Colin Gregor
Former Scotland sevens captain on Radio Scotland

A 37-10 victory over Munster here last September which was a real statement at the beginning of the season. We've got a really tasty encounter ahead.

It's a settled team and early in the season it's good to get guys game-time and familiarity with the guys they're playing with.

We'll keep you right up to date with all the action from Scotstoun and the Kingspan Stadium.

You've got a choice of listening using the buttons above too - tune in to Stuart McFarlane and the Sportsound team, who'll guide you through the goings-on in Glasgow. Or if it's Edinburgh you're after, you can enjoy the dulcet tones of our colleagues in Belfast.

It's not all glamour and riches being a professional rugby player, y'know...

You've still got to tighten your own studs.

Remember desperately grappling with those tighteners in far less pleasant changing rooms than the one at Scotstoun.

Image source, SNS

A couple of very notable absentees in the Edinburgh 23 tonight.

Hamish Watson sits this one out as he awaits the birth of his child.

Duhan van der Merwe is following concussion return-to-play protocols after suffering a brain injury.

Both big, big losses for the visitors. Jamie Ritchie wears seven in place of Watson, making his 50th club appearance. Tom Brown gets a game for the first time since November last year after missing most of last term injured.

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There was yet more bad injury news for Scotland centre Duncan Taylor this week.

The 29-year-old was making his comeback for Saracens in their Premiership opener against Newcastle after a series of head injuries and previous knee ligament damage meant he missed all of Scotland's autumn Tests and Six Nations matches last season.

Taylor suffered more ACL damage and his club say he'll be sidelined "long-term".

Compatriot Sean Maitland is also out, albeit only for a few weeks. The wing/full-back dislocated his finger but should be back in action around the end of the month.

Image source, Getty Images

Then there's the horrific case of Cornell du Preez, the Scotland back-row who fractured his larynx playing for Worcester Warriors last weekend.

It's not his first serious injury - he suffered an utterly brutal leg-break at Edinburgh after which, I was informed at the time, his foot was "literally hanging off".

Get well soon, Cornell.

Image source, Joe Meredith Photography

Stuart Hogg kicked the match-winning drop-goal for Glasgow in Galway last weekend. He also made 52m with ball in hand and beat five defenders.

Warriors fans didn't see too much of him last season - injury and Scotland duty limited him to a handful of appearances - but they'll be chuffed to have him around from the off this term.

Not too sure about his skinhead barnet, mind you...

Image source, Inpho

After lengthy negotiations between Scottish Rugby and Ulster, Dan McFarland was released from his post as Scotland forwards coach to take charge in Belfast for the start of the season.

The Engishman did a fine job moulding Scotland's pack into a force to be reckoned with. This is his first head coach appointment and he's got plenty work to do in reinvigorating a province that performed well below its capabilities last term, and was ravaged by a very high-profile trial.

Image source, Inpho

Each side at the Kingspan boasts a Fijian colossus in the form of Henry Speight and Viliame Mata.

Speight, the afro-topped winger, plays for Australia rather than the country of his birth, for whom he has won 19 caps.

The 30-year-old is a devastating attacker and has joined Ulster on a short-term contract until December, when he'll head back to the Brumbies in Canberra for Super Rugby

Image source, Inpho

Lining up in the visitors' back-row is the towering Mata.

I had the pleasure of interviewing him on Wednesday (stay tuned across BBC channels for that next week...) and can confirm he's absolutely massive. I'm a respectable 6'3 but he made me look like a child...

Mata is Edinburgh's go-to ball-carrier, the man they turn to when they need some ballast in the close-quarter skirmishes.

In Swansea last week, the big chap made 85m from 15 carries - more than any other forward.

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John Cooney was a beacon of light in a bleak season for Ulster last term.

The scrum-half, tasked with replacing the great Ruan Pienaar, was brilliant. He scored 226 points in 25 appearances - including a cracking try against Edinburgh at Murrayfield - and kicked the match-winning goal last weekend.

So, the province will be pretty chuffed to keep hold of him. He signed a contract extension this week which will tie him to Ulster until 2022.

Image source, Inpho

WP Nel is making his competitive comeback tonight after undergoing knee surgery over the summer. The big tight-head had an injury-hit last term and head coach Richard Cockerill is eager to have him fit and firing again.

“When he’s fit, he plays well and is as good as anyone around," Cockerill said.

"It’s his first start and our scrum creaked a little bit last week so I’m hoping WP’s presence will add that bit of ballast and know-how to that set-piece.”

The Scotland international also knows his way to the try-line. Remember this ridiculous run-in, external against Leinster?

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Ireland flanker Jordi Murphy will make his Ulster debut tonight. A summer signing from Leinster, whom he helped to a Pro14 and Champions Cup double last term, hes joined in the back-row by Marcell Coetzee and Nick Timoney, with Al O'Connor and Sean Reidy moving to the bench.

Ulster's backline remains unchanged from the Scarlets victory, with John Cooney and Billy Burns once again given the opportunity to develop an understanding at half-back.

Wiehahn Herbst, who missed the end of last season with a knee injury, could be in line for his first game of the season after being named among the replacements.

Image source, Inpho

Ulster: Addison; Gilroy, Cave, McCloskey, Speight; Burns, Cooney; Warwick, Herring, Kane, Treadwell, Henderson, Coetzee, Murphy, Timoney.

Replacements: McBurney, O'Sullivan, Herbst, O'Connor, Reidy, Shanahan, Curtis, Kernohan.

Edinburgh: Kinghorn; Fife, Bennett, Scott, Brown; Hickey, Pyrgos; Schoeman, McInally, Nel, Toolis, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Ritchie, Mata.

Replacements: Ford, Dell, McCallum, McKenzie, Crosbie, Kennedy, van der Walt, Johnstone.

Glasgow Warriors head coach Dave Rennie: "Over the last year there has been a lot of changes week-to-week based on availability, rotating internationals and injuries so it is good to have some continuity from the game last week.

"Early in the season we've got a lot of our big-hitters available and it's nice to get them out on the field. It's important that we make this place a fortress.

“Munster are a quality side and are consistently up at the top end of our league and in Europe based around a really strong pack.

“They are smart tactically, kick really well and look after the ball so our discipline will be important, but we’ve trained really positively this week and can’t wait to get back out in front of our vocal home support.”

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Glasgow began their Pro14 campaign with a dramatic win over Connacht in Galway six days ago. Head coach Dave Rennie makes two changes to his starting XI, with Fraser Brown replacing fellow Scotland cap George Turner at hooker.

Rob Harley shifts to lock in place of Scott Cummings, allowing Adam Ashe to start at number eight. Co-captains Ryan Wilson and Callum Gibbins are on the blind and open-side flanks respectively and the backline is unchanged.

Image source, Inpho

Tadgh Beirne, last year's Pro14 player of the season, is in line for his Munster debut after joining the province from Scarlets during the summer.

Jaco Taute is set to make his long-awaited return to action having been sidelined through injury for almost a year.

There's one change to the XV that battered the Cheetahs last weekend, with Sammy Arnold replacing Dan Goggin at outside centre.

Image source, Inpho

Glasgow Warriors: Hogg; Seymour, Grigg, P Horne, Van der Merwe; Hastings, G Horne; Kebble, Brown, Z Fagerson, Harley, Gray, Wilson, Gibbins, Ashe.

Replacements: Turner, Bhatti, Rae, Cummings, M Fagerson, Price, Dunbar, Matawalu.

Munster: Haley; Sweetnam, Arnold, R Scannell, Daly; Hanrahan, N Cronin; Kilcoyne, Sherry, Ryan, Kleyn, Holland, O'Callaghan, O'Donnell, Botha.

Replacements: Marshall, J Cronin, Archer, Wycherley, Beirne, Williams, Carbery, Taute.

A bumper night of Pro14 action ahead, with both Scottish teams and two Irish heavyweights in action.

There's always a bit of bite when Glasgow and Munster lock horns - they meet at Scotstoun after both recorded high-scoring opening-round wins.

In Belfast, Edinburgh take on Ulster, who began their campaign with a narrow victory over last year's beaten finalists, Scarlets.

Richard Cockerill's men lost to Ospreys in their first outing of the new season and face another testing away trip this evening.

Image source, SNS

Listen to local radio and follow live text commentary as Glasgow host Munster and Edinburgh visit Ulster in the Pro14.