Opposition view:
Glasgow Warriors
Quick facts:
League position: 6th
European position: 2nd
Stadium: Scotstoun
Capacity: 6,600 (can be extended to 10,000)
League form:
Glasgow started the season with an emphatic 41-5 away victory at reigning champions Connacht. Since then, results have been mixed leaving the club in 6th position having already lost four matches at home this season. The Warriors lost 25-16 away at the Ospreys in their last game, leaving them without a league win since January 7th.
European form:
Glasgow face a daunting trip to the Allianz Park to take on Saracens in the Champions Cup quarter-finals. That “reward” comes after navigating tricky opposition in Munster, Leicester and Racing 92. The Scottish side were particularly impressive in two emphatic victories against the Tigers, including a thumping 43-0 away victory at Welford Road.
How to get to the stadium:
By car:
There is no public parking available at the stadium on match-day so cars are discouraged by our hosts.
By rail:
The closest railway stations, Scotstounhill and Jordanhill, are around 15-20 minutes’ walk away from the stadium.
From the city centre:
Taxis to the stadium are quite cheap if you are travelling in a group, but buses can also be taken to the stadium. The stadium is on the route of the First Bus Number X4, and they run every 10 minutes.
Best place to eat and drink (inside the stadium):
For drink, there are various booths dotted around the stadium as-well as the clubhouse. However, the clubhouse has limited capacity so do arrive early to ensure you can get in.
There are many food outlets within the ground. Martha’s Kitchen, which does a wide selection of food at a good price, comes highly recommended. Apparently, it is mandatory at Scottish league games to sell Scotch Pies so why not indulge yourself – when in Rome and all that.
Best place to eat and drink (outside the ground):
The West End is recommended for food but you will need to catch the metro to Hillhead or Kelvinhall to sample its delights. The main hub for food is Byres Road with Balbir’s the preferred choice of Glasgow supporters.
There are two pubs near to the ground - Granny Gibbs on Dumbarton Road (5-minutes’ walk from the ground) and the Three Craws on Crow Road (15-minutes’ walk and adjacent to Jordanhill station). So plenty of choices at which to celebrate a good win.
The city-centre also has a wide array of options and is about 20-minutes from the stadium.
What the Glasgow fans think:
Their best players:
Glasgow have 16 players in Scotland’s 6 nations’ squad and 2 injuries to key players. The most notable of those absentees are Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg. Despite this, they are still a dangerous side, with Nick Grigg, Tim Swinson and Ryan Wilson all highly thought of by the Warriors faithful.
Dragons best players:
Glasgow fans have spoken unanimously on the 3 players they are looking out for. They are Lewis Evans, Adam Hughes and Ashton Hewitt.
Chances:
The Glasgow fans I have spoken with seem very cagey about this encounter. The general consensus though is they will sneak it within 5 points.
Prediction:
It is no secret that our recent record against Glasgow is poor. However, I thought we played very well against them at Rodney Parade and were unlucky to get nothing for our efforts.
We need to respond well after last week’s defeat to Leinster and Glasgow might be the right team at the right time. We need to get a win and Glasgow are in a bit of a rut at the moment. That said, they still have a wealth of talent at their disposal who will want to turn a corner and fight to maintain their places in the squad when the 6 nations is over.
I will go for a sneaky away victory and a chance to leapfrog Edinburgh in the table.
Prediction:
Glasgow 18 – 21 Dragons
Ryan Robinson – Dragons Community Ambassador
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