Edinburgh and Glasgow to learn their Euro fates

EDINBURGH and Glasgow will learn on March 9 who their last-16 opponents will be in the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup respectively when the draw for both competitions is made. Organisers European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) confirmed yesterday that Richard Cockerill’s side will progress to the knockout stages of the premier tournament thanks to being in the top eight in their Champions Cup pool as things stand, while the Warriors will drop down into the Challenge Cup as a consequence of being in the bottom four in theirs.

EPCR were forced into a rejig of the two competitions last month when the French government blocked its teams from cross-border games because of Covid concerns. The remaining two rounds of pool games out of the original four were scrapped, but the organisers insisted they would be able to complete both tournaments on schedule over four weekends in April and May. Each knockout round will take place over one game as opposed to being home and away.

Edinburgh head coach Cockerill, for one, thought that his team, sixth in Pool 1, would be drawn against one of the teams who lie third in the two pools, Bordeaux and Toulouse. But EPCR have now opted for something closer to an open draw, the exception being that the teams who have won both of their pool games on the pitch – as opposed to being declared winners of an unfulfilled fixture – will be guaranteed home draws.

Edinburgh got to sixth in their pool thanks to beating Sale and picking up a losing bonus against La Rochelle. Glasgow lost heavily to Exeter, then were handed a 28-0 defeat for being unable to field a team against Lyon after 20 of their players had to self-isolate for Covid-related reasons. Those two results left them bottom of Pool 2.

Teams from the same league cannot be drawn against each other in the last 16. The quarter-final draw will take place immediately after the one for the round of 16.

Meanwhile, full-back Ollie Smith has agreed his first professional deal with Glasgow, signing a contract for an unspecified length of time.