Scottish Rugby

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Edinburgh are able to welcome back five key players for the Challenge Cup semi-final clash with Bath on Saturday, as they aim to make their first European final since 2015.

Scotland stalwarts Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, Grant Gilchrist, and Jamie Ritchie all return to the forward pack, while full-back Wes Goosen is the only change in the backs.

His return allows Harry Paterson - who signed a new two-year deal earlier this week - to move to the wing.

From the team that drew with Zebre in Parma last weekend, try-scoring prop Boan Venter drops to the bench, as do hooker Paddy Harrison and back-rower Ben Muncaster.

However, lock Marshall Sykes - who was part of Scotland's Six Nations squad - returns from injury to take up a place among the replacements.

Duhan van der Merwe remains out with injury, joining Emiliano Boffelli, Dave Cherry, Luke Crosbie, Paul Hill, Ben Vellacott and Cammy Scott.

Edinburgh: Goosen, Graham, Currie, Lang, Paterson; Thompson, Price; Schoeman, Ashman, Rae, Skinner, Gilchrist (c), Ritchie, Watson, Bradbury.

Replacements: Harrison, Venter, Sebastian, Sykes, Muncaster, Shiel, Healy, Tuipulotu.

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Eight Scotland players were selected for the last British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa in 2021 and, speaking to BBC Scotland, former Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw has identified six Scots he expects to make the squad this time around.

Finn Russell (fly-half): "Andy Farrell's obviously been successful, he knows what he wants within that squad and he's going to pick the players that he feels is right. When I look at the way Ireland play and the real positivity around that ball movement, I can't see why Finn can't fit into that system and thrive within that as well."

Sione Tuipulotu (centre): "He's just got himself back in the nick of time from injury. I think he's been in such great form and it's probably like for like, him and Bundee Aki, two similar players."

Huw Jones (centre): "He's been excellent form, hasn't he? I think they should take him because he's been very solid both defensively and offensively in recent times for Scotland."

Duhan van der Merwe (wing): "Duhan went on the last tour and he showed up pretty well. He's excellent going forward. Whether he'll start in Farrell's team, I'm not too sure. He likes fairly smart operators in defence and that may be the one thing that might cost him a Test spot, but he's certainly very dangerous going forward."

Blair Kinghorn (full-back): "Blair has been excellent. I think there's some injury worries potentially around him. Hopefully, it's nothing too serious for his sake. He's been excellent for both Scotland and Toulouse and it's awesome to see a Scottish guy going on to play for one of the best clubs in Europe. Injury being well, I'm pretty certain he'll be there."

Zander Fagerson (prop): "I think Zander's been great. There is a lot of competition in that tighthead slot coming through as well, but I think he's still done enough. He showed up pretty well in the last tour in 2021 as well, so I think he'll have a little bit of money in the bank there."

Laidlaw believes scrum-half Ben White has a "50-50" chance of travelling - "I would take him" – and thinks his familiarity with Russell could tip the scales in his favour.

However, despite the strong cases put forward for selection by Jamie Ritchie and Rory Darge, Laidlaw expects the fierce competition for back-row places will probably mean the Scotland flankers miss out.

BBC Sport Scotland rugby reporter Andy Burke has been answering some of your questions.

Alan asked: Finn Russell will not be selected for the upcoming Lions tour of Australia. Discuss.

Andy answered: Up until a couple of weeks ago, I would have dismissed the suggestion of Russell missing out on the Lions tour as ridiculous. Now there's a part of me that's a little nervous for him before Thursday's squad announcement.

That doubt stems almost entirely from the appointment of Johnny Sexton to the Lions coaching staff.

Even when it was rumoured a couple of months back, I could not see a coaching rookie like Sexton - incredible player though he was - getting a gig on the biggest stage with so little experience.

The Ireland legend is no fan of Russell. He went public with it in his autobiography, suggesting Russell being "the darling of the media" was why the Scotland fly-half was selected ahead of Sexton for the 2021 Lions tour. In a newspaper interview in October, Sexton dismissed Russell as "flashy".

Will Sexton be able to set his issues with Russell to one side for the good of the Lions? Does Andy Farrell share Sexton's views on the Bath 10?

I still think Russell will tour, but I do have a nagging fear that did not exist before Sexton's appointment. If he does miss out, Scottish rugby will explode.

Roy asked: How influential will Edinburgh's result against Bath be with regard to the future of the head coach, given that the URC campaign seems to be slipping away again?

Andy answered: This is a huge, potentially defining game for Sean Everitt.

Victory over England's leading club and reaching a European final would bring much validation to Everitt's assertions that this is an Edinburgh team moving forward.

If they lose the semi-final and then fail to reach the URC play-offs for the second year running on his watch, it would be hard to make a case for the head coach remaining in post.

The hope comes from the fact Edinburgh tend to bring out their best stuff against the biggest teams. It's against the teams they are expected to beat that they often fall down.

Let's hope we see an Edinburgh side at their best at Hive Stadium on Saturday. They'll need to be.

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One-club-man and "ultimate professional" Hamish Watson has signed a new one-year deal with Edinburgh, extending his stay with the capital club to a 15th season.

The Scotland flanker has started 11 games for Sean Everitt's side this season and last year he became the first back-row in the club's 152-year history to reach 150 appearances.

Preparing for this weekend's eagerly-anticipated Challenge Cup semi-final against Bath, the former British and Irish Lion is keen to achieve "something special" with the club, 10 years on from their last European semi-final.

"I'm incredibly proud to be continuing my journey with Edinburgh for another season," the 33-year-old said.

"Pulling on this jersey and representing the club where I've spent my entire professional career still means so much to me. It's a special feeling every single time.

"We're absolutely buzzing for Saturday's European semi-final – it's hard to believe it's been 10 years since the club's last one. It would be an amazing feeling to achieve something special with this club."

Head coach Everitt hailed the openside flanker's commitment to the club as "invaluable" and added: "Hamish continues to be an outstanding player for Edinburgh.

"His performances this season have been testament to his dedication – he is the ultimate professional that young players should aspire to be.

"His commitment to the club and his desire to help develop the next generation of 'Hamish Watsons' is invaluable."

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Edinburgh won't "shy away from the challenge" when they face Bath in the European Challenge Cup semi-final on Saturday, insists Harry Paterson.

Full-back Paterson, who has signed a new two-year deal, can't wait to tackle the English Premiership leaders at a packed Hive Stadium.

The 23-year-old said: "I think we're sold out. It should be great. The crowd was amazing at the Sharks game which was sold out a few weeks ago.

"Hopefully we can do one better than that and get to the final in Cardiff.

"It's huge. Bath are a great team, similar to the Sharks. We'll respect what they have, but not shy away from the challenge. And we'll just attack it head on and get to that final."

On his new deal, Paterson said: "I'm really chuffed with it. It's nice to sign something and just be able to just focus on the rugby for another two years, which is great."

Scotland cap Paterson's season has been stop-start due to various injuries, but he's relishing being back in action at the business end of the season.

He added: "It's an interesting one because it wasn't really one big injury. It was kind of a lot – concussion, hamstring, a foot injury.

"You think you're getting somewhere, and then something else happens.

"I've been involved the past few weeks, which has been great, some big games as well, especially this weekend."

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Scotland back row Evie Gallagher has been shortlisted for the 2025 Women's Six Nations player of the championship award.

Gallagher is nominated alongside Ireland back row Aoife Wafer, England winger Abby Dow and France second-row Manae Feleu, with the winner determined by a fan vote.

Scotland finished the tournament in fifth place, with wins over Wales and Ireland.

The 24-year-old topped the competition stats for defensive ruck hits, 38, and turnovers, 10.

Throughout the tournament she showcased her skill-set, making 44 carries and delivering six offloads, the third most across the tournament.

This week's BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast sees Andy Burke and Tom English at the Hive Stadium in Edinburgh to speak to club veteran Grant Gilchrist before the Challenge Cup semi-final with Bath on Saturday.

Andy and Tom also look back on Scotland's Women's Six Nations victory against Ireland, Glasgow's URC defeat by the Bulls, and ponder whether Finn Russell will get a Lions place.

Listen and subscribe on BBC Sounds

Sandy Smith
Fan writer

After a few weeks of feeling like Edinburgh may just have turned a corner, the match against Zebre had a strong smell of 'normal service has been resumed'.

It was so flat and while watching on TV is never going to be as intense as being in the stadium, the first half passed like I was undergoing a dental procedure.

The only thing that pierced the fog was my frustration when Zebre scrum-half Alessandro Fusco scored an almost identical second try.

Asked pre-match about the change of kick-off, Sean Everitt's response wasn't entirely convincing while a smiling Zebre assistant coach Aldo Birchall was hugely positive about getting to play instead of train.

I hope the change didn't affect the way Edinburgh played as that would point to a pretty fragile mindset.

I suspect it was more just that we don't travel well (one away win in the league all season), that thoughts were drifting to this week's Challenge Cup semi-final and the fact Zebre were playing with the freedom that comes from knowing they've had Edinburgh's number already this season.

It doesn't help that we have 17 players on the injury list and are subject to a rest protocol that doesn't seem to have any flexibility to allow for the fact we are in the closing stages of the season and every game is crucial.

We will never know if having Jamie Ritchie and Pierre Schoeman available would have made a difference but it's safe to say it wouldn't have hurt.

In the second half some leadership seemed to be re-established with Grant Gilchrist coming on. And it's entirely possible if it hadn't been for the Ben Muncaster yellow card Edinburgh might just have got over the line because, despite how poor the match had been, our match statistics suggested a dominance that wasn't visible to the naked eye.

To the team's credit they kept their heads and rescued an unlikely draw following Matt Currie's try and a wonderful kick by Cammy Scott, who had only been on the field for 10 minutes.

It means our league campaign still has some life even if we need some outside help. If we are true to form we usually follow an underwhelming performance with a great one. Look out Bath.

Sandy Smith can be found at The Burgh Watch, external

Grant Young
Fan writer

A title-defending season that promised so much is in danger of falling off the rails.

Injuries, suspensions, workload and a difficult schedule could all be reasons why Glasgow have struggled in recent games.

Defeat to a dominant Bulls side on Friday night was damaging as the South Africans moved to within a point of Franco Smith's second-place team with two games left.

Bulls travelled north with points to prove and they delivered. They took points when they were on offer and their defence stood firm.

It looks like a lot of teams have seen the success Leinster had against Glasgow and are copying that high-press blitz defence. So far, the Warriors have no answer.

The blessing for Glasgow was the two late scores, bringing a bonus point and some much-needed confidence.

For a team used to scoring with ease, it has felt in recent games a struggle for Glasgow to get the ball over the line. Is a change of approach needed? Will we see the Warriors take penalties at the post?

It is something Smith hasn't done a great deal of but as the season approaches knockout rugby, it could be the area that keeps Glasgow in games.

The worry, though, is the amount of players missing. Four players who can play at number eight - injured trio Matt Fagerson, Jack Dempsey and Jack Mann plus suspended Henco Venter - are out.

We saw in the past number of weeks the importance of Zander Fagerson in the scrum and his absence is massive. The Scotland international would likely be boarding a flight with the Lions this summer but could his injury end that hope?

A free weekend comes at a good time for the Warriors, who finish with away games at Bennetton and Leinster while Bulls have two home games.

Glasgow may need a favour in the fight for a top-two finish and will hope some of their main protagonists can get fit for an enthralling end of the season.

As usual on a Monday, we're giving you the chance to put your burning rugby questions about the game in Scotland to our rugby writers, Tom English and Andy Burke.

Send your questions via this link and they'll be answered on this page later on in the week.

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

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Inconsistent Edinburgh return to toxic trait

Spare a thought for Edinburgh fans - they simply have no idea which outfit they will see week to week.

In recent weeks they have tamed the Lions, tempered the rage of the Bulls and were just nipped by the Sharks. Against Zebre, they looked a shadow of that team.

Yes, they rescued a draw but on that form, they'd have been eying up five points to put themselves in a good position for the play-offs.

Now their hopes dangle by a thread.

Scott can come up clutch

It's been a difficult season for young Cammy Scott. Stuck behind Ross Thompson and Ben Healy in the pecking order, he's yet to start and had limited outings from the bench.

This might have been the year for him to push for a starting XV place, given the underwhelming performances from the two fly-halves ahead of him, but it hasn't worked out that way.

Yet, when Scott was relied upon to try and slot a game-tying conversion from the touchline, he duly delivered.

Perhaps it is time for Sean Everitt to try him in the saddle.

Venter proves his weight in gold

Wrestling the number one jersey off Pierre Schoeman is no mean feat, but Boan Venter is testing his fellow South African at club level.

Come the next Six Nations, Venter will be able to test him internationally too as he finally qualifies on residence.

Glasgow fans know all too well how frightening the loosened prop can be from five yards out, and Edinburgh used him to devastating effect from that distance.

Tap-and-goes from penalties used to be the preserve of schoolboy rugby but they have become the go-to for many top teams. With Venter's frame and power, it's easy to see why.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Scotland dig it out

This was a victory built on grit, determination and a whole load of heart.

On the balance of play Scotland should have lost, but every time it looked like Ireland might pull away, the Scots hung in there and found a way back.

The defensive effort was outstanding. They made an extraordinary 232 tackles compared with Ireland's 85.

The defence of their try line was colossal, holding the Irish up over the line on three occasions and producing crucial turnovers near the line on a couple of occasions just as they looked likely to concede.

It was an utter refusal to be beaten and the fact they kept their composure to engineer the chance to send Francesca McGhie over for the winning try at the last was a fitting reward for such a monumental effort.

McLachlan makes her mark

It was no surprise to see Rachel McLachlan collect the player-of-the-match award. She was immense.

She made an astonishing 29 tackles, the most of any Scotland player, and led the way in metres made (62).

McLachlan was a constant threat with ball in hand, making the hard yards and also popping up in the wide channels to great effect, most notably for her well-taken try.

Her performance typified the doggedness and spirit shown by the Scots to navigate a path through choppy waters to a dramatic victory.

Win perfect pre-World Cup boost

The defeat to Italy in round three threatened to cast a shadow over Scotland's entire Six Nations, so to end the tournament on such a high will come as a huge relief to head coach Bryan Easson.

Had they gone into the World Cup in August off the back of a campaign of one win from five, it would have been difficult to claim the Scots had any momentum to carry into the tournament.

As it is, the win over a very good Ireland side, and the nature of it, should do wonders for the confidence of the team.

Easson and the players won't get carried away. The three defeats, especially the one at the hands of the Italians, highlighted areas Scotland need to improve if they are to compete on the biggest stage of all.

That said, they will go into pre-World Cup camp in much better spirits after their heroics at the Hive on Saturday.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Samuel stands up to rampaging Bulls

On a night when the brutally physical Bulls defence suffocated much of Glasgow's attacking impetus, Alex Samuel led the charge to try and get his side on the front foot.

The big lock carried hard into the guts of the Bulls all night and with his team-mates getting smashed back in the tackle left, right and centre, he was one of the few that put some dents in the wall of South African beef.

At just 22, Samuel has a big future but it's in the here and now that Glasgow need him, with senior figures dropping like flies through injury in recent times.

He is tough and aggressive, qualities Franco Smith values highly.

Injured stars emerging from treatment room

Glasgow have looked jaded in recent weeks and the desperate injury list seems to be taking a toll.

Mercifully, some of those big hitters who have been kicking their heels on the sidelines are on the way back.

Scott Cummings made his return off the bench against the Bulls, and with Max Williamson also back in action and Samuel stepping up to the plate, the second row is starting to look well stocked once again.

Sione Tuipulotu should be back for the final regular season match away to Leinster, and Smith hopes to see Huw Jones and Jack Dempsey return sooner rather than later.

The hope is these returning stars can give Warriors renewed energy for one big final push at the business end of the season.

Uphill task to make top two

Defeat to the Bulls has left Glasgow with an uphill task to seal a top-two spot and the potential home semi-final that comes with it.

The losing bonus-point snatched at the death - which kept Glasgow in second place, a point ahead of the Bulls - could yet prove crucial, but looking at the respective run-ins for both teams, you have to think it's the South African side who are in the box seat.

They have a relatively favourable final two matches, at home to Cardiff and Dragons, while Glasgow face tough away trips to take on Benetton and Leinster.

Given Warriors' last visit to Dublin ended in a 52-0 drubbing in the Champions Cup quarter-final, it's hard to see an away win in the final round.

Whether it's in the final two regular season matches or in the play-offs, Glasgow will need to find some of the away day magic that propelled them to the URC title last season.

We asked for your views on as Glasgow Warriors suffered defeat and Edinburgh drew in their weekend of URC action.

Here's what some of you said:

Glasgow Warriors 19-26 Bulls

Ben: After Glasgow's trip to South Africa last year, I felt very deflated and went into the play-offs feeling hopeful more than anything. I probably feel a bit worse this year. The only reason to be hopeful is that our missing players come back strong, but we will likely need to go away to South Africa in a semi-final, then away to Leinster in a final - tough ask!

Alistair: Warriors didn't have a plan B to counter Bulls' impressive defence. Tactical field kicking was poor as it simply returned the advantage to Bulls. I wouldn't criticise Tom Jordan for kicking the penalty dead but I would for the decision not to take the three points. Three on the board would have kept them in the game and have had the ball returned to them. Warriors looked the fitter of the two teams but just need to make better on-field decisions. The return of Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu can't come soon enough.

Anthony: It looked like a game too far for the injury-depleted Warriors squad. They struggled to break the gain line against a ferocious Bulls defence. Bulls coaching staff deserve credit for getting their tactics spot on and not allowing Warriors to play their normal, expansive attacking game. Bulls also had Johan Goosen as a very good goal kicker, while Jordan had a night to forget. Full credit to Warriors to show the heart and desire to claim an important bonus point right at the end. Worrying injuries to Kyle Rowe and Gregor Brown, but is was good to see Scott Cummings back on the field. This match was a brilliant learning curve for many of the younger squad members against a very good, physical Bulls team. Warriors have earned their two-week break before the Benetton match, which is a must win.

Bert: The Bulls scrum dominance was a major issue for Warriors. No matter how good your backs are they are going to struggle behind that weakness. While Warriors' penalty dogma of always going to the corner can be seen as positive, it surely has to be flexible for games like this where it was all about the win. The risks were fully evident when Jordan's second-half kick flew dead, scrum penalty again, and try scored from the lineout to effectively cost us nine points.

Zebre 25-25 Edinburgh

Steve: To put some perspective on Edinburgh's fairly abject draw with Zebre, there was one very depleted looking 23 versus a pretty well-stacked Italian outfit. Zebre are a different team this year but the feeling is that's another four or five points gone abegging. I have to question the nature of the squad rotation and perhaps it's a case that Europe is indeed being prioritised. We'll have to be very, very good to beat Bath, so I hope it's worth it. It has to be because the URC is effectively over unless three or four teams all do us a massive favour. Another frustrating season so far, but in our hearts we knew it was going to be.

Domenic: Edinburgh are a basket case. Inconsistent and at times appalling to watch. Quite simply successful teams beat those below them, unsuccessful ones don't. So, when do the SRU say enough is enough and clear out the hierarchy of Edinburgh Rugby from chief executive to coaching team? A £6m budget for this? Too many years of failing to reach potential, in any other walk of life you'd be shown the door.

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"It just shows the fight of this team."

An emotional Bryan Easson was full of praise for his Scotland team after finishing an up and down Six Nations campaign with a thrilling 26-19 win over Ireland in Edinburgh.

Francesca McGhie scored the decisive try late on, with Lana Skeldon, Emma Orr and Rachel Malcolm also touching down in a bonus-point success.

Scotland had been targeting three home wins this year and beat the Welsh in the tournament opener.

However, they fell to a disappointing loss to Italy in between defeats on the road against France and England.

Ireland put the hosts under pressure for long spells but the Scots were belligerent and well-organised.

"Defensively, we were absolutely outstanding, some of the turnovers, and we deserved everything we got because of the heart in that team performance," head coach Easson told BBC Sport

"We've had a couple of difficult performances in the tournament and we drew a line under the England game as soon as it finished. It was all about this week and fighting for each other."

Player-of-the-match Rachel McLachlan echoed those sentiments, saying: "There have been some downs in this campaign and we wanted to come out and show heart and pride in the jersey.

"We knew we had it in us and it's massive to finish with a win."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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George Horne says Glasgow Warriors will have to "do it the hard way" all over again if they are to retain their United Rugby Championship title.

Warriors are chasing a second-place finish in the regular season behind Leinster, the reward for which would be a potential home semi-final in addition to a home quarter-final, which they have already secured.

However, a 26-19 defeat at home to the Bulls on Friday night saw the South Africans close to within a point of Glasgow in the URC table.

Warriors face tough away matches at Benetton and Leinster in their final two matches, with the Bulls having a more favourable run-in with home matches against Cardiff and Dragons.

Franco Smith's side produced fantastic away play-off wins over Munster and Bulls en route to winning the title last season, and Horne believes they are capable of more end-of-season heroics.

"It's still in our hands," Horne told BBC Scotland.

"We're still ahead (of Bulls) in the table, but we're going to have to keep getting better coming into the last two games.

"You would back Bulls to win both their games at home, so we're going to have to do it the hard way. We've got a bit of experience doing that now, but that counts for nothing this year.

"We're just going to have to knuckle down and just go out and give it everything. We're going to probably need 10 points from the last two games."