We’re going to have to be really good over the next period
this PRO14 campaign and left them languishing fourth in Conference A. They are only two points behind Toyota Cheetahs, who are in that allimportant play-off qualifying third spot, but the South Africans have two games in hand – so the gap could theoretically be as much as 12 points.
If Warriors are not yet in a crisis situation, it is getting uncomfortably close to that. “We have boxed ourselves into a bit of a corner,” acknowledged Rennie. “I think you can lose seven or eight games and still have a chance of making the play-offs, but we don’t want to try that theory out.
“We still have to play Ulster a couple of times and we’ve still got to play Cheetahs and Leinster so there is a chance to claw back some points there. We’re going to have to be really good over the next period when we’ve got Treviso away, then Zebre and Dragons at home after the European break.”
Every league point is going to be a prisoner, which means Darcy Graham’s late try – which stretched the margin of Edinburgh’s victory beyond seven points and therefore deprived Glasgow of even a losing bonus point – could have significant ramifications at the end of the campaign.
Unsurprisingly, Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill approached the post-match media briefing from a very different angle, pushing a cautiously optimistic agenda – although he couldn’t quite disguise his delight at how things panned out on Saturday. The result leaves his side second in Conference B, just one point behind Munster.
“We have to make sure we keep our consistency – it doesn’t matter if we are top after round nine – that’s irrelevant,” he stressed. “It is about being in the top three after round 21 that matters and that’s what we have to concentrate on.
“Nothing gets given out tonight. In Europe, we are in the Challenge Cup – it’s not the Champions Cup – so we know where we sit. We will keep developing this team.
“That game was a big step forward for us. We had a big crowd and there was pressure on us to perform – and we performed. Even if we hadn’t won, it was one hell of a game. A lot of people came to watch not knowing who was going to win and it was a bloody good game of rugby.”
One thing that is certain to keep Cockerill’s feet firmly on the ground is the knowledge that his team’s continuing development into a leading side in the PRO14 will have implications for international call-ups during the Six Nations window.
“I would always want a little bit more,” he replied, when asked if he was confident that Edinburgh has the strength in depth to cope with as many as 12 men playing regularly for Scotland during the spring.
“We are losing more and more players all the time. That’s the dynamic with the landscape shifting for this team. With the budget we have we need to have a good balance.”