Connacht's stand-in captain Joe Joyce tells Premier Sports: "It's been strange but nice, we spent a lot of time together, a lot of card games and coffees. A lot of time to go over things.

"I don't change too much. We've got a big leadership group at the club, there's 11 of us so I try and lead by example on the pitch.

"JJ [Hanrahan] has a lot of experience, he's been out for a while but his presence is still around the club. He was a huge player for us last year and he will be again today.

"We're fully aware of the depth and quality they've got. A lot of superstars are missing but a lot of players are still capped in that team."

Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith tells Premier Sports: "With the young boys we have available, it suited us a bit. One extra training day made a difference. I'm just excited.

"Nothing would have happened on Friday if we tried to play when the weather was that bad.

"There's 22 boys not available but that's why we coach and why I enjoy it so much. I've been part of this competition for many years and this part of the year has always been a challenge.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the young boys put their hands up - they're the future of Scottish rugby."

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Connacht have made seven changes to the side that beat Cardiff last week, while Santiago Cordero - brother of Glasgow's Facundo - starts at fullback.

Jack Aungier, David O'Connor, Shamus Hurley-Langton and Sean Jansen come into the forward back, while Caolin Blade, JJ Handran and David Hawkshaw are into the backs.

Blade is part of Ireland's Six Nations squad, but other Connacht players such as Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham, Mack Hansen and Cian Prendergast remain with the Ireland squad.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, SNS

Scotland full-back Ollie Smith makes his first Glasgow appearance in over a year this afternoon.

Smith ruptured knee ligaments in December 2023 and made his comeback for an Emerging Scotland side against Italy last month.

He is named at outside centre next to 21-year-old Duncan Munn, who makes his first Glasgow start amid 11 changes from the Champions Cup defeat by Harlequins, with Warriors missing more than 20 players because of injury and the upcoming Six Nations.

Duncan Weir captains the side for the first time, with rare starts for Patrick Schickerling and Fin Richardson in the front row.

Youngsters Euan Ferrie and Alex Samuel make up the second row, with Ally Miller, Henco Venter and recent Scotland call-up Jack Mann in the back-row.

Ben Afshar partners Weir in the half-backs, while Facundo Cordero makes a third start of the season on the wing.

Glasgow Warriors: McKay, Cancelliere, Smith, Munn, Cordero, Weir, Afshar; Schickerling, Matthews, Richardson, Ferrie, Samuel, Miller, Venter, Mann.

Replacements: Stewart, McBeth, Talakai, Duncan, Roberts, Fraser; Kennedy, Johnston.

Connacht: Cordero, Mullins, O'Conor, Hawkshaw, Ralston, Hanrahan, Blade; Dooley, Heffernan, Aungier, O'Connor, Joyce, Murphy, Hurley-Langton, Jansen.

Replacements: Tierney-Martin, Duggan, Illo, Dowling, Boyle, Devine, Carty, Treacy.

Welcome to Scotstoun, where it's a little less blustery than it was on Friday but still bitterly cold. Then again, it always is here.

Will Glasgow be reinvigorated by the rest, or will it have thrown a spanner in the works?

And can either of these new-look sides gel quickly to pick up the points in the URC?

Let's have a look at the teams!

Image source, SNS