GLASGOW head coach Gregor Townsend is confident that the new pitch at Scotstoun will be a winner with his players - and with the fans.

The Warriors play on the artificial surface for the first time this afternoon when they take on Leinster in the PRO12. And, after training on it for a week, Townsend is sure it will help his team play the kind of fast, attacking game that suits them best.

“I think there will still be some errors from both sides as they get used to the conditions underfoot and the way the ball bounces,” he said yesterday. “But it will make for fast rugby.

“Defences will be under pressure and we just have to cope with it as quickly as we can. We’ve had five training sessions on it this week and we’ve learned a lot. For the backs, the first session wasn't that great, but we got better and we hope we have an advantage over Leinster and other teams who are not used to the surface.

“The players really like it. It's going to take some time to bed in, because it was only completed a week ago. With more games and training sessions will become more like the pitch it will be for the next 10 years.

“There are a few teams it will suit. It’s going to be a tough watch for the defence coaches. It will be great to watch for the supporters.

“You can produce quicker ball on the surface than in the mud. We expect good weather tomorrow, so I think it will be a cracking game.”

As well as the new pitch producing entertaining rugby, Townsend knows the biggest advantage for the fans could be the fact that games will no longer be postponed because of a waterlogged surface. The Warriors had to move to Kilmarnock and Murrayfield last season for some ‘home’ fixtures, but now they should be able to stay put whatever the weather.

“I hope that's the case - unless there’s a lightning strike on the day of the game,” Townsend added. “The first priority for us was to have a pitch where we could play all season. In two of the last three seasons we’ve had to move or postpone games.”

The Warriors got their league season off to the best possible start last week when they won 41-5 at Connacht’s Sportsground, the venue where they played and lost their final two games of their last campaign. Leinster made heavy weather of their 20-8 home win over Treviso, but Townsend expects them to be tough opponents this afternoon - especially now they have appointed former England boss Stuart Lancaster as their senior coach.

“He’s an excellent coach,” Townsend added. “I think he’ll help a great deal in defence. He’s been head coach of an international team, so he should have lots of insight into various areas.

“I was hoping he might start next Monday rather than this Monday. I think it’s a great appointment from Leinster and I think it's good for our league as well.”

Glasgow Warriors (v Leinster at Scotstoun today, 3pm): S Hogg; L Sarto, A Dunbar, S Johnson, T Seymour; P Horne, H Pyrgos; G Reid, F Brown, S Puafisi, T Swinson, J Gray, R Harley, S Favaro, R Wilson. Substitutes: C Flynn, A Allan, Z Fagerson, T Uanivi, L Wynne, A Price, R Clegg, L Jones.