Glasgow Warriors team to face Leinster planned in March as Ross Thompson absence addressed

Franco Smith is not a man who ever operates off the cuff which makes it not a huge surprise to learn he had a team in mind way back in March for Glasgow Warriors’ URC season opener against Leinster on Sunday.

The South African, of course, wouldn’t have known for sure at that point that Scotland wouldn’t progress beyond the World Cup pool stage, while his countryman Henco Venter wasn’t even announced as a Warriors signing until a month later.

Smith, though, is a calculating, methodical individual who leaves nothing to chance, with plans laid in place often months in advance. To that end, he hands a first competitive start to Venter at No 8, while the first batch of returning players from the World Cup – Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings, Rory Darge, Kyle Steyn and Huw Jones – are all pressed immediately into action against an under-strength Leinster side.