Scottish Rugby

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Grant Gilchrist says the only way to alter the contrasting perceptions of Edinburgh and Glasgow is for the capital side to turn over their rivals in the 1872 Cup.

The sides meet at Hampden Park on Sunday before the return leg at Murrayfield on 28 December.

Warriors have received widespread acclaim for their exploits in recent times, most notably last season's URC title win, while Edinburgh have been criticised for their long-standing struggle to find the consistency required to turn them into serious contenders.

"There's always a favourite and there's an underdog and the only way to change people's opinion is by doing it on the pitch," said Edinburgh captain Gilchrist.

"We haven't done it on the pitch, so when we when we do, then we'll deserve the plaudits. It's what's come to Glasgow, not because they've been looking for that as their main goal, because they've worked hard at their game, they've played well and they deserve the plaudits they've had.

"You look at the table, the gap between us and Glasgow, and you [the media] have talked so highly about Glasgow, rightly so, but two wins puts us pretty much level with them. So that puts us in the same conversation as them.

"We are as ambitious as they are. We are not just happy to turn up and play. We demand high standards of ourselves. And we know that these two games can put us back in that hunt. So that's got to be the goal for us."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Kyle Steyn says he is "buzzing" to be back fit in time to take part in Sunday's historic 1872 Cup match against Edinburgh at Hampden.

The Warriors captain has been out injured since October and missed Scotland's entire autumn campaign.

The wing will start at Hampden on Sunday for Warriors' first ever match at the national football stadium and is raring to go after a frustrating spell on the sidelines.

"I'm just really excited to be back out there with these guys," Steyn told BBC Scotland.

"That's always the toughest part about being injured, you miss being able to contribute, you miss the feeling of being out there. That first European window, the atmosphere, you kind of missed out on that, so I'm just buzzing to be back out there with the boys.

"This is kind of the crunch time of year, these six games, the two European windows and then the derbies. To the boys that have been playing, great job so far.

"We've used so many of our squad and everybody that's put the jersey on has stepped up. I think we're just looking to try and add some momentum to that and keep it going.

"Being in Hampden and how many tickets we've sold, obviously I missed these games last year, so really excited to be back for this one."

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Edinburgh got their Celtic Challenge Cup campaign off to a flyer with a thumping 63-15 win over Glasgow Warriors at the Hive Stadium.

It was the Warriors who took the lead thanks to a try from winger Sky Phimister but the hosts hit back with scores from Hannah Walker, Aila Ronald, Lucia Scott and Cieron Bell while there were kicked penalties from Glasgow's Lisa Martin and Edinburgh's Lucy MacRae.

With a commanding 34-10 lead at half-time, Claire Cruikshank's side did not let up in the second 40 minutes. Bell crossed the line again, while Scotland international Shona Campbell also scored on debut after a quick tap penalty.

Walker got her third try of the night before late scores from substitutes Talei Tawake and Faye Sutherland wrapped up the bruising win, while Erinn Foley grabbed a consolation for the visitors.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Edinburgh coach Sean Everitt says the 1872 Cup double-header against a "formidable" Glasgow team gives his side a chance to show how much they have grown.

Hampden will play host to the first leg on Sunday with over 25,000 tickets sold.

Glasgow sit second in the URC table as they look to defend the title they won last season, while Edinburgh are currently seventh.

"You can look at the game in isolation as an 1872 Cup game, but we'd like to look at it as a URC game," Everitt said.

"Definitely for us it's an opportunity to see how far we've grown over the last three or four months. We have managed to put in some really good performances at home, but have struggled away.

"So Hampden is just another opportunity for us to show that we can do better when we're away from from Hive. The guys are determined to do well. Hampden will be a new experience for our team, but it'll also be a new experience for Glasgow.

"They're a well settled group. Although they've got changes in their team this week, they still have a formidable team."

Glasgow head coach France Smith and Edinburgh counterpart Sean Everitt look ahead to Sunday's 1872 Cup first leg at Hampden Park

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Glasgow head coach Franco Smith wants Warriors fans to create their own Hampden roar when his side face Edinburgh on Sunday.

Over 25,000 tickets have been sold for the 1872 Cup first leg at the national football stadium on Sunday.

Smith took the opportunity to sample the Hampden atmosphere for himself last month.

"I went to see Scotland versus Croatia," Smith told BBC Scotland.

"It was fantastic to be a part of it, to hear the 'Hampden roar'. Now hopefully we can get a rugby-like Hampden roar this weekend.

"I must say I'm really grateful to be a part of it for one, and two, for the reaction of the public to come out and support us. I think it makes it special.

"I asked them earlier to vote with their feet and that's going to make it easy in a conversation going forward. The amount of Warriors fans that miss out every week looks like a big number, so hopefully something can be done to accommodate them going forward."

One of the standout individual battles will be in the midfield where the Tuipulotu brothers, Glasgow's Sione and Edinburgh's Mosese, will fill the number 12 jerseys.

"I've played my brother quite a bit in the years when we played, so I know the sensation, know the feeling," Smith said.

"I've got a very good record [against him], to be honest. He'll probably like to say different.

"Actually, outside of the field, more is made of it than actually on field."

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Duhan van der Merwe will make his 100th Edinburgh appearance in the first leg of the 1872 Cup at Hampden on Sunday, while Glasgow Warriors welcome back captain Kyle Steyn.

Edinburgh have only made one change from the XV that recorded a thumping European victory over Bayonne last weekend, with tighthead prop Paul Hill missing through injury.

D'Arcy Rae replaces him, while Ben Muncaster - fresh from signing a new contract - and Ben Vellacott come on to the bench.

Franco Smith rotates 10 from the side that narrowly lost to Toulon and while there's no Rory Darge in the back-row, they welcome back captain Steyn on the wing for his first game since September.

Sebastian Cancelliere starts on the opposite wing and Huw Jones replaces the suspended Stafford McDowall in the centres.

Tom Jordan and George Horne start as half-backs, while Scotland internationals Johnny Matthews, Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings, Gregor Brown, and Matt Fagerson also come in. Ally Miller is the other change in the back row.

In total, there are 25 Scotland internationals in the 30 starting players, with a 13 to 12 split in favour of the hosts Glasgow.

Glasgow Warriors: Rowe, Cancelliere, Jones, S Tuipulotu, Steyn (c); Jordan, Horne; Bhatti, Matthews, Z Fagerson, Brown, Cummings, Miller, M Fagerson, Mann.

Replacements: Hiddleston, Sutherland, Schickerling, Samuel, Stewart, Fraser, Dobie, Weir.

Edinburgh: Goosen, Graham, Currie, M Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; Thompson, Price; Schoeman, Ashman, Rae, Sykes, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Crosbie, Bradbury.

Replacements: Cherry, Venter, Sebastian, Skinner, Muncaster, Vellacott, Healy, Lang.

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

Rob asked: What were your thoughts on the 'Emerging Scotland' v Italy Under-23 game? A depressing defeat highlighting the weakness of our grassroots and pathways? Or the start of a great initiative, getting young talent trained under senior coaches and high-level game time?

Tom answered: It's long overdue, Rob. Ireland have had 'Emerging' teams touring South Africa for the last two or three years now and Scotland need to catch up.

These boys need higher level games - and plenty of them. They need a higher level of coaching and this is a big step in the right direction down an admittedly long, long road.

Ian asked: Who's going to win at Hampden? Who's going to win at Murrayfield? Who's bringing home the silverware on aggregate?

And on a similar theme, Nick asked: What is the best result over the 1872 double-header for Gregor Townsend? Is it a dominant champion side in Glasgow or an Edinburgh side adding up to the sum of its parts? (Aside from no injuries!)

Tom answered: Glasgow were always going to be favourites to win the first leg but they'll have the extra motivation of putting on a show in front of a much bigger crowd than they're used to in the city.

They're a fantastic team; brutally tough and rapier sharp on attack. I think they can win both legs.

Murray asked: The derby games always feel like an audition to the Scotland squad. Who do you think is most likely to push into the Scotland squad?

Tom answered: The Scotland matchday squad is really settled. You could write down most of the 23 to play Italy on day one of the Six Nations without much thought.

There is one person who has a big chance of playing his way into it, though.

Ewan Ashman will start at hooker but his back-up is very much up for grabs. It could be Dylan Richardson, as was the case for three of the autumn games, but Gregor Hiddleston has a great opportunity in these games against Edinburgh.

He's been really good this season. Tough and aggressive, decent scrummager, busy around the park. He's only 22 and I'm excited about him, just as I'm excited about Max Williamson, Euan Ferrie, Alex Samuel, Jare Oguntibeju and others at Scotstoun. There's such a good next wave there.

For the Six Nations, Hiddleston is the one with the biggest chance of crashing through.

BBC Scotland's chief sports writer Tom English has been answering your Scottish rugby questions.

Alasdair asked: Is hooker a worry for Scotland? Ewan Ashman is fine in the loose but lineout not brilliant yet, and Edinburgh were a bit error prone against Bayonne until the Darcy show started.

Tom answered: It's a slight concern in that there's Ashman, who's not exactly a seasoned Test operator, plus a lot of really inexperienced players behind him. They're talented, mind you. Dylan Richardson and Gregor Hiddleston are fine young players who should develop into really good Test players. It'll be fascinating to see how they progress.

Johnny Matthews doesn't seem to be cutting through with Gregor Townsend and his coaches. The lineout is a concern, but that's not always on the hooker.

Lineouts are such complex things now that every part of your drill has to be spot on and, at Test level, you're dealing with world-class players trying to get into your lineout. It's not easy. for anybody. I have faith in Ashman.

James asked: With Tom Jordan off next seaso, they must be in the market for another 10, especially given Adam Hastings' injury woes. Is it time for Finn Russell to return to Scotstoun? He surely has more chances of silverware with Warriors despite Bath's good form in the Prem.

Tom answered: Russell to return to Scotstoun would be the rugby story of the millennium. He's on close to a million a year at Bath, so it won't be happening.

Jordan is going to be a huge loss, He's exceptional in three different positions and Glasgow really, really messed up on this one. They had to keep him.

So, another 10 is needed. Duncan Weir continues to do a stellar job but he can't go on forever. Hastings is jinxed and my heart goes out to him. A 10 will be high on the priority list, but unless the recent Euromillions winner is a Warriors fan then it won't be Russell.

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Glasgow Warriors and Scotland centre Stafford McDowall has been suspended for three weeks for making "reckless contact with the eye" of Toulon's Facundo Isa in Glasgow's Champions Cup loss last weekend.

The 26-year-old was cited for the incident - which was missed by officials at the time - after the game.

The offence was deemed to be at the low end of the scale of seriousness, with an entry point of six weeks' suspension subsequently reduced to three on grounds of McDowall's "good disciplinary record and timely acceptance of the charge".

McDowall will miss both of the 1872 Cup matches against Edinburgh over the festive period, in addition to Glasgow's Champions Cup match against Racing 92.

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Scotland international Ben Muncaster has signed a new two-year deal with Edinburgh.

The 23-year-old back row has scored five tries in six club appearances this season and made his international debut against Portugal during the Autumn Nations Series.

"I'm incredibly proud to re-sign with Edinburgh," Muncaster said. "It was a no-brainer.

"This is my hometown club, and I'm loving playing my rugby here under Sean Everitt. The team is playing some exciting rugby, and I'm really enjoying my own game as well.

"I'm excited for the future. There is plenty of room for growth and we're moving in the right direction as a squad."

Head coach Everitt added: "Ben is a hugely important player for this club, and we're delighted that he has committed his future to Edinburgh.

"He's a powerful ball-carrier, a strong defender, and a real competitor. Securing the services of one of Scotland's best young back-rowers is a major boost for the club."

Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer

In the beginning, there was Hughenden, then Firhill, Scotstoun, and on one almost glorious night in the Pro14 final of 2019, Celtic Park.

Glasgow have brought their rugby to four different stadiums in the city and on Sunday they'll make it five when they host Edinburgh at Hampden in the 1872 Cup.

There's been a lot of talk of history around this fixture, a lot of buzz about the continuing story of the reigning URC champions. It's a terrific one, that's for certain. Edinburgh folk must be fed up listening to it, mind you.

How about something on how great they both have been and could be if you combined the best of east and west since the URC's humble origins 23 years ago? A dream team for the ages. There's fun to be had with this. Blazing rows, too.

Full-back: In rugby terms, it has to be Stuart Hogg. Moving on…

Right wing: Consistently excellent and deserving of more from his club career, Darcy Graham has been a joy. His appetite for ball is through the roof. His appreciation of space and execution when he finds that space is world class.

Outside centre: More Glasgow contenders and Huw Jones makes it. A URC winner, a guy with incredible class and an attacking game to die for. He had incredible highs early in his career, then a whole load of lows, but he's been more of a complete these past few years then he was when shooting the lights out for Scotland.

Inside centre: How can you separate them? Jones and Sione Tuipulotu are the most devastating midfield combination in the history of Scottish rugby. We'll be waiting generations to see a partnership as good as this.

Left wing: A victory for Van der Merwe - DTH van der Merwe. Big Duhan hasn't done enough in an Edinburgh shirt. Tommy Seymour came incredibly close, but the Canadian flyer, and try scorer against Munster in the storied final of 2015, is in.

Fly-half: Like Darcy Graham, a guy whose medal cabinet does nothing to reflect the scale of his brilliance. Finn Russell hasn't played in this competition since 2018, but banked a lot of wondrous moments before he hit Paris.

Scrum-half: It could have been Greig Laidlaw, but at the risk of being accused of recency bias - it's not, I'm ancient, I remember them from way back - George Horne and his capacity to play at speed while cutting defences to shreds is remarkable. Niko Matawalu had that quality too, but Horne is still doing it now. Glasgow's third highest try scorer.

Loosehead: Quite a few heavyweight contenders, not least the Lion Ryan Grant and soon-to-be Lion, Pierre Schoeman. The guy we're going for was never a Lion, but he was such a great player. Allan Jacobsen was a colossus, a ferocious competitor, beloved by his fellow players, which tells you a lot.

Hooker: For fear of being accused of favouring regular guests on our podcast, we're not going with Fraser Brown even though he was magnificent for Glasgow. Neutrality, see? Ross Ford takes it. Longevity, quality, physicality. A serious player.

Tighthead: Zander Fagerson. Already well on his way to being one of the great Scottish players. Has everything. A generational prop.

Second-row: We want an other-worldly feel to this team, so Leone Nakarawa, one of the heroes of 2015, is a must-have. A mesmeric off-loader, a skill-set that made you gulp, a running game that was pure magic.

Second-row: Tough. Al Kellock? The Gray boys? A number of others. All would be great picks, but Grant Gilchrist has been a great Edinburgh servant and has come roaring back to form this season. Exceptional lineout man. Made his Edinburgh debut more than 13 years ago. That's insane.

Blindside: The competition is fierce and so is Matt Fagerson, perpetual motion, savagely physical, a bedrock of a champion team last season.

Openside: His body of work has been brilliant for years. He's had dips in form but the autumn suggested his belligerent self is returning fast. Jamie Ritchie at his best is a poaching king and an attritional giant. Massively influential when in full flow.

No 8: And to round off the East-West Dream Team since the dawn of the Pro12 - Bill Mata. Yes, there were most consistent players but show me one who had the genius Mata had. He could do things few other players on the planet could do.

We could do another version of this - give it a go and let us know - but these lads in their pomp would take a bit of beating.

What is Scotland and Edinburgh winger Dracy Graham's "secret sauce"?

Former scrum half Rory Lawson reveals all in this week's Scotland Rugby Podcast.

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Sean Everitt is optimistic his "much-improved" Edinburgh side can stage an 1872 Cup upset against favourites Glasgow Warriors in the first leg at Hampden on Sunday.

Edinburgh missed out on the URC play-offs last season while Glasgow went on to claim a memorable title success, and are currently five places above their inter-city rivals in the table.

Warriors are aiming to win the 1872 for the third season running, although Edinburgh won the second leg at Murrayfield last term.

"For us, it's a challenge," head coach Everitt said. "Obviously, they're the URC champions. They've done well in the Champions Cup.

"The perception is out there that Glasgow are probably favourites if you look at where they are from a form point of view and where they finished up last year.

"In saying that, we're a much-improved team from last year. Our all-round game has improved. Last year, we were more defensive, kicking game-focused.

"I think our attack has improved a lot, as you can see from the last two games we've played at home. So it makes for an interesting derby. Any team can be beaten on any day. We're looking at this one as optimistically as we can."

Everitt, whose side are without an away win since April, feels the fact Glasgow have moved the match away from Scotstoun to Hampden, in order to accommodate a larger crowd, could serve as a leveller.

"I think it does change the dynamic," he said. "I think the change of surface for both teams from (artificial to grass) does neutralise it somewhat. We hopefully will get some preparation on grass this week and I'm sure they will as well."

Everitt expressed sympathy for Freddy Douglas after the 19-year-old back-rower - who made his debut for both Scotland and Edinburgh last month - was ruled out until February with an ankle injury.

"I had a nice chat to him this morning and he's still upbeat," he said.

"He's got a good year behind him and going into the new year he should be ready in the first week of February so he'll be able to contest the Six Nations for Scotland as well."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Rory Sutherland says Glasgow Warriors must ensure the Hampden factor works to their benefit when they face Edinburgh in the 1872 Cup on Sunday.

Warriors have switched the first leg of the festive double-header from their Scotstoun home to the national football stadium to boost crowd numbers. Around 24,000 tickets have been sold, more than three times the Scotstoun capacity.

Some Glasgow fans are concerned, however, that Franco Smith's side are giving up the advantage of playing on their home pitch, where they have built a formidable record.

"It's something that we've talked about this week," prop Sutherland told BBC Scotland.

"We need to make sure that it's not a negative factor for us not being at home in Scotstoun. It's something we're really excited about.

"It'll be really good for the fans as well. We'll be able to get a few more thousand people in to come and watch the derby."

Sutherland has experienced the Scottish derby from both sides having spent seven seasons at Edinburgh.

"Obviously, you're playing against your mates that you've been with in the Scotland set-up and for me, obviously guys that I've played with at Edinburgh before," he said.

"It's about taking that emotional side out of it and just treating it like any other game. But I'm looking forward to playing against those guys."

Grant Young
Fan writer

Round two of the Champions Cup was ticked off with Glasgow securing two bonus points amid a nagging sense of what might have been after a hard-fought, one-point defeat at Toulon.

A much changed and youthful Warriors starting 15 caught the full brunt of an early Toulon onslaught. As the hosts' discipline disintegrated, Glasgow were unable to take advantage with several turnovers in possessions in scoring areas or just gifting field positions to the French giants.

The try scored by Josh McKay was classic Glasgow. Fully in flight, it was a try the fans have been used to seeing as the ball was moved seamlessly through the backs into the open space.

When changes were made shortly after the break it became a noticeably edgier affair, though managed well by George Horne.

A brilliant first try by Jare Oguntibeju in his third start for the Warriors capped a majorly impressive debut stretch for the young second row. It was a late score by Johnny Matthews that helped secure the bonus points as boos from the home crowd rained down.

Seven points from the opening two games leaves Warriors second in Pool 3 behind Toulon. It could have been even better had we been able to sneak a win in France.

However, now all the focus shifts to the important battle of the 1872 Cup and Glasgow's first game at Hampden Park.

Warriors v Edinburgh doesn't take much to hype up and the battle of the two Scottish teams at this time of year is always special.

It's also the chance for players to get the better of a potential rival for a Scotland shirt. It's going to be a cracker.

Sandy Smith
Fan writer

Typical Edinburgh. I said we needed 10 tries to silence our critics and we only managed eight. That's just not good enough.

In all seriousness though, that was as strong a performance on both sides of the ball that I can recall seeing Edinburgh play for quite some time.

The star of the show was as easy a man of the match choice as you can imagine. Two tries, two assists and there were even a couple of turnovers in there. You could almost see the panic in the Bayonne players when Darcy Graham got the ball. I think it's fairly safe to say the wee man is back at his peak.

And that man of the match performance wasn't because he was alone in having a great game. Wes Goosen was also outstanding and on another day his efforts might have got him that honour.

Our entire back row was a menace to Bayonne throughout and it was great to see Tom Dodd get on and grab a brace of tries. He's not flashy but he's a hard worker and every time I've seen him this season he's been right at the coalface.

The midfield combination of Mosese Tuipulotu and Matt Currie is quickly becoming the one I favour and I'm sure Sean Everitt is probably of the same mind. Defensively they are solid and both added first tries of the season to their names.

I wouldn't be surprised if we are going to be entertained by brother v brother on Sunday at Hampden. Unless of course Franco Smith plays a hooker at 12. The senior Tuipulotu is a man riding high on the crest of a wave but who better to derail that than your own kin?

It's a hard task for Edinburgh. Some would say an impossible one. We may be finding our feet but it's a balance that's in its early stages and Glasgow Warriors are comfortable in their abilities.

They've only lost twice all season in the league and Edinburgh are yet to win away. We haven't won in Glasgow since 2018. No one will be betting on an east coast win.

So all the pressure is on Glasgow to carry on their great form. Imagine how embarrassing a loss would be to such a mediocre Edinburgh team?

Sandy Smith can be found at The Burgh Watch, external

Glasgow and Edinburgh had contrasting fortunes in their Europe this wek, now we are offering you the chance to throw questions at our rugby writers Tom English and Andy Burke.

Send them in via this link,, external external and they will be answered on this page later in the week.

We asked for your views on Edinburgh's emphatic 52-12 win over Bayonne in the Challenge Cup and Glasgow's narrow 30-29 Champions Cup defeat by Toulon.

Here's what some of you said:

Derek: Darcy Graham was unplayable, Marshal Sykes a beast, Jamie Ritchie's best game in yonks, Ali Price controlled the game! Job done.

Chris: Darcy plays a different game to everyone else. Just an absolute joy to watch. With this scoreline, it makes next week even more interesting. Will be an absolute banger!!

Neil: Great to see Darcy Graham in peak form. When he's fully fit and healthy he is so elusive and could dance around defenders in a phone box. Bayonne just had no answer for him.

Steve: Finally a performance we knew was possible with this group of excellent players. Bayonne were made to look ordinary and they certainly are not. This on top of the close Gloucester loss with those up-and-coming players are the two most hopeful displays for a long long time. This should now set the standard.

Geoff: If only Edinburgh could play like that every week!

Warriors fans, we wanted to know what you made of your side's narrow Champions Cup defeat by Toulon.

Here's what some of you said:

Graeme: There were a few points in that game that a Glasgow team from a few years ago would have buckled; not getting the scores when playing 13 and being down to 14 and Toulon cranking up the pressure. But this team has more grit than I have seen for a long time, very impressive, two well-earned and important points, well done!

Jamie: Franco Smith picked inexperienced Glasgow players going to the hotbed of French rugby with a partisan crowd and yet the team performed well. There were missed chances but there is a robust team there. Both prop positions a concern, Zander Fagerson's workload high. Second row now looks solved with Jare Oguntibeju replacing Richie Gray. Tom Jordan needed a new contract 6 months ago.

Stephen: Glasgow showed just by the side they put out in the first half the belief in the ethos that Franco Smith has installed at the club. Toulon were at full strength and at home, yet Glasgow went after them. I am chuffed to bits by the performance and in no way disappointed.

Alan: I thought a Glasgow team with a number of second-choice starters did relatively well. I think the regret will be in giving away too many needless penalties, particularly getting isolated and tackled too often. I am also not sure if Franco will regret not fielding a stronger team as this could have made the difference, some looked out of their depth.

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland

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Graham a nailed-on Lion

In a dominant display, one Edinburgh player stood head and shoulders above his teammates against Bayonne.

Darcy Graham scored two tries, created two more and terrorised the French side's defence every time he got the ball.

The Hawick-born winger made 163m with ball in hand, and made seven clean breaks on Friday night, in addition to winning two turnovers.

It was a statement individual performance, one that underlined Graham's world-class ability and showed why he is a guaranteed pick - barring injury - for Andy Farrell's Lions squad next year.

Attacking intent shines through

Edinburgh's failures last season were at least partly down to a dull predictability in attack, with a lack of try-scoring bonus points costing them a place in the URC's top eight.

However, Sean Everitt's side have found an extra few gears this term. They already have six bonus points in the league, more than they managed in the entirety of last season's league campaign, and they put eight tries past Bayonne in the Challenge Cup.

They played with a real intensity, getting the ball out of the breakdown at speed and it allowed their stellar back division to influence the game.

Matt Currie and Mosese Tuipulotu's centre partnership is flourishing, and if Duhan van der Merwe can become as prominent at club level as he is for Scotland, the try-scoring numbers will continue to soar.

Edinburgh take momentum into 1872 Cup

Edinburgh's progress will be measured by their performances in their next two matches, as they try to regain the 1872 Cup from rivals Glasgow Warriors.

The team from the west are URC champions, and have reached the level Edinburgh aspire to.

Everitt's side will go to Hampden Park on Sunday as underdogs, but the performance and result against Bayonne will give them real heart.

A full-strength Edinburgh side is, on paper at least, a formidable prospect. The two-legged tie against Glasgow is not just an opportunity for league points, it's a chance to show they can deliver what fans and pundits expect from such a well-funded and talented pool of players.