Scottish Rugby

BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering some of your questions as Edinburgh continue to frustrate their fans and Glasgow carry on thrilling theirs.

Iain asked: The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different outcome. What do Edinburgh have to do to change things around?

Tom answered: The vast majority of questions this week have come from disgruntled Edinburgh supporters, all along the same lines.

Jamie calls them turgid and says that at this rate nobody will be renewing their season ticket. Euan says this is the lowest the club has been. Dave says the absence of information and explanation as to why Sean Everitt's contract has been renewed betrays a lack of courage on behalf of the decision-makers at Murrayfield.

This is a recurring theme, isn't it? We discussed Edinburgh in some depth on the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast this week. If you look back to the reasons given for Everitt getting a two-year extension they revolved around player development and his job of bringing through the next generation of talent.

Yes, that's part of it but not all of it. Franco Smith has done the development bit while being competitive in the URC and the Champions Cup. Edinburgh are miles off it. Miles.

There are precious few positives to support the decision to renew his deal. I'll be frank: he shouldn't have got one. Edinburgh were 10th when Everitt was given an extension and they're 13th now.

They have no real hope of making the top eight which, for me, is the minimum standard. It would be a miracle if they beat Leinster in the Champions Cup on Sunday. The first week of April and their season is as good as over.

They may change tack, accept this is nowhere near good enough and pay Everitt off, but I doubt it. There's no whispers to that extent. Not yet anyway.

I don't like talking this way because Everitt is a thoroughly decent human being who is trying extremely hard to turn this thing around, but it's not happening and I can't see it happening.

A new coaching regime is required. Smith at Glasgow is a heavy hitter and Edinburgh need somebody like him.

I'd be banging on the door of Michael Cheika, currently coaching in the NRL in Australia. Doesn't Scottish Rugby's performance director, David Nucifora, have a few contacts in his homeland?

Edinburgh is one of the great cities of Europe and its rugby team has so much potential. The job should be a very attractive one. This malaise is not good enough. The SRU need to show ambition for Edinburgh. You wouldn't blame fans for staying away if this carries on next season.

Ronald asked: Following our annual defeat to Ireland is it time for more heavyweight, aggressive forwards in the upcoming Nations Championship? Alex Samuel has been in incredible form recently and Josh Bayliss was seriously underused in the Six Nations.

Tom answered: Big Alex is a terrific player and you don't have to be Nostradamus to know his time is coming soon with Scotland. He has size and power and athleticism and skill. And he's only 23.

Glasgow are blessed with second-rows. Scott Cummings, Gregor Brown, Max Williamson. Alex Craig, the other Alex, Jare Oguntibeju - that's an extraordinary collection of locks. I want to see Samuel getting game-time in the summer with Tests against Argentina, South Africa and Fiji coming up. He looks ready to me.

As for Bayliss - he's a fine player. He got just over half an hour against Wales and the same against France. Maybe he should have played more but there are a lot of good players in there.

Jamie Ritchie and Matt Fagerson are excellent sixes and Gregor Brown is a terrific option as well. Jack Dempsey and Rory Darge are your mainstays in the back-row and there's massive competition for that other slot and the one on the bench. Bayliss is a very useful citizen to have around.

Ross asked: With Glasgow losing several key players at the end of this season, how important is it they recruit well and that they sign non-Scottish qualified players to cover during the Six Nations period?

Tom answered: They're already putting plans in place with the signing of Ruwald van der Merwe, the back-row from Pumas in South Africa. The 27-year-old spoke to Henco Venter before signing. If he's as good as Venter was then Glasgow are getting a fantastic player.

Glasgow have to keep going because they're losing a fair amount of star quality. The emphasis will always be on Scottish-qualified players and the promotion of talented academy players (and they have many) but they can't be slaves to that principle.

There has to be - and is - wriggle room to sign a non-qualified player if Smith is convinced he's the right guy.

I think we might see a few very recognisable faces coming into Glasgow for next season and maybe a few more, like Van der Merwe, who are not household names but will be critical when the Test lads are away.

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Would a change in head coach solve Edinburgh's problems?

BBC chief sportswriter Tom English thinks the Edinburgh team has "a lot going for it" but is lacking "a bit of class".

Sean Everitt's side are currently 13th in the United Rugby Championship with just four wins from their 14 games so far this season. Their Scottish counterparts Glasgow Warriors are top and have only lost three games.

"Scottish rugby has two teams, both of those coaches need to be potential Scotland coaches," English told the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast.

"Sean Everitt is not a potential Scotland coach, Franco Smith clearly is. They need a change. 13th, two points off 15th, it's embarrassing.

"Yes they have an injury list but everybody has an injury list. Everybody is missing stellar players, Edinburgh is not alone in that. So I'm not buying that particular argument if it's ever offered up.

"It's just uninspiring, it's dull, this team has got more in it. There's some very good players, it needs an infusion, a bit of class. It's got a lot going for it but you couldn't tell that by the performances and the results."

On the latest episode of the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast, Tom English and Andy Burke answer listener questions and preview a big weekend for Glasgow and Edinburgh in the Champions Cup.

Will Edinburgh's season finish on Sunday if they lose to Leinster? Will an Edinburgh defeat mean the end for Everitt? And can Glasgow do something special in the Cup without affecting their URC campaign? Tom and Andy have you covered.

Listen and subscribe on BBC Sounds

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Ruwald van der Merwe has agreed to join Glasgow Warriors on a two-year deal from this summer.

The 27-year-old South African, who operates in the back row, will arrive at Scotstoun after Pumas' upcoming Currie Cup campaign. Van der Merwe was Pumas captain for last year's SA Cup.

"I've followed the club for a while, and I never imagined I'd get the opportunity to be part of such a prestigious set-up," he told Warriors media. "I'm looking forward to giving my best and contributing wherever I can.

"Supporters can expect a physical edge from me. Coming from South Africa, that's something I take pride in. I enjoy carrying hard, using a mix of strength and speed, getting my hands free for offloads and contributing physically on defence and at set-piece time.

"I want to make an impact in all areas and add as much as I can to the team."

Van der Merwe says Glasgow head coach Franco Smith "told me a lot about the environment and his coaching approach".

"I also spoke to Henco Venter, who had nothing but great things to say about the club and life in Glasgow, which made the decision even more exciting for me and my family," the loose forward added.

And Smith said: "Ruwald is a player that we have been keeping an eye on for a while, having identified him as someone that we believe can bring real value to what we are aiming to build here.

"He is a strong carrier who brings a real work ethic to everything he does and he is excited to become a Glasgow Warrior from next season."

Sandy Smith
Fan writer

Take a look at the United Rugby Championship table. There is information aplenty. None of it makes very good reading for Edinburgh supporters.

What you won't find is a column of points for a 'better performance'.

It's a results driven business. The only column that really matters is the wins.

Our defeat at Stormers' hands was our sixth loss this season where we haven't even managed to record a bonus point of any kind. That alone is our worst return for a league season since the URC began.

It is hard to escape the conclusion that this could be Edinburgh's worst ever season. It's not quite done as there are four games to play but there is a plethora of facts to support that statement.

After round 14 we have 23 points. We have been worse off at this stage but you have to go back to season 2016-17 and the Pro12. That season cost Alan Solomons his job. If we remain where we are then 13th will be our worst finish in the URC, surpassing the 12th place we managed in season 2022-23. We recorded an average of 2.1 points a game that year. We are at 1.6 right now.

Across all competition this season we have scored only 51 tries and conceded 70. Thirty-nine of those opposition tries have come in the second half of our games whilst in the same period we have scored only 23. We have also conceded more tries in the last quarter of our games than in any other segment. Is that a fitness or an attitude issue?

Unless everything I'm seeing about how disillusioned our support is becoming then I suspect we will finish the season with the worst home attendance total in the past three years. That is partly down to not qualifying for any home knockout games. Even the attendance for the home leg of the 1872 Cup, which up until now has risen year on year, has actually dropped for the first time since Covid.

Some of these numbers can be explained and there are other factors that influence them but the bottom line is that if we were actually performing to a decent level most if not all of them would be much better.

Can someone tell me how this doesn't all say rip it up and start again?

Sandy Smith can be found at the Burgh Watch, external

Grant Young
Fan writer

Glasgow Warriors' win over Benetton on Friday could be one of the most important of the season. A slow and underwhelming first half where the Warriors looked a side miles off the pace no doubt entered half-time knowing that Franco Smith was going to give them a right going through!

A starting XV with Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu back in it could not puncture a hole in the visitors' defence and gave up easy possession time after time. A close TMO try did give Glasgow a score but they were lucky to be down at half-time by only by three points.

There seemed to be a lack of connection between Ben Afshar and Adam Hastings and it felt like the early stages of the second half once Dan Lancaster and Jack Oliver came into the game that it opened up for Glasgow. A second half, which was the complete opposite to the first, with conviction in attack and no let up on the defensive end. It very much looked like a Warriors performance, second half and that's what the Scotstoun crowd come to see.

Four second-half tries where the forwards went to work at the maul, the Italian side had no real answer to Glasgow once they got moving. The standout try, though, has to be Fergus Watson on his debut in the corner early in the second period.

Smith has a way of giving players opportunities. Injuries had delayed Watson making his debut after an impressive pre-season but he took his chance and then some! It was his line breaks through the heart of the Benetton defence that eventually led to the Max Williamson score as Glasgow began to move through the gears for what in the end is a really important five points and revenge for a bitterly disappointing defeat when Glasgow travelled to Italy earlier in the season.

The action heats up for the Warriors. The South Africa fortnight looms on the horizon but up first, Champions Cup and a huge home tie as Warriors take on the Bulls. Glasgow as the number one seed have expectation on their side and a home crowd to spur them on but Bulls, as we know, like to cause an upset. This could be an all-time classic with it rumoured the Bulls are travelling with a very strong squad.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see a return of Glasgow's front-line players as the two sides lock horns. The Warriors need to believe and with so many first-team players moving on at the end of the season, this group need to believe they can continue to win on multiple fronts.

Do you have any burning questions for our rugby experts after another URC win for leaders Glasgow against Benetton and a defeat for Edinburgh at Stormers?

Send in your questions via this link and a selection will be answered and published on this page later in the week.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Maximum points from imperfect performance

It's testament to the lofty standards Glasgow have set this season that a bonus-point victory could be considered one of their poorer performances of the campaign.

The first half was a dreadful spectacle. There was no cohesion in Warriors' play, the error count was uncharacteristically high and Benetton were making life difficult.

But good teams make adjustments and Glasgow did that in the second half to ultimately run out comfortable winners.

Benetton win could be vital

This wasn't the type of performance that will stand out should Glasgow go on to win the URC this season, but it could be a very important five points.

Warriors have been riding high in the top two in previous campaigns, only to stumble towards the end of the regular season and miss out on a home route to the final.

The notoriously difficult mini-tour to South Africa is still to come, where they will face the Lions and the Stormers, but Franco Smith's side have put themselves in a fantastic position.

Watson hits the ground running

It was an impressive debut for Fergus Watson, who marked his first Glasgow appearance with a try and the player of the match award.

He took his try well and the youngster looked threatening whenever he got his hands on ball. Watson is a big unit and takes a bit of stopping. He also came off his wing and into the line to good effect.

He will have a lot of work to do to oust the likes of Kyle Steyn, Kyle Rowe, Jamie Dobie and Ollie Smith from the team when all are fit and available, but Watson showed promising early signs and in Smith, he has a coach who will find opportunities to give him game time.

We asked for your thoughts after Glasgow beat Benetton and Edinburgh lost at Stormers in the URC.

Here's what you had to say:

Edinburgh

Stuart: Typical Edinburgh, that is all I can say.

Stair: Another collapse in the last 20. This coach must go.

David: Edinburgh desperately poor again, with number of mistakes that the Stormers made they should have been dead and buried before half-time.

Andrew: Edinburgh are in danger of finishing last in the League. Because Zebre will get five points when they beat us at the Hive. The question being asked is how bad do results need to get before the SRU sack Sean Everitt? The SRU don't care about results but they will care when the season ticket sales are poor. If the SRU act then and get rid of Everitt it will be to late to save next season. It was galling to see Hamish Watson put it a great performance for Leicester against Gloucester. Why is Hamish not playing for Edinburgh?

Graeme: I don't want this for another two seasons. The SRU need to admit giving Everitt another two years was a huge mistake, and remove him. Edinburgh need a coach that will tell the players some home truths and get them doing the no skill elements into each performance.

Glasgow

David: Everyone appears to concentrate on Glasgow's attack but their defence is the best in the League judging by how few points they have conceded.

Stuart: Not a vintage performance but a good win and so pleased for Fergus Watson to score on his debut.

Chloe: A gritty win - but a win nonetheless with a bonus point. Watson was great tonight, great to see a young winner with great promise getting his chance and excelling. Bench made a huge impact - especially Alex Samuel and Alex Craig who have been playing excellent rugby in the absence of Scott Cummings and Gregor Brown.

Kenny: Warriors ground out this win on a chilly, breezy evening when their performance was well below the usual standard, against a feisty Benetton team. It's often been said that this is what marks out potential champions. Go to it Glasgow!

Edinburgh's United Rugby Championship play-off hopes are all but over after a 33-14 defeat to Stormers in Cape Town.

Read the match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

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Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt: "We felt we did well to stay in the game and had opportunities in the opposition 22 and we didn't take those.

"We believed we could have won the game but the last 20 minutes the Stormers got stronger and set pieces win you games.

"I am looking forward to getting back to Edinburgh, we've got a big game next Sunday against Leinster in the Champions Cup and hopefully we can improve on this performance to get a result."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Glasgow Warriors' bonus-point win over Benetton could prove "massive" in their pursuit of a top-two finish, according to Ollie Smith.

Warriors trailed 10-7 at the break after a scrappy first half at Scotstoun, but they delivered a strong response to run out 31-10 winners and strengthen their place at the top of the URC table.

"We've set ourselves up in a good position all season, top of the log in the URC and up there in the Champions Cup as well," full-back Smith told BBC Scotland.

"We want to be playing these games at home, and it's so good for us when we get in front of our own fans.

"It's such a fortress playing here, and that's what we spoke about last week. We had that dog in us from last week, against a Leinster team coming here, and we had to win.

"We said we had to back that up again and I think we struggled to do that in the first half against Benetton, who we were probably more expected to beat.

"No disrespect to Benetton, but we showed that in the second half, and those five points are going to be vital for us going to South Africa (to face Lions and Stormers) in a couple of weeks. The last couple of games, we want to be in that top spot to get the home play-off."

Next up for Glasgow is a home last-16 Champions Cup showdown with Bulls next Saturday, and they know victory will guarantee they remain at Scotstoun for the quarter-final.

"It's a massive opportunity for us," Smith added. "Play-off rugby here, get a quarter-final, get a semi-final at home, hopefully, if we keep playing the way we're playing.

"It's always tasty against the Bulls. We're just so excited to get play-off rugby. It's the business end of the season and it's so good to have it here."

Glasgow Warriors stretched their lead at the top of the United Rugby Championship with a bonus-point win over Benetton at Scotstoun.

Read the match report.

Have your say.

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Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith: "The objective of this week was to keep the continuity of last week and make sure we have a lot of players rugby ready before we get to the last 16 game next week. Good to get the win as well.

"The top spot doesn't count for nothing. You have to be able to take it through. We've been blessed with not too many injuries and some great results. It gives us an opportunity.

"Fergus Watson grabbed the moments that he got. We know he's going to be very good for us.

"We expect a tough game [next week against the Bulls]. It's important to kick on and make sure we play well."

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Scotland trio Grant Gilchrist, Darcy Graham and Pierre Schoeman return from Six Nations duty to start for Edinburgh in Saturday's URC match with Stormers in Cape Town.

Centre James Lang is also restored to the XV after a quad injury and starts alongside Matt Currie. Charlie Shiel and fly-half Ross Thompson form the half-back pairing.

There's a new front row after the defeat to Lions last week, with tighthead Paul Hill and hooker Ewan Ashman deployed alongside loosehead Schoeman. Gilchrist starts in the second row with Marshall Sykes.

Graham is on the wing alongside Malelili Satala while Piers O'Conor replaces Harry Paterson, who is ruled out with a quad injury, at full-back.

Edinburgh have lost four of their past five URC games to leave their play-off hopes hanging by a thread.

"We know it will be a tough challenge at DHL Stadium on Saturday but we've had a good training week and are in a good place to get a special result at the weekend," said head coach Sean Everitt.

"The Scotland guys being back is obviously a boost, but we'll need everyone at the top of their game to turn over the Stormers on their own patch."

Edinburgh XV to face Stormers: O'Conor, Graham, Currie, Lang, Satala, Thompson, Shiel, Schoeman, Ashman, Hill, Sykes, Gilchrist, McConnell, Richardson, Bradbury.

Replacements: Blyth-Lafferty, Venter, Williams, Young, Douglas, Vellacott, Tuipulotu, Brown.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith says his side have learned lessons from previous campaigns and will not get carried away with their outstanding form as they battle for two trophies.

Epic victories over Toulouse and Saracens helped Warriors qualify for the Champions Cup knockouts as second seeds, securing home advantage for next weekend's last-16 tie against the Bulls and potentially all the way to the semi-finals.

Last Saturday's superb win over Leinster sent Glasgow eight points clear at the top of the United Rugby Championship, but Smith says his side have laid promising foundations in previous seasons and failed to deliver silverware.

Smith, who has Scotland internationals Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones and Max Williamson back from Six Nations duty and in his starting line-up for Friday's URC visit of Benetton, said: "Everybody realises home advantage is really a contribution to your campaign - it's not the start all and end all, though.

"We've proved that to ourselves as well. There's enough pressure on us to perform every week. The expectation grows and there's more unnecessary pressure on a simple decision-making process.

"For now, we want to win every collision. We want to win the lineout ball. We want to win on competitive scrum time. We want to score as many tries as possible. We want to avoid giving away tries. If that's the focus then the results will look after itself.

"But I do not want to burden the players or the environment with too many external uncontrollables because we've learned, if we're not going to learn from previous campaigns where we fell short because those type of conversations got into the mix, we must try and avoid that.

"Therefore, our mission is to focus on the controllables and let the race look after itself."

Wing Fergus Watson makes his Glasgow debut in Friday night's Scotstoun game, while Smith said Kyle Steyn will begin running next week as he recovers from a suspected stress fracture in his foot and is "touch and go" to face the Bulls in the Champions Cup on 3 April.

Scott Cummings' return date from a calf injury is still unclear. And while Smith did not rule out Gregor Brown for the season, he confirmed the lock would not feature before Glasgow head to South Africa to face the Lions on 18 April as he looks to recover from a hamstring injury.

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Scotland lock Jonny Gray has left Bordeaux-Begles to join fellow French Top 14 outfit USA Perpignan until the end of the season.

Gray, 32, has been brought in to bolster Perpignan's injury-hit squad as they battle to avoid relegation.

Fellow Scot Jamie Ritchie is one of the players absent for Perpignan after he suffered a knee injury in Scotland's Six Nations win over England.

Gray, who has started just five games for Bordeaux, is out of contract at the end of the campaign so has played his last game for the club.

Perpignan currently occupy the relegation play-off spot in the French top flight.

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Hooker Gregor Hiddleston says he "couldn't imagine being anywhere else" after signing a two-year contract extension to stay with Glasgow Warriors until summer 2028.

The 23-year-old made his Glasgow debut in January 2024 and has become a key component of Franco Smith's side this season.

Hiddleston's form was rewarded with a first senior Scotland call-up before this year's Six Nations. He went on to feature in Scotland A's draw with Italy XV in early February.

"Absolutely delighted, it came about pretty early on in the season, I'm buzzing to be staying at the club," Hiddleston said of his new contract.

"I've learned so much already and I'm loving being here. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

"Everyone's so aligned here, lots of opportunities, and the club's in such a good place, the coaches are absolutely class. It's a world-class coaching team."

He added: "It was good to be involved in the Scotland squad. I didn't play, but being in that environment, working with those coaches, was really good.

"And 19 [Glasgow] players going and playing for Scotland, it's something to look up to and follow in their footsteps."

Head coach Smith said: "Gregor has worked hard on his own game and is committed to his own development, and we are pleased that he has renewed his contract with us.

"His impact in both attack and defence has been evident throughout this season, whilst also providing a solid set-piece platform for our team."

BBC Sport Scotland's Andy Burke has been answering some of your Scottish rugby questions.

Alan asked: How long is too long before Edinburgh decide to part ways with Sean Everitt? He has a team with a core of elite players he seems to make look average to mediocre.

Andy answered: With every passing week and poor performance, the decision to hand Everitt a new two-year deal becomes even more baffling.

I thought the upturn in results and performances in the second half of last term justified Everitt remaining in place for this season, but not only have Edinburgh failed to kick on, they have significantly regressed.

The display against the Lions was pitiful, and there can be no excuse of being caught by surprise as they served up a similarly woeful performance against the same opponents in Johannesburg last season.

I suspect Scottish Rugby will not be minded to get rid of Everitt so soon after extending his contract.

They will hope a new coaching team around him will lead to a vast improvement next season, but if I was the SRU I'd be concerned with the growing discontent among the club's fans. They are not happy with what they are paying to watch from their team right now.

Stuart asked: Can the Warriors push on and possibly win the URC and Champions Cup?

Andy answered: Glasgow are going along brilliantly at the moment, but as Franco Smith has been at pains to point out over and again, they have won nothing yet.

I was so impressed at the way they took apart a Leinster side who, while not at full strength, were packed full of established stars.

The way the Warriors youngsters stepped up gave real hope about the next wave of talent coming through at Scotstoun.

But knockout rugby is a different beast entirely and it's where the big guns really bring their best stuff. So you would expect the likes of Leinster and Toulouse – both of whom Glasgow have beaten at home this season – would be a different proposition were they to meet them at the business end of the URC or Champions Cup.

Warriors have already secured a home path in Europe and if they can do likewise in the URC then anything is possible, but I still think the latter trophy is more attainable.

A double is probably unrealistic, though I would be delighted to be proved wrong!

On the latest episode of the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast, Andy Burke and Tom English break down why Glasgow's depth is becoming one of the stories of the URC season.

At the other end of the spectrum, there's an in-depth look at the numbers, the lack of cohesion and the uneasy contract extensions at Edinburgh as their season continues to unravel.

Plus, why Mike Blair's remarkable move to join Dave Rennie's All Blacks set-up is a huge moment for a highly respected Scottish coach.

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