Success in Europe remains the final frontier for Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh

Continental glory remains the last frontier erstwhile it comes to Scottish rugby’s duplicate nonrecreational representatives.

Neither nine has won a European trophy, with Edinburgh finishing arsenic Challenge Cup runners-up successful 2015 and Glasgow doing likewise successful 2023.

Their respective records successful the Champions Cup are not overmuch to constitute location astir either. 

The precocious watermark for Edinburgh was their 2012 semi-final decision to Ulster, portion Glasgow person ne'er progressed beyond the past eight, a feat they person managed 3 times but not since 2019.

Motivation, then, volition not beryllium successful abbreviated proviso for either nine oregon their South African caput coaches erstwhile they re-enter the European arena this weekend. 

For Glasgow, it is simply a accidental to amusement the squad that Franco Smith has meticulously compiled and crafted implicit the past 3 seasons tin unrecorded with the elite of European rugby.

Warriors’ progression since Smith was appointed arsenic caput manager successful the summertime of 2022 has been connected a dependable upwards trajectory. 

The lone superior blip successful that clip was that dense Challenge Cup last decision to Toulon astatine the extremity of his archetypal play successful charge.

Smith took that 1 connected the chin and bounced backmost to pb his squad to the United Rugby Championship rubric the adjacent season, winning distant astatine Munster and the Bulls successful the playoffs. 

That helped soften the stroke of a Champions Cup past 16 exit to a Harlequins broadside led by Smith’s predecessor, Danny Wilson, who intelligibly enjoyed giving his erstwhile nine a bloody nose.

The anticipation this season, however, is that Warriors are acceptable to spell 1 oregon 2 steps further, adjacent if their excavation signifier results were again a mixed bag. 

Sale Sharks and Racing 92 were some trounced astatine Scotstoun, a venue wherever distant victories are sighted astir arsenic regularly arsenic Halley’s Comet. Away from home, however, it remains a antithetic communicative for Glasgow.

They mislaid narrowly successful Toulon and were again beaten by Harlequins astatine the Stoop, a effect that brought ramifications for their imaginable way done this competition. Warriors whitethorn beryllium capable to spell connected the roadworthy successful the URC and triumph astatine notoriously hard venues but doing truthful successful the hotbeds of French and English rugby remains mostly beyond them.

Finishing 2nd successful Pool 4 did astatine slightest make a winnable location past 16 necktie against Leicester Tigers connected Saturday night. 

Scotstoun would beryllium nobody’s thought of a sporting fortress successful the accepted consciousness but, for immoderate reason, it works for Glasgow, though they were beaten determination by English absorption - Northampton Saints - successful this contention past play which ought to service arsenic a warning.

There are different reasons that marque this necktie much intriguing than would different beryllium the case. 

Tigers are inactive connected the hunt for a caller caput manager for adjacent play and Smith’s sanction is successful the mix. 

A location triumph astatine the play would not lone instrumentality Glasgow done to the quarter-finals but would besides heighten Smith’s estimation among his imaginable aboriginal employers.

The aforesaid could use connected a wider scale, too. The South African has been repeatedly coy astir his plans aft being linked with the Wales occupation but, with conscionable a twelvemonth near connected his Glasgow contract, helium volition beryllium keen to amusement helium is susceptible of starring immoderate of the world’s starring clubs oregon countries. 

Demonstrating that helium has the capableness to spell heavy successful the Champions Cup, particularly against superior, better-resourced opposition, would service arsenic a monolithic feather successful his headdress and apt bring him to the wider attraction of would-be suitors.

Not finishing apical of their pool, however, comes with consequences. 

Should Warriors get past a Tigers broadside smarting from their play nonaccomplishment to Saracens, past determination is each accidental they would past beryllium pitted against Leinster distant from location successful the quarter-finals.

Glasgow whitethorn person won distant to Munster successful their URC playoff semi-final but Leinster, the four-times Champions Cup holders and runners-up successful each of the past 3 seasons, would correspond a overmuch much formidable hurdle. 

The Dublin state are having an unthinkable season, unbeaten successful Europe and having lone mislaid their archetypal league crippled - successful South Africa - a fortnight ago.

If Warriors could get past Tigers connected Saturday past spell to Leinster and triumph the pursuing weekend, past the remainder of Europe would request to beryllium up and instrumentality notice.

Along the M8 astatine Edinburgh, a tally heavy into the Challenge Cup mightiness beryllium the quality betwixt Sean Everitt keeping his occupation oregon looking for a caller one. 

The superior nine person been infuriatingly inconsistent for excessively galore years now. 

Having failed to marque the URC playoffs successful each of the past 2 seasons, they inactive person a spot of enactment to bash if they’re to extremity that drought and marque the post-season for the archetypal clip since 2022.

Europe, though, could yet beryllium their salvation. Strangely, it mightiness really beryllium easier for Edinburgh to triumph the Challenge Cup than to situation for the URC. 

After losing their opening excavation crippled astatine Gloucester, they came backmost to triumph their adjacent 3 matches against Bayonne, Vannes and Black Lion to apical the table.

Their adjacent ngo is simply a location necktie connected Friday nighttime against the Emirates Lions, conscionable six days aft Glasgow mauled the South Africans 42-0. 

Failing to triumph that one, adjacent without the injured Duhan van der Merwe, would service to item the gulf betwixt the 2 Scottish clubs and besides adhd to the unit connected Everitt’s shoulders amid different unconvincing campaign.

Win, however, and it would mean different location necktie against either Bayonne oregon the Bulls successful the past eight.

 Come done that 1 and it would perchance acceptable up an intriguing match-up with Stuart Hogg’s Montpellier successful the semi-final and then, possibly, Connacht successful the final.

As schedules go, it’s not the toughest. But erstwhile it comes to Scottish clubs successful Europe, it’s often the anticipation that kills you.