Missing play-offs would be major blow, says Gilchrist

Despite overachieving this season, Grant Gilchrist admits it would be a massive disappointment if Edinburgh were to miss out on the Guinness PRO14 playoffs.

Edinburgh go into Saturday’s 1872 Cup decider with Glasgow looking to reclaim the title as the top team in Scotland but also hoping to secure a place in the end-of-season playoffs.

Richard Cockerill’s side need just one point from the third and final derby of the regular season to secure a top-three spot in Conference B, but also to bring Champions Cup rugby to the capital next season.

They have already surpassed expectations in Cockerill’s first season in charge, surging up the table but it could yet end up in heartbreak with Ulster needing a bonus point win in Munster to go past Edinburgh if they do not pick up the point needed, and despite their achievements already this season, Gilchrist admits it would be a tough blow to stomach.

“The position we are in now, if we don’t reach the play-offs we are going to be pretty upset with ourselves,” the Scotland second row said.

“We want to make sure we control our own destiny and get in that play-off spot.

“At the start of the season we were pretty clear that we wanted to gain some respect in the league.

“We have slowly started to turn that, but when you put yourself in the position that we are in, we are four points ahead going into the last weekend and you want to turn that into a play-off position, and that’s all we are focusing on.”

He added: “The position we have put ourselves in is the reason we would be so disappointed if we don’t make the playoffs from this position.

“At the start of the season our ambitions were to take it game by game, it wasn’t necessarily ‘we must make the playoffs’ but we are now in a position where we are happy to say amongst ourselves that from this position we have to make the play-offs.”

With Glasgow already securing a home semi-final, they have shown signs of dropping off in form which has led to questions asked about the motivation of the side in dead rubbers, but Gilchrist is sure the prospect of winning the 1872 cup will be enough to focus both sides.

He said: “The derby means a lot to us, and I’m sure Glasgow won’t be saying ‘it doesn’t matter’, they will be revving themselves up.

“European qualification and play-off rugby is something that we really want to achieve

“It would be disappointing if we let ourselves down at the last hurdle.”

Grant Gilchrist is keen to nail down play-off place.