fagerson (67)

9. Ali Price (92)
10. Ross Thompson (1)
11. Rufus McLean (0)
12. Robbie Fergusson (6)
13. Nick Grigg (80)
14. Lee Jones (86)
15. Huw Jones (44)

Replacements

16. Johnny Matthews (6)
17. Aki Seiuli (21)
18. Enrique Pieretto (9)
19. Lewis Bean (5)
20. TJ Ioane (8)
21. Jamie Dobie (14)
22. Brandon Thomson (31)
23. Glenn Bryce (33)

Unavailable for selection: Alex Allan, Fraser Brown, Rob Harley, Adam Hastings, George Horne, Pete Horne, Sam Johnson, Sean Kennedy, Kiran McDonald, Niko Matawalu, Leone Nakarawa, Tommy Seymour, Kyle Steyn