Cockerill has much to crow about for next year
WWORLD OF RUGBY HEN Scotland international Huw Jones had the choice to join Edinburgh or Glasgow Warriors last summer, he chose Glasgow.
Nobody batted an eyelid. They have been the dominant force in Scottish club rugby for so long it was an obvious choice.
However, when national team captain John Barclay was faced with the same options for next season and picked Edinburgh, we should have realised the tide is turning.
Such has been the turnaround at the capital club since Richard Cockerill took over that Glasgow are no longer looked upon as Edinburgh’s ‘privileged elder brother’, as the Englishman so memorably described them in the run-up to Saturday’s derby clash at Murrayfield.
Cockerill wants his side to become Scotland’s No 1 team within the next 12 months and, player for player, they are catching up with Dave Rennie’s Warriors in terms of quality. Blair Kinghorn isn’t in Stuart Hogg’s class at full-back just yet, but has the potential to get there.
In the crucial fly-half position, Finn Russell is world-class on his day but hasn’t had many such ‘days’ of late. There’s no guarantee he will start against Edinburgh and, next season, he’s off to Racing 92.
His opposite number at Edinburgh is Jaco van der Walt, who is a steady rather than spectacular ten, but is at least contracted for next campaign.
Glasgow’s Jonny Gray will be given a tough run at Murrayfield by his opposite number in the second row, Grant Gilchrist. Stuart McInally is now as good a hooker as Fraser Brown and there probably isn’t all that much between Glasgow’s best prop Zander Fagerson and Edinburgh’s W P Nel, or, indeed, Simon Berghan. It’s only at nine that Glasgow have an embarrassment of riches compared to their rivals. Scotland internationals Henry Pyrgos, Ali Price and the up-and-coming George Horne are all available for Saturday’s game, with the only question being which one starts. Cockerill (below) has Nathan Fowles, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne and Sean Kennedy as his scrum-half options, but none are in the same class. He has brought in young Currie Chieftains player Charlie Shiel for next season, but still needs a new, experienced nine. His team also require at least a point from the final derby of the season to qualify for the Pro14 knockout stages. Although Glasgow have already secured a home semi-final, there is no question they will roll over and allow that to happen. However, with the players Edinburgh have and the momentum Cockerill has built at the club, the hosts should be good enough to take what they need from the game. Victory isn’t out of the question — and it would help them take a giant step out of Glasgow’s shadow.