TOO LATE TO PARTY
Warriors’ play-off hopes shattered by shortened season for the Pro14
THE Pro14 will return at the end of August but, with the season cut to 15 games, it all but ends Glasgow Warriors’ hopes of pushing their way into a play-off semi-final.
As first revealed by Sportsmail, organisers have been forced into reducing the regular 21-match season due to the coronavirus crisis and, with every club having played 13 times already, a series of derby double-headers will bring the campaign to a close. The top two in each conference will then face off in a knockout competition for the title in September.
Richard Cockerill’s Edinburgh side currently sit top of Pool B and, with a healthy ten-point gap over Scarlets in third place, they look certain of a last-four slot.
Warriors, however, are currently nine points behind second-placed Ulster in Pool A and would need a remarkable sequence of results to qualify.
The one positive for both Scottish teams is that they have secured qualification for next season’s Heineken Cup after finishing in the top four of their respective tables.
To conclude the league season, Edinburgh will play Warriors twice at BT Murrayfield — on Saturday, August 22 and again a week later on August 29 — as it is easier to comply with government coronavirus guidelines for games there rather than Scotstoun.
The SRU still hope a crowd will be allowed into the game but it will go ahead behind closed doors if necessary.
Following the back-to-back derby matches there will be Pro14 play-off semi-finals on Saturday, September 5 with the final taking place on Saturday, September 12 at a venue yet to be decided.
Next season is pencilled in to start on the weekend of October 3.
While welcoming rugby’s return, Warriors managing director Nathan Bombrys admitted his side’s chances of making the end-of-season play-offs were all but over.
‘We’re excited by the prospect of a return to rugby and the opportunity to complete the season with two games against our rivals at Edinburgh,’ he said. ‘The new abbreviated structure all but ends our chances for a place in the knockout stage of the competition.
‘With the squad we have and stellar rugby we play, I truly believe we were on track to qualify and have a deep run into the play-offs.
‘However, with the coronavirus pandemic we accept the position that we are all in was of no one’s making. We support the Pro14’s decision to conclude the season and we look forward to the challenge of two more 1872 Cup games against our rivals from Edinburgh.
‘We can still influence the Pro14
Final Series, if not for ourselves, then for others.’
Edinburgh and Glasgow players will be able to attend voluntary training sessions at Murrayfield from next Tuesday to prepare for the derby matches.
The stadium will be turned into a ‘micro-bubble’ with special areas set aside for small groups of players to train. An outdoor gym area will be created and stringent coronavirus health regulations adhered to.
Being able to return to training is something that Cockerill has been looking forward to and he can’t wait to get started.
‘I think getting back is good for everybody,’ said the Edinburgh head coach. ‘It’s great to firstly not only have a date for an invite to voluntary fitness for the players, but now we can work towards a target of matches and we know when we’ll hopefully be playing again.
‘Obviously, there will be some hurdles to get over first, but it’s a really positive step forward for all of us at the club.
‘It will be great to hopefully face off against Glasgow in what are always intense derby fixtures, and hopefully we’ll get some positive performances and results and perhaps down the line the club will be looking forward to a Guinness Pro14 semi-final.
‘We’re also now back into the Champions Cup for 2020-21, which is brilliant news. The top table of Europe is always something we want to be part of on a regular basis because that’s where the best and consistent teams play. We’ve tasted a bit of success in the Champions Cup last season and qualification for next season’s competition means we’re once again dining with the big boys of European rugby.’
Inter-city derbies to spearhead the return of rugby EXCLUSIVE By ROB ROBERTSON
First again: Sportsmail, May 29