Rassie Erasmus on upcoming Glasgow Warriors game – “It will be a massive challenge”

Only four teams remain unbeaten as the Guinness PRO14 season begins to take shape after three rounds of league action. Two of those sides, Munster and Glasgow Warriors will clash at a sold out Scotstoun on Friday night.

In their past three encounters across all competitions, no more than three points has separated the sides. But with Munster just shading it on each occasion. This season there’s a new man at the helm in Glasgow, in the form of former Chiefs head coach Dave Rennie. Munster Director of rugby Rassie Erasmus believes that the arrival of Rennie will have given Glasgow a boost.

“Last year we played them four times this is the fifth time we’re playing them now in 14, 15 months and every game was so close. They’ve got a new coach in and there will be a lot of good vibes there, new coaches always bring new energy and apart from that he’s a bloody good coach.”

Glasgow boast the best defensive record of Conference A to date, conceding just two tries, while Munster have only conceded three. Despite heading into an away day against a high-flying Glasgow side Erasmus says he will resist the temptation to call upon his returning Lions.

“We are (tempted), but the we also must think about around the corner is Cardiff and Leinster and Europe so we can have short term thinking now throw them in and then when it gets to them playing six nations and so on, you know theyre just punch drunk, I made that mistake last year”

Warriors only defeat in their last five matches at Scotstoun was to Edinburgh in round 22 last season. Erasmus says he will be expecting a tough test on Glasgow’s 3G pitch.

“It’s going to be tough, we know how tough it is, none of the 4 games last year were a walk in the park for us, it was lucky sometimes and we had to grind it out every sing time. It will be a massive challenge with the way Dave Rennie coaches fits the kind of players they have. It will be a nervous week for us away from home against a team that hasn’t lost this season.”