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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. Vapormax Moc 2 Canada . Bjorn, who had a 36-hole total of 8-under 134, made a testing six-foot putt to save par on the 16th and a birdie on the 17th before bogeying the final hole after a misjudged approach shot. American Kevin Streelman was in second place after shooting a 69. Air Max 97 Vapormax Canada . -- Stanfords Kevin Danser knelt on one knee and hardly moved on the sideline as Michigan State celebrated its Rose Bowl victory and his Cardinal teammates made their way to the locker room. http://www.airvapormaxcanada.com/ . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. Vapormax Flyknit 2 Canada . 8 Iowa State on Saturday, sending the Cyclones to their third consecutive loss. The Longhorns (14-4, 3-2) got their biggest win of the season with their third in the row in the Big 12. Vapormax Off White Canada . -- Stanfords Kevin Danser knelt on one knee and hardly moved on the sideline as Michigan State celebrated its Rose Bowl victory and his Cardinal teammates made their way to the locker room.This Sunday, thousands of runners took to the streets to run the 46th (40th since it went to five boroughs) New York City Marathon.When the race left the confines of Central Park in 1976, founder Fred Lebow immediately recognized the event had forever changed, morphing from a mere competitive morning run in a park to a city-wide event that strung together various communities, even if it was initially set against a backdrop of high crime and financial ruin.Since then, runners from around the world -- be they Olympians or weekend warriors -- have flocked to the event, and a record 51,388 hit the streets Sunday.The logistics of getting that many runners ready to race are staggering: A years worth of coordinating volunteers, security, bag drops, ferry and bus schedules. And that says nothing about the amount of coffee and carbohydrates consumed well before the start pistol is fired.While fans and runners are familiar with the scene on the ground, heres a look at the race from above.Staten IslandMile 0The start line is a hub where announcers pump runners up, with cinematic helicopters chopping overhead. Its not uncommon for runners to strike up conversations with each other, a forced meeting of like-minded pacing partners, as theyre stuck in corrals for what seems like an eternity. Its the most packed part of the race, and on colder years, a welcome, cozy fraternity. Others runners, however, are just eager to break out on their own and maintain stoic smiles.It was rough. When theres that big of a group, its tough because everyone is running a different pace, so everyone is excited. I saw Sean Austin and Tiki Barber at the beginning!Chris OstoichMile 1Fans of Robert Caros The Power Broker know that the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was among the last public works projects of Robert Moses, one of New Yorks most distinctive historical figures, but the bridge has long been tied to the first part of the race. The bridge is one of the most challenging chunks of race terrain. At its foot are throngs of portable bathrooms, coffee stations, and runners clad in extra layers, stretching out on the grass and pretending not to be nervous.The wind is really hard, actually. I tried to be patient and hide behind people. ... You might get discouraged because you think the rest of the race is like that, but immediately, when you come off the bridge, the conditions change. Its not so comfortable running that first mile. Its significant.Luciano MedinaMile 1The course barely graces Staten Island, but the Verrazano-Narrows is a preview of grit that will be needed later in the race. While named for the 16th-century Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano (the bridge is actually spelled wrong with only one z), and inspiring in its massive towers and suspension cables, this is the part of the race where even the kindest runners may dismiss majesty and elbow each other to carve out space in the pack.BrooklynMile 2After the solitude of leaving Staten Island, Fourth Avenue is the introduction to New Yorks neighborhood culture. From Bay Ridge, where block parties and Saturday Night Fever references run high, the course shoots up Sunset Park and through cozy Park Slope, where family-friendly cheer stations adorn the course. By late morning, the roads leading up to Atlantic Avenue are packed, and many fan squads come armed with mimosas and encouraging posters.Those crowds there, they totally carried me through ... Brooklyn was so exciting. There were so many more people than I thought there would be and so much neighborhood pride. Its not like that in the city. It was cool to see all the different cultural parts of the city.Hunter SapienzaMile 3What many runners dont realize as they leave the Verrazano Bridge is that 35 UPS trucks are already in motion, schlepping participant bags from start to finish. At this point, many runners have shed layers of clothing, which will fill eight additional UPS trucks. Some make it a tradition to shed clothing they no simply longer want, garb from exes, old employers or other symbolic gestures of things that will be left behind as they take to the race. The pieces will then be donated to charity.Mile 6Staging the marathon involved the work of more than 160 full-time New York Road Runners staffers; 12,000 volunteers (10,000 of them on race day alone); 40,800 Power Bars; 60,000 8-ounce bottles and 1,200 16.9-ounce bottles of water; and 16,000 Gatorade Prime packets. Those numbers may seem staggering, but runners are going to need provisions for the epic course ahead.Its reasonably flat, but its a good place to settle into your pace, the crowds. Its a perfect time to find a rhythm.Marie BrumelotMile 6By Fourth Avenue, most runners have hit their stride but still know they have 20 miles to go. Park Slope, however, boasts a robust running community centered around the loop of Prospect Park, so runners can expect many sympathetic souls here. There are offerings of Vaseline to help alleviate friction burns, fluids, and even the occasional banana or granola bar to keep fuel in the tank. (There are at least 38 medical stations along the course, where 12,530 pounds of ice and 14,000 bandages will be put to use.ddddddddddddMile 9Fort Greene is traditionally where director and unofficial New York City mascot Spike Lee watches the race. (Lee served as the races grand marshal in 2015.) The Brooklyn Music School was stationed here this year, a fan-favorite of the 150 bands the New York Road Runners place along the course. Runners at the front of the pack bemoan some of the twists and turns around here, but the canopy of trees can provide relief from the wind or heat.QueensMile 15Fans are not permitted on the Queensboro Bridge, giving the passage a profound silence only punctuated by the cheers of other runners. In some ways, this is the most hopeless part of the course -- far enough in for the body to feel it and far enough from the finish line to feel despair. The wind can pick up here, but locals particularly relish the chance to run the bridge and barge into Manhattan without any car traffic.The course thins out and if youre not focused, you might get discouraged. You see people dropping out and walking. It can be tempting especially if youre going through a hard patch. I took it in, I felt good and wasnt going to let that distract me. I was going to run the whole distance.Luciano MedinaManhattanMile 17After the solitude of the Queensborough Bridge, runners gratefully enter a huge group of fans. The crowd is so encouraging, however, that many make the mistake of powering too hard down First Avenue, forgetting that the Bronx and the hook down Fifth Avenue remain. Marathon Day has long been one of the biggest Sundays for the bar business in the area.Then it gets tough. When you get that uphill mile, the last 5K is really painful. At mile 22 you have all those people cheering. Its exciting, but the last 5K is hell.Marie BrumelotThe BronxMile 21The marathon barely touches the Bronx, and historically, it has been one of the most sparsely populated fan spots, but thats changing with fans and local musicians now staking out some of the most brutal stretches of the race. Its the mile when the race really begins for many runners, and is home to another New York Road Runners race, the Bronx 10-Mile, a popular run for local marathoners. Theres no shortage of Yankee spirit on this leg of the course, either.They had a huge sign that said Welcome to the wall and I noticed some people walking, and my goal was to not walk. I could see it hitting a lot of people.Michelle RaffertyManhattanMile 23As the course barrels down from the Bronx back to Manhattan, the race really begins for runners -- and the crowd knows it. Its a favorite spot for cheering against the backdrop of some of the worlds most stunning museums and murals. However, some of the hills in and around Central Park can throw even the most experienced runners.That was, you come to that hill in Central Park and you think, Geez! I had never run it and it went on forever and you still cant see the finish. Thats where you have to dig deep. Once you get on top of that hill and turns into the park, then its a nice place to roll.Brentley WeberMile 26In one of distance runnings more cruel acts, theres a slight incline on the very last piece of the marathon. Some sprint, some jog, some crawl, but at this point, runners know theyre almost home. Fans know it, too -- the scene here is usually complete pandemonium adorned by Central Park foliage.I coach and tell people thats where the race begins and you have to dig deep. You cant really train for those last few miles. Its about how bad you want it, how tough you are mentally. Thats where you show teeth. Try to get behind someone, let them do the work. Its a very tough mile.Luciano MedinaMile 26.2After the Boston Marathon bombings, security at the finish line was heightened, and only ticketed fans are permitted in the grandstands. Still, much work has gone into retaining the finish lines history, including a statue of Fred Lebow that looks on nearby (usually covered in flowers, race bibs and sneakers on race day). Music blares, and announcers cheer on runners as they make their way across, but many participants are too tired to care about the details.It was a bit harder than I thought. Ive run in Central Park several times, but I forgot about the hill at the end. So it was hard to push! Normally I have some power to sprint, but not this time...This was much better than mile 21.Oddivar SolvoldMile 26.2Tears, high-fives, and collapses in the grass are all considered fair game beyond the 26.2-mile marker, and all those are expected. Friends and family must wait beyond the corralled finish area, making it a pen reserved chiefly for those who know blisters and shin splints first-hand. Volunteers offer bananas, water, blankets, smiles and hard-earned medals. And overheard is a question baffling to some: So, what about next year?It was so badass.Chris Ostoich ' ' '