Scottish Rugby

BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering some of your Scottish rugby questions.

Martin asked: What is the point in qualifying to play in the Champions Cup? Why did that happen (the 33-0 loss to Castres)? Was it to save players for Saturday? If so, all the goodwill and confidence is now gone and Glasgow are on the front foot. Are Edinburgh fans being short-changed?

Tom answered: It was a really disappointing second half from Edinburgh. Their team selection left them vulnerable to a beating and then they had bad luck with injuries on top of that.

I wouldn't be so downbeat, though. That's a very tight Champions Cup group they're in and they're still well in contention. Sean Everitt has to play younger players. That's part of his remit.

He got it wrong when pitching so many of them in at the same time, but maybe there'll be a reward down the line. These young lads need games. That's how Glasgow built their depth. Short-term pain for medium-term gain, you'd hope.

Sandy asked: Given the number of Scotland players in the Glasgow team, how do you explain the difference in mentality to come back and win games like that against Toulouse, when in a Scotland jersey the opposite seems to be the case?

Tom answered: It's a question a lot of people are asking. What I'd say is winning Test matches against the biggest teams is harder than winning Champions Cup games, even against Toulouse.

Test rugby is more unforgiving. Everything is of a higher standard. Also, Glasgow players have good memories of winning big games. They've been to South Africa and have won a URC title against the odds.. They've done it and they know what they're capable of in a Glasgow shirt.

There's no such confidence at Test level because Scotland have never won anything and until they do I can see them doubting themselves when the heat comes on.

Graham asked: Do you think there is an effective path for young talent to break into the senior squads at the high levels? Seems to be a lot of players in these teams now that are there through residency or ancestral links.

Tom answered: That's why David Nucifora was brought in. The pathway system has been failing young Scottish players for a long time (albeit some very good ones have made their way through).

Nucifora's plan has seen the SRU lump more money into player identification and player development. It had to happen

Glasgow and Edinburgh are getting more and more Scottish and that will continue to be the case. The challenge is this: if the pathway system does its job then where are all of these players going to play? That's a problem already, to be honest.

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Scotland back-row Liam McConnell has been rewarded for his "exceptional" form with a new two-year contract at Edinburgh.

The 21-year-old Edinburgh academy graduate has impressed this season and made his Scotland debut in the win over the USA last month.

"Liam's form at the start of this season has been nothing short of exceptional," said Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt.

"He has played with a maturity well beyond his years. He has a very special future ahead of him, both for Edinburgh and for Scotland. He is exactly the type of player we want in our squad.

"A local lad who understands what this club means and has the drive to become a legend here."

McConnell is "incredibly proud" to extend his stay at his hometown club until June 2028.

"It was always the dream. There is something incredibly special about pulling on this jersey - you aren't just playing for a club, you're representing your home," he added.

"To be part of this young crop of Scottish players coming through together is brilliant."

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Scotland and Glasgow Warriors forward Jack Dempsey says the Scotstoun side have already won their "Super Bowl" by taking Toulouse's scalp in the Champions Cup.

The landmark comeback win over Antoine Dupont, Blair Kinghorn and company is still bringing a smile to Warrior faces days later, further proof for Franco Smith's men they are a match for anyone on the continent on their day.

For Dempsey, as he prepares for the upcoming festive derbies against Edinburgh in the 1872 Cup, it's a case of trying to put everything in its proper perspective.

"In terms of context, me and Sione [Tuipulotu] are big NFL fans," said Dempsey.

"We were bigging this up with Blair Kinghorn, who's also an NFL fan, as 'Super Bowl week,' that's what it meant to us.

"In all seriousness, for this playing group and coaching staff it was a just reward.

"There's been a lot of big occasions, especially in Europe over the last two or three years, where we've faulted in games like that for whatever reason.

"But one thing we put our hat on was this: Toulouse, the best club team in the world, are coming to the ice rink right here in Glasgow and we're going to defend our home, you know? I think that belief showed to claw back those 21 points.

"It just solidifies what we stand for. We have a lot of faith here, a lot of belief as a club and as a playing group about what we can do.

"It's now about putting down those flags in the sand. About showing it and not just talking about it.

"That game is a milestone that we can now keep leaning back on, just like the final in Pretoria a couple of seasons ago that won us the league.

"It's moments like that that you can continually refer to, to remind ourselves of what we can do when we're at our best."

The number eight, capped by both Australia and Scotland, knows his Edinburgh friends would love to bring Glasgow back down to earth with a bump in the 1872 Cup derbies, starting this Sunday at Hampden with the return at Murrayfield on 27 December.

"That's what it's all about, it's what you've got to love about the derby, you're playing against boys who you train with and play with in Scotland," added Dempsey.

"It's like playing your little brother or your big brother. That's what it comes down to. Even though you love some of those boys, you know, Schoey and Duhey [Pierre Schoeman and Duhan Van Der Merwe].

"I'm very close with them in the Scotland team. But they're going to be the enemies this weekend and I'm looking forward to that."

On this week's BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast, Glasgow Warriors full-back Ollie Smith explains how losing his brother at age 21 shaped his career and inspired his family to set up a blood donation charity.

Plus, Tom English and Andy Burke reflect on Glasgow and Edinburgh's contrasting fortunes in the Champions Cup.

Listen and subscribe on BBC Sounds

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Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith has made just one enforced change to his side for Saturday's Hampden Park meeting with Edinburgh after last weekend's stunning Champions Cup victory over Toulouse.

Scrum-half George Horne will replace the injured Josh McKay, with Jamie Dobie moving out to the wing and Ollie Smith switching from the wing to full-back.

Smith described Saturday's 28-21 win over Toulouse - in which they fought back from 21-0 down - as "an important morale-booster" before their quest to retain the 1872 Cup for a fourth year running.

"It's fantastic to be a part of it," Smith said of the United Rugby Championship derby against Edinburgh, who host the second leg the following Saturday.

"I've watched this fixture from afar for a long time. The rivalry, but not just that. The amount of people that come through the gates, it's a massive privilege to be a part of the Scottish derby.

"The ability to showcase the Scottish rugby players in these two important stadiums. A massive privilege and something we really look forward to being a part of again."

Glasgow Warriors: Ollie Smith, Kyle Steyn (capt), Stafford McDowall, Sione Tuipulotu, Jamie Dobie; Adam Hastings, George Horne; Nathan McBeth, Gregor Hiddleston, Zander Fagerson, Max Williamson, Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey.

Replacements: Seb Stephen, Rory Sutherland, Sam Talakai, Alex Craig, Gregor Brown, Ally Miller, Ben Afshar, Dan Lancaster.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Head coach Sean Everitt says United Rugby Championship points rather than bragging rights are the key motivation for Edinburgh heading into the festive double-header against Glasgow Warriors.

The sides meet at Hampden Park on Saturday before the return leg at Murrayfield on 27 December.

Warriors are coming off a stunning Champions Cup victory over Toulouse, while Edinburgh were thrashed by Castres in France.

"We need points and that becomes before the bragging rights. The bragging rights are a bonus," Everitt said.

"It's a URC competition and we know how tight these logs are. So any points that you pick up away from home are valuable to us.

"At the same time, we do want to win the 1872 Cup. There's a lot of history behind it as we know. It will be great for the boys to go into camp in the Six Nations having the 1872 Cup in our team room."

Glasgow have won the 1872 Cup in the past three seasons, with last term's 33-14 win at Hampden setting them up for an aggregate victory despite losing to Edinburgh at Murrayfield the following week.

Everitt admits his side underperformed on their last visit to the national football stadium and hopes Edinburgh can have a more positive experience this time around.

"Hampden last year was not good memories for us," said the South African.

"It was the first time (club) rugby games were being played there, so we obviously wanted to make it a little bit more difficult for Glasgow.

"We got a few things wrong, but we delivered at home and made it 1-1. We need URC points away from home. The guys know what's coming and it's time for us to deliver and not talk about it."

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Glasgow attack coach Nigel Carolan says it is a "privilege" to take charge of Scotland A against an Italy XV on the eve of the Six Nations opener in Rome.

The match will take place on 6 February in Rieti, just outside the Italian capital, on the same night Scotland Under-20s face their Azzurri counterparts in Treviso.

Glasgow assistant coach Scott Forrest and Edinburgh assistant Stevie Lawrie complete Carolan's coaching staff for the game.

"Having been here for four years coaching some of the best players in the country, to be head coach of the Scotland A team is a privilege and something I'll cherish," said Carolan.

"The match will be beneficial for all involved, giving players the opportunity to play a competitive match against what will be a strong Italy side."

Sandy Smith
Fan writer

I guess making 11 changes to a side that just beat Toulon convincingly isn't a winning formula after all? Who'd have thought it?

Maybe being kept scoreless for the first time since 2017 is ideal preparation to play the team that did that back then? Would anyone think that?

Despite having the lion's share of possession and territory in the first half against Castres, inaccuracies in attack and defence led to Edinburgh being 5-0 down at the interval.

It had been pretty tight in that half and if Edinburgh had been able to convert even one of the numerous chances they'd had it could have changed the entire dynamic of the game.

Unfortunately what looked like a big chunk was a mere sliver in comparison as Castres grabbed 86% of the territory in the second half and punctured the defence repeatedly. Not one Edinburgh player made a clean break in the entire match.

The injuries sustained didn't help. To lose Jack Brown early in the first half as well as Ross McCann, and James Lang in the second, with Lang himself having come off the bench for Matt Currie, contributed to the already faltering cohesion.

With all those enforced changes it looked a little like Edinburgh were playing musical chairs. Castres took advantage and secured the five points during Piers O'Conor's yellow card period with the last two tries of the match.

We were made well aware in the run-up to this game of the reasons for the changes, including the austere and inflexible SRU rest protocols.

A bonus point might have been acceptable but as the weekend drew to a close, a win at Castres, which would have been a distinct possibility with a full-strength Edinburgh team, would have seen us top the group with a home tie in the round of 16 just about secured.

I understand the emphasis on the next couple of games and if they go Edinburgh's way I'll be the first to praise the management of how this period was handled.

But momentum is not on our side and I doubt we are in a better place to be heading to Hampden now for the 1872 Cup first leg than we would have been with three wins in a row tucked into our socks like a well-used mouthguard.

Sandy Smith can be found at The Burgh Watch, external

Do you have any burning questions on Scottish rugby after Glasgow's comeback win over Toulouse and Edinburgh's defeat by Castres in the Champions Cup?

Send in your questions to Tom English and Andy Burke via this link and a selection of answers will be published on this page later in the week.

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland

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An opportunity missed?

Edinburgh's victory over Toulon to open their Champions Cup campaign was a rousing performance, a display of what this squad can do when they play to their full potential.

Having gone 10 points down, they pulled themselves off the canvas to score four tries and dominate in the forwards, with youngsters Ollie Blyth-Lafferty and Liam McConnell impressive.

It seemed to be the perfect blend of youth and experience, but head coach Sean Everitt turned away from that for the trip to Castres, resting key players Pierre Schoeman, Duhan van der Merwe, Darcy Graham, Magnus Bradbury and Grant Gilchrist.

It resulted in a disjointed display, which allowed Castres to seize control in a one-sided second half and leaves Edinburgh now needed to win at least one of their two remaining pool matches against Gloucester and Bath.

As well as ramping up the pressure for those matches, it stalls the momentum and feel-good factor built by the victory over Toulon.

Stop-start season continues

The inability to back up good performances is an issue that has plagued Edinburgh for several seasons now.

Indeed, they are still yet to win back-to-back games this season. That is a remarkable statistic and one which has to change if Everitt and his players are to shrug off their 'underachievers' tag.

The 1872 Cup double header against Glasgow is next up, and crucial league matches against Benetton, Bulls and Leinster follow next month on top of the Champions Cup matches.

That is a brutal run and one which Edinburgh cannot afford to be below-par for.

Injuries continue to mount

They will have to face that daunting schedule without several key players too.

Luke Crosbie, D'arcy Rae, Sam Skinner, Paddy Harrison, Ben Muncaster, Marshall Sykes and Harry Paterson were all unavailable for the Castres game because of injury, and young full-back Jack Brown and fellow back Wes Goosen both went off with problems in the south of France.

One positive was the return of Connor Boyle, who has had a torrid time with injuries, but will hope to revive his career and show the promise he did before his time on the sidelines.

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Edinburgh prop Boan Venter will leave the club at the end of the season and return to South Africa to join Lions.

Having signed from Cheetahs in 2020, Venter has gone on to play 96 times for Edinburgh and has also earned eight caps for the Springboks in that time.

"It was a tough decision to leave a club that has become home, but I am excited for the opportunity with the Emirates Lions and to be closer to family," Venter said.

"I want to thank all the Edinburgh fans for their incredible support over the years. I have enjoyed every moment of my time in this amazing city and wearing the jersey.

"I can assure everyone that I will be giving my absolute all for this badge and my teammates right up until the final whistle of the season."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Scotstoun's greatest night?

Glasgow Warriors have had some special nights at Scotstoun down the years, but this extraordinary comeback victory against the mighty Toulouse may well be the greatest of the lot.

After being stunned into near silence as the French giants threatened to run away with the game in the first half, the noise ramped up as Glasgow started to eat into the 21-point deficit. By the end, when Warriors had completed the most dramatic of turnarounds, it was bedlam in the stands.

The foul weather conditions had threatened to spoil arguably the pick of the matches in round two of the Champions Cup. As it was, the spectacle exceeded all expectations.

Horne heroics helps turn the tide

They came to see the world's greatest player in Antoine Dupont, but they left talking about another scrum-half – George Horne.

It's been a frustration for Horne that he has often been seen throughout his career as the ultimate impact player from the bench, but there really are few better at lifting the tempo of a match.

Unlike Jamie Dobie who started, Horne did have the benefit of the strong wind at his back in the second half, but his energy and quality helped get Warriors on the front foot.

Adam Hastings also delivered probably his best performance since his return to Scotstoun, and between them the Glasgow half-backs helped turn what had appeared to be an unstoppable Toulouse tide.

Barnstorming Brown continues to impress

Speaking of bench impact, Gregor Brown was thunderously good when he entered the fray.

The 24-year-old's ferocious carrying started to put the Toulouse defensive line on the back foot and the gaps started to appear.

Brown looks like a player completely at home mixing it with the best and seems only to be getting better.

Scotland are blessed with tremendous back-row options, but Brown on this form must be odds-on to be starting come the Six Nations opener against Italy in February.

We asked for your views on Glasgow Warriors 28-21 win against Toulouse and Edinburgh's 33-0 defeat by Castres in the Champions Cup.

Here's what some of you said:

Glasgow Warriors 28-21 Toulouse

Graham: I hope these Glasgow players get all the credit they deserve for an amazing comeback win. It wasn't that long ago many of them were 21-0 up and then lost to Argentina, so tremendous character on display. The Jamie Dobie tackle on Ange Capuozzo just before half-time was so vital, what a player he is becoming.

Campbell: Surely one of, if not the greatest performance for Glasgow. A real statement that we mean business and can compete against the best in the world. The maturity required to stay calm at 21-0 down and come back and win, if that was a Hollywood film you might say "too far watched". So proud of the Warriors. Top of the table!

Scotty: While I'm over the moon with this result, there must be a long hard look at the scrum and how the team approaches the referee to atone for their misdemeanours. We were lucky in the first half not to get a yellow and be a man down; thus the ball game. Zander Fagerson needs to rein it in on pestering referees or he will rapidly gain a reputation that will stand against him at both club and international level.

Brian: Brilliant. It was a tough watch in the East Stand in the first half; we just couldn't get out of our half or keep possession, but we knew the wind was a significant factor. But what a second half. And well done Dobie for his tackle on the stroke of half time; going in four tries down could have been a very different story.

James: Absolutely brilliant win! The pack was immense in the second half getting forward on all their carry's. Best game from Adam Hastings all season! What an atmosphere in difficult conditions for the teams and the supporters.

Stuart: Epic match and a tale of two halves. Too many handling errors and penalties in first half gave Toulouse confidence and a well worked lead, however, the second half, starving Toulouse of possession and the introduction of George Horne and Gregor Brown took the Warriors to a different level. A fantastic match and equally fantastic win. All the team played their part.

Castres 33-0 Edinburgh

David: They blew two absolutely certain tries with their white line fever. Let's hope 'normal service' hasn't resumed at Edinburgh and it was just the result of a pragmatic squad rotation in view of the upcoming double header with Glasgow.

Adam: We see it as Edinburgh Rugby supporters, from glorious victory to humiliating defeat without scoring a point. This was of course a much changed team from the previous home match, and though the young and inexperienced forwards showed promise our second string back line were disjointed and ineffective, particularly the back three.

Keith: We win a match then lose three. Our coaching team have not improved this team in any way shape or form. Get rid now please. They have had long enough.

Jamie: Shocking result, following the great performance last week. Typically the Edinburgh way, never able to follow up on a good result. The resting of internationals does nothing for the teams chances to progress, sadly we don't have the depth of squad.

Andy: The decision to make so many changes for the Castres game deflated the atmosphere after the win the previous week. A game that was winnable with a strong team suddenly became an embarrassment of a display and whilst the players aren't blameless, most responsibility lies at the door of coach. The only reason he can still be in the post is because the SRU are trying to save cash and will wait until the end of season before looking for someone to replace him. Asking supporters to spend a lot of money on a season ticket to watch a coach sending out random selections with no idea, plan or enthusiasm is tantamount to fraud.

Steve: I can't see how the handling of the team selection by the manager is helping any of the players. I feel for these young guys thrust in against battle hardened opposition, with little experience around to help them. For whatever reason, we don't have the depth of Glasgow, but that is why selection management is so critical. It's almost like we are putting out teams based on the desire not to get beaten by too many points. But then we shock a team like Toulon and expectations are heightened again, only to be dashed the very next day. Surely a better mix of youth and experience every single match would be the way to create depth?

A much-changed Edinburgh side shipped five tries in an Investec Champions Cup drubbing by Castres in the south of France.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

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Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith tells BBC Scotland: "I'm grateful for the fans coming out and glad we could make them happy tonight.

"I agree, it was loud. That is the way we want to see Scotstoun even more, so I'm glad we could do it today.

"I had no doubt. We had, in the first half, limited possession. We turned it over too easily. Nine turnovers before half-time. We couldn't get through four phases.

"We didn't ask them to defend enough, so we knew that if we get the ball in our hands, if we get a bit of territory, we can ask questions. I was confident that we will score points.

"Momentum in this game is everything. We identified it, we acted on it, but we stayed in the process, which is for me more important.

"The physical application tonight was fantastic. They believed in the plan and the way they acted on their belief. I'm really proud of that.

"We timed the bench right, I think. It was more or less the plan to bring George [Horne] and Gregor [Brown] as an extra carrier to get their speed up a little bit more. They did their job well and then the boys finishing it off in the end was fresh and eager at the right time of the game.

"It does give us confidence, but it also creates expectation and expectation can blame one. For now, we're just going to focus on the next job and the process and use the confidence to grow and progress."

Glasgow Warriors mounted an epic comeback from 21-0 down to beat French giants Toulouse in the Champions Cup on one of the club's greatest nights.

Let us know your thoughts here.