He may have been one of the big-name summer signings but Lome Fa’atau, the Samoa international wing, is the biggest casualty from Glasgow’s recent poor performances in the Heineken Cup. Shade Munro, the club’s assistant coach, admitted that the player had struggled to adapt his game to the Northern Hemisphere style, but backed Fa’atau to bounce back.

Dropping the former Wellington wing for tonight’s visit by Cardiff Blues, the Magners League leaders, is one of four changes to the side that beat Viadana in the Heineken Cup last weekend but still attracted a blast of criticism from Sean Lineen, the head coach, for their performance, and in particular failing to stick to the tactics he wanted them to play.

Thom Evans returns from the hamstring strain he picked up against Saracens to claim his place on one wing, but Fa’atau’s axeing means that Hefin O’Hare keeps his place on the other wing after getting the try scoring under way last week, a move that will certainly go down well with the fans with whom he is a firm favourite thanks to his buzz-bomb style of playing.

“There is plenty of competition in the squad, so that is the way it goes,” he said. “I’ve been training hard and playing hard, and if the ball also bounces your way, then it is good for you and the team. I just enjoy playing rugby, so as long as I am in the team in some role and the team is going in the right direction, that is fine by me.

“The way the crowd react is amazing. The Supporters Club have sponsored me as well, which is great, it really lifts me. I really enjoy being part of Glasgow, and having that connection with the fans. I just hope I can keep performing for them and keep them cheering.”

To add a little extra spice, O’Hare is from Wales and always feels that games against the Welsh clubs bring out a little extra in him. “It is the national sport in Wales, everybody is dedicated to the cause and they always have good youngsters coming through. It will be a tough game, but I enjoy playing against Welsh teams, it is always good.”

Munro feels that part of the problem with Fa’atau is that he is used to playing in a style and system that allows him to hang out on the wing and wait for the ball to come to him. The way that European teams play, however, forces the wings to go looking for work a lot more and though he is learning to adjust, it is taking time.

“There is no doubt he has not found his form yet,” Munro admitted. “He is taking time to settle in. He is in no doubt about what is expected of him and I also have no doubt that we will see that in the future. He has got to learn to adapt to the style of the Northern Hemisphere but he has reacted to this in a very positive manner and I know he will get there.”

Fa’atau was signed as one of the leading try scorers in Super 14 rugby and he made an instant hit when he scored on his Glasgow debut, against Munster, but he has been unable to repeat the feat, though he has not been helped by playing all his games so far on converted football pitches, which are a lot narrower than full-size rugby pitches.

Cardiff have selected a mammoth pack as they travel north aiming to keep their league lead against the fifth-placed side, but up front Glasgow have confined themselves to a single change with Andy Newman, another player with Welsh playing experience, coming in for Dan Turner. The other changes see the first-choice centres, Andy Henderson and Daryl Gibson, restored after being rested against the Italians. Simon Webster, the Edinburgh wing, is to have a fitness test tomorrow morning to check progress on the leg injury that has kept him out of the side for the last month. He was named in the team for Sunday’s match against Llanelli Scarlets but the final lineup will not be confirmed until he has seen if there is any reaction to the full week of training.

Glasgow: B Stortoni; H O’Hare, A Henderson, D Gibson, T Evans; D Parks, C O’Young; J Va’a, F Thomson, M Low, A Newman, A Kellock (capt), K Brown, J Barclay, J Beattie. Replacements: E Milligan, E Kalman, O Palepoi, J Eddie, S Pinder, S Barrow, G Morrison.

Cardiff: Blues: B Blair; R Williams, T Selley, D Hewitt, G Thomas; D Flanagan, J Spice; J Yapp, G Williams, G Powell, B Davies, R Sidoli, S Morgan, M Williams, M Lewis.

Replacements: T Filise, R Johnson, D Jones, M Molitika, D Allinson, R Howells, B White.

Referee: A Lewis (Ireland).