The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Glasgow and Edinburgh learn Champions Cup rivals
RUGBY: Glasgow coach targets knockout stage, while Edinburgh face top French pair
Glasgow’s Kenny Murray is hopeful of reaching the knockout stages of the Heineken Champions Cup.
Glasgow have been drawn alongside last season’s quarter-finalists Saracens along with Lyon and Cardiff.
Edinburgh were drawn in Pool 5 with English Premiership semi-finalists Newcastle Falcons, last season’s Top 14 quarter-finalists Toulon and runners-up Montpellier.
The Warriors were hugely disappointing in Europe in the previous campaign, winning just one and losing five matches while on a fine run on the domestic front.
They will be looking to reproduce the form of two seasons ago when they got to the last eight – only to lose to Saracens – but assistant coach Murray believes they have what it takes to progress.
“On paper Saracens are one of the top English sides and Lyon are one of the top French teams, but for us it’s achievable that we can get through to the knockout stages,” he told the Glasgow website.
“We’ve had some really tough groups in recent years and last year’s group was incredibly tough, but we have competed with the best sides in Europe over the last few years and there is no reason why we can’t do that again.”
Lyon finished fifth in the Top 14 last season and Cardiff won the Challenge Cup after beating Gloucester in the final.
It appears a more favourable draw compared to last season when Glasgow faced Montpellier, Exeter and the eventual champions Leinster, but Murray warned each team will pose a threat.
He said: “The groups are always tough because you’re playing the elite teams in Europe, so it’s always going to be a tough group.
“I think we have quite a good group, with an English and French side, along with a Guinness PRO14 team as well.
“We’ve played Saracens recently and we know how tough that will be, but they are certainly not unbeatable and that will be a good test for us.
“Lyon will be a bit of an unknown quantity to us as we’ve not played them in Europe before.
“They will be an interesting one to preview and with them being a Top 14 semi-finalist, they will be a strong side.”
Edinburgh are returning to the Champions Cup for the first time since the 2013/14 season, and coach Richard Cockerill said: “It’s great to get the big teams.
“Newcastle Falcons, Montpellier and Toulon have pretty much got world XVs. To be able to test ourselves again those teams, both home and away, is fantastic.” Draws: Heineken Champions Cup draw: Pool 1 – Leinster, Wasps, Toulouse, Bath; Pool 2 – Castres, Exeter, Munster, Gloucester; Pool 3 – Saracens, Glasgow, Lyon, Cardiff Blues; Pool 4 – Scarlets, Racing 92, Leicester, Ulster; Pool 5 – Montpellier, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Toulon.
European Challenge Cup draw: Pool 1 – Northampton, Clermont Auvergne, Dragons, Timisoara Saracens; Pool 2 – Pau, Ospreys, Worcester, Stade Francais; Pool 3 – Sale Sharks, Connacht, Bordeaux-Begles, Perpignan; Pool 4 – La Rochelle, Zebre, Bristol, Enisei-STM; Pool 5 – Benetton, Harlequins, Agen, Grenoble.