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Glasgow head coach Gregor Townsend says losing to Connacht was the best thing that could have happened to Warriors Guinness PRO12 defence. Their 14-7 defeat to Connacht two weeks ago meant they would have to travel to Galway again for the semi-finals.The reigning champions are back at the Sportsground on Saturday where history is against them - no away team has ever won a semi-final in the competition. However, despite being forced to do it the hard way, Townsend claims coming out of the teams last meeting second best has proved to be a blessing in disguise. Glasgow Warriors players lift last seasons PRO 12 trophy He said: It was the best thing that could have happened to us.You learn more from defeat. You do get confidence from victories but you find out how to be better after a loss. Things get put through the magnifying glass.Weve had two weeks preparation to put things right. It would have been better for the club and our supporters to have been at home but having that defeat has really sharpened our focus ahead of this weekend. Our preparation has been better than normal because the team we just lost to and who we want to put a few things right against is who we play in the next game.We will learn from where we could be better and try to get our strengths out.But whether you are home or away, these games are always going to be tough. We lost away to Leinster three years ago by just two points. Glasgow head coach Gregor Townsend says his side wants to put things right We won two years ago at home to Munster by a point and then against Ulster last year by a point. So they are always tight. Whoever takes their opportunities will win.A sell-out 9,500 crowd is expected to pack into Connachts home arena but while the vast majority will be supporting Pat Lams side, Townsend hopes his teams vast reserves of experience will give Glasgow the upper hand. Gregor Townsend says defeat was best thing for Glasgow The Scotstoun side have reached the play-offs for the last five years straight but this is Connachts debut appearance in the semis.Townsend said: That experience might help us. It might not given Connacht beat us last time and are at home, so they will be pretty confident. Matt Healy celebrates Connachts win over Glasgow Its a new experience for them and Im sure it will be a fantastic atmosphere at the Sportsground. Its great for Connacht and their supporters that they are getting to host a semi-final.But we want to put them under pressure and see if they will make mistakes. Whether that is because they have not played in a semi-final before or because they are playing a very good Glasgow team doesnt matter so long as we get the right outcome and Glasgow win the game.Connacht: 15 Tiernan OHalloran, 14 Niyi Adeolokun, 13 Robbie Henshaw, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Matt Healy, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Kieran Marmion, 1 Ronan Loughney, 2 Tom McCartney, 3 Finlay Bealham, 4 Ultan Dillane, 5 Aly Muldowney, 6 Eoin McKeon, 7 Jake Heenan. 8 John Muldoon (c).Replacements: 16 Dave Heffernan, 17 JP Cooney, 18 Rodney Ah You, 19 Andrew Browne, 20 Sean OBrien, 21 John Cooney, 22 Shane OLeary, 23 Peter Robb.Glasgow Warriors: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Tommy Seymour, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 Peter Horne, 11 Sean Lamont, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Henry Pyrgos, 1 Gordon Reid, 2 Fraser Brown, 3 Zander Fagerson, 4 Leone Nakarawa, 5 Jonny Gray (c), 6 Ryan Wilson, 7 Simone Favaro, 8 Josh Strauss.Replacements: 16 Pat MacArthur, 17 Ryan Grant, 18 Darcy Rae, 19 Tim Swinson, 20 Adam Ashe, 21 Grayson Hart, 22 Duncan Weir, 23 Taqele Naiyaravoro.Watch Connacht v Glasgow live on Sky Sports 1 HD on Saturday from 6.00pm. Catch the match for £6.99 with a NOW TV day pass. Kansas City Royals Pro Shop . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. Cheap Royals Jerseys . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. https://www.cheaproyals.com/ . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. Fake Royals Jerseys . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. Kansas City Royals Store . In the lead up - which seemed to begin the moment Mike Geiger blew the whistle in Houston last Thursday night - the Impact rumour mill went into overdrive. The speculation went into meltdown mode, of the golden nugget variety. While some of Australias former players have cautioned the current crop against too much talk in the upcoming Tests, Vernon Philander warned things wont always stay genteel from the South African side, especially not when they are up against it.Theres going to be a time when a partnership will develop and it will require one or two bowlers to put up their hands and get a bit ugly and make things uncomfortable, Philander said.When those times come, Philander seems ready to put himself at the forefront. That tests your character, its a part of Test cricket and testing your skills - you need to get out there and win that moment for your team. Its going to be fun.For Philander, it may also be personal. He is perhaps more highly regarded at home than in Australia, - as was also the case when he toured England - despite his eight-for on debut against Australia in Cape Town in the match in which they were bowled out for 47. The Australians want to see him do that in Australia, just like the English wanted to see him to do it England.Then, he responded by taking seven wickets at Lords, including 5 for 30 in the second innings, to win the Test and the mace and signed off with a line that is still repeated in South African circles: Stats dont lie, he said, when asked what he would like to say the English after that day.They dont, and Philanders numbers against Australia could do with some improving. In seven Tests against them, Philander has taken 35 wickets at an average of 30.24, much higher than his overall average of 22.09. In the past two series against them - 2012 and 2014 - he has taken only 11 wickets at 51.00.His powers are considered to have waned since he became the fastest bowler in over a century to 100 Test wickets and the injury that kept him out of most of last summer has not helped him restore his reputation. On this tour, Philander has everything to prove but pre-series, he chose to play that down.Its very important for me personally and its also important for us as a unit, Philander said. Weve got to take 200 wickets and as long as I play my part in taking 20 wickets in a Test match, then Ill be happy.ddddddddddddHis first chance at doing that will be on the surface that could offer the most assistance. The WACA is set to have something in it for the seamers, as the Gabba was expected to four years ago. Then, looks were deceiving and the all-pace attack Philander was part of backfired so he is being cautious about whether South Africa will go guns blazing this time. Weve always had three seamers with a spinner and a part-timer and were pretty used to that, he said.But with the pace pack at their disposal - Dale Steyn, fit-again Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Kyle Abbott and Philander - it will be difficult to decide which two must sit out. And if they do opt for a four-pronged attack, Philanders advice to his team-mates is not to get too excited by the surface.The simpler you keep it, the better it becomes, he said. You can get carried away by the pace and bounce but for seamers you need to be ultra-disciplined here.Control is something Philander has built his game on. He is known for being able to hit the area outside off for over after over, and only move the ball off the seam slightly. That is likely to be his line of attack in this series.Its not as emphatic as Steyns swing or Rabadas pace and in many ways, it is indicative of the bowler Philander is. He does not get throbbing veins or send the speed gun above 150kph, he does not have much to say about the opposition except that they are the 11 individuals who are the best in Australia at the moment and weve to to respect that for what they are, and he does not have much to say to them either.Unlike Steyn he did not name a target or threaten to sink an entire side. He just mentioned that he is capable of not being a nice guy too, if he has to.Moments are going to get heated, he said, but you as a person have to be stay calm and collected. ' ' '