Glasgow Warriors host the Lions at Scotstoun Stadium on Friday evening in Round 5 of the United Rugby Championship. The Warriors sit second on the table after an unbeaten opening four rounds, while the Lions are looking to recover from a difficult start to their European tour.
Glasgow Warriors v Lions, Friday 30th October, Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow, kick-off 21:45 SAST
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Mike Adamson (Scotland), David Sutherland (Scotland)
TMO: Stefano Penne (Italy)
Weather Forecast – Glasgow
Glasgow Warriors
Glasgow are second in the URC standings with 18 points from four matches, recording three victories and a draw. They have scored 119 points and conceded 92.
In Round 3 the Warriors beat Connacht 36–19 at Scotstoun, with their forward pack and driving maul particularly influential.
They followed that up with a 24–20 away victory over Benetton in Round 4, maintaining their unbeaten league start.
The Scottish side will be favourites at home, although the approach to the November international window may influence selection.
Scotstoun has historically been a challenging venue for touring South African sides.
Lions
The Lions are 11th on the URC table with nine points after four matches, having won two and lost two. They have scored 87 points and conceded 133.
They suffered a heavy 57–15 defeat away to the Bulls in Round 3 before going down 31–10 to Edinburgh in wet conditions last Friday.
The Edinburgh defeat exposed problems with defensive decision-making, discipline and lineout execution, areas that will require improvement against Glasgow.
The Lions are playing their final match on tour before the international break and will be keen to finish on a positive note.
The visitors have also had to contend with difficult circumstances following the death of teammate Hyron Andrews earlier in the tour.
Previous head-to-head results (URC and Challenge Cup)
18 April 2026: LIONS 54–12 Glasgow Warriors (Johannesburg)
29 March 2025: GLASGOW WARRIORS 42–0 Lions (Glasgow)
18 May 2024: LIONS 44–21 Glasgow Warriors (Johannesburg)
8 April 2023: GLASGOW WARRIORS 31–21 Lions (Glasgow – Challenge Cup)
25 February 2023: LIONS 35–24 Glasgow Warriors (Johannesburg)
9 October 2021: GLASGOW WARRIORS 13–9 Lions (Glasgow)
The six meetings have been evenly split, with three victories apiece. Home advantage has been decisive, with the home side winning all six encounters.
Glasgow have won all three meetings at Scotstoun, including a 42–0 victory in March 2025. The Lions did, however, win their most recent encounter 54–12 in Johannesburg in April.
Team news
Glasgow have reported that Ollie Smith, Ross Thompson and Sione Vailanu have returned to training. Their availability, together with potential Scotland international call-ups, will be important to monitor.
The Lions are monitoring lock Etienne Oosthuizen after he sustained an injury against Edinburgh.
Springboks Boan Venter, Morné van den Berg and Quan Horn are with the touring squad, although final availability and selection remain to be confirmed.
Both sides could be affected by the proximity of the November international programme.
The confirmed matchday squads should provide a clearer indication of the likely handicap.
Teams.
Glasgow Warriors: 15 Ollie Smith, 14 Bayley Kuenzle, 13 Johnny Ventisei, 12 Stafford McDowall, 11 Fergus Watson, 10 Dan Lancaster, 9 George Horne, 8 Euan Ferrie, 7 Macenzzie Duncan, 6 Jamie Ritchie, 5 Jare Oguntibeju, 4 Alex Craig, 3 Fin Richardson, 2 Jack Singleton, 1 Jake Shearer.
Replacements: 16 Gregor Hiddleston, 17 Patrick Schickerling, 18 Sam Talakai, 19 Max Williamson, 20 Ally Miller, 21 Seb Stephen, 22 Callum Reidy, 23 Cameron van Wyk.
Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Kelly Mpeku, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Bronson Mills, 11 Erich Cronjé, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Morné van den Berg, 8 Francke Horne (c), 7 Siba Qoma, 6 Siba Mahashe, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 RF Schoeman, 2 Tiaan Lange, 1 SJ Kotze.
Replacements: 16 Morné Brandon, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Conraad van Vuuren, 19 Dylan Sjoblom, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21 Nico Steyn, 22 Richard Kriel, 23 Boeta Chamberlain
The Betting
As at 30 October at WSB
Glasgow Warriors -7.5
Lions +7.5
Bet: 1 unit (1–5), Lions to win at 5/2 at World Sports Betting
Explanation in the Round 5 betting blog.
See what other punters fancy and have your say in the Goodforthegame Rugby Forum thread.
Disclaimer: Odds are subject to change. Please gamble responsibly. No bet is guaranteed to win. Please only bet what you can afford to lose.
