IF you cannot get excited about rugby in Scotland outside of the Six Nations, Autumn Tests and World Cup then maybe this weekend could change your mind.
We have Glasgow Warriors heading down south to play Saracens at Allianz Park in London in the quarter final of the European Champions Cup on Sunday, and Edinburgh Rugby are at Murrayfield against French side La Rochelle in the European Challenge Cup on Friday.
The Rucker thinks this is either going to be one of the biggest and best weekends in the history of Scottish club rugby or it’s going to be a complete downer. There could, of course, be a middle way with Edinburgh beating La Rochelle and Warriors losing to Saracens, or vice versa, but I think it will be double glory or nothing for the two Scottish clubs this weekend. Call it a hunch or a dream, but The Rucker thinks both our teams can win.
What an extraordinary feat it would be for Glasgow to beat the mighty Saracens in their own backyard though they have shown they are perfectly capable of going to England and handing out a drubbing to a top team as they did when they beat Leicester Tigers 43–0 at Welford Road earlier in the season.
Head Coach Gregor Townsend has already said reaching the semi -final would be the greatest achievement in Glasgow’s history, and that includes winning the Guinness Pro-12 two years ago.
The Warriors have the Best Player of the Six Nations in Stuart Hogg and another nominee for that award in Finn Russell. Throughout the team there is international talent, and as long as they are all fit and well, the Warriors have a chance.
Saracens, too, have plenty of internationalists, as you would expect from the team who won the Premiership, Anglo-Welsh Cup and European Cup treble last season. Their squad includes four Scottish caps – Jim Hamilton, Kelly Brown, Duncan Taylor and Sean Maitland – plus the likes of the Vunipola brothers and Owen Farrell and a personal favourite, Argentina’s veteran centre Marcelo Bosch.
Saracens are coming off an utter thrashing of Bath, while Warriors gained a four try win over Connacht to keep alive their hopes of a play-off place in the Pro-12, so both sides are in form.
It is going to be an almighty clash .
For Edinburgh, La Rochelle to give them their Sunday name – will be a very tough side to beat, but the French club does not have quite the quality of player and breadth of experience to make them an unbeatable foe.
They are, however, clear at the summit of the Top 14 League, and that makes them a very, very good side indeed.
The home team’s main problem is inconsistency and their performances have often belied their lowly position in the Pro-12. Maybe on Friday night Edinburgh will have an ‘on’ night and then they are capable of anything.
The bookies make both Scottish clubs second favourites and they are not often wrong, but what a double it would be for Scotland if we could get both our professional clubs into the semi-finals.
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