The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Scottish teams beginning to have something to crow about – at last
There used to be a time when Edinburgh and Glasgow’s rugby teams resembled Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn: even the slightest mention of Europe could turn them into gibbering wrecks.
But, whereas the politicians still seem to be stuck with the mantra: “Abandon hope all ye who enter here”, the Scottish sides have made remarkable progress in recent months.
So much so, following another auspicious weekend, with Edinburgh trouncing the Galacticos of Toulon 28-17 in France and Glasgow beating Cardiff Blues 33-24, that both are on the cusp of qualifying for the Champions Cup quarterfinals.
That scenario has never happened before. To be honest, it has never remotely looked like happening before. But matters are changing on the European circuit and the Scots are at the forefront of the revolution.
Their critics might argue that the SRU’s personnel should be enjoying impressive results. After all, while most other clubs have to balance their own books, Murrayfield controls everything in the domestic game.
But, while there are still valid arguments for the creation of a third team – one which is based outwith the central belt – it would be churlish not to praise the efforts of the city duolopy on their European forays. Richard Cockerill has urged the people of Edinburgh to roar his team to Heineken Champions Cup progress – and help their “little brother” Glasgow in the process.
Pool 2 leaders Edinburgh will seal a home quarterfinal if they beat secondplaced Montpellier at BT Murrayfield on Friday.
Victory would also guarantee Glasgow a place in the last eight as one of
A lot of the credit Edinburgh’s barnstorming displays has to go to their tough-as-teak English coach Richard Cockerill.
He’s one of those coiled springs of aggression and ceaseless activity who never saw a brick wall in his playing career without running right through it. And he has brought that same for the three best runners-up before Warriors bid to overthrow Saracens in their group decider on Saturday.
Edinburgh held on to top spot with an impressive victory in Toulon on Saturday, becoming only the third team to seal an away European win against the three-times winners.
And Glasgow’s subsequent win over Cardiff kept alive hopes of both Scottish teams reaching the last eight of the tournament together for the first time.
“It’s important for intensity to his bullocking forwards.
Even now, with his men virtually in the next stage of the tournament, he is taking nothing for granted and talking up the “rock stars” of Montpellier, in advance of the teams meeting on Friday.
It’s an intriguing tussle, given the fact the French ensemble are now Scottish rugby,” Cockerill said. “We are a small nation, we’ve got a small playing pool, so for us to even be contemplating getting a quarter of the European knockouts to be Scottish is pretty impressive.
“We are only interested in Edinburgh but the byproduct is getting Glasgow through. It’s about time we started doing them some favours, our little brother down the end of the motorway. We will try and get them qualified.”
Cockerill’s team beat Warriors either side of spearheaded by former Scotland coach, Vern Cotter.
You could say it’s Cockerill against the cockerels if you know your rugby history. But Edinburgh have advanced in leaps and bounds, both in the Pro 14 and in Europe.
Yes, they and Glasgow still have work to do, and they suffer the occasional Christmas and are aiming for a seventh consecutive win on Friday.
And the former Leicester coach has appealed to the Scottish capital’s wider public to join their momentum as they look to seal qualification on Friday without the need to wait on other results over the hiccup, but they are learning to beat the French, the Welsh, even the English on a regular basis.
In which light, Friday’s fixture could have ramifications beyond the club milieu, given how close we are to the start of the 2019 Six Nations Championship on February 1.
If Edinburgh can go weekend. “Come and watch your home team because the people that came to watch us on Saturday in Toulon could go to work on Monday morning and be proud of the team they support,” he said. “We have got something worth supporting.
“There are lots of internationals in our team, there are lots of internationals from all over the world playing for Montpellier. Come and watch two very good sides go head to head, and we are playing for big stakes out and get the better of Montpellier, it would earn them an automatic home tie at Murrayfield in the last eight.
But perhaps more importantly, it would demonstrate that while so many people seem scared of making predictions about Europe right now, the Scots are in their element.
“If we win, we get us through and Glasgow through”
here, we are playing for a home quarter-final, we are playing to qualify.
“If we win, we get us through and Glasgow through on the same night, so come and support Scottish rugby.
“But come and support Edinburgh, it’s your home team, we are playing some good rugby, we have some good men playing. People want to support a winning team. We are winning and we deserve support. I would love people to come and support us and be part of what we are doing.”