Scottish Rugby

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Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith has made 10 changes for Saturday's URC trip to face Zebre in Parma.

Josh McKay returns from injury along with Gregor Hiddleston, who joins Jamie Bhatti and Fin Richardson in an all-changed front row from last weekend's heavy Champions Cup defeat by Leinster.

Jare Oguntibeju starts in the second row and Euan Ferrie and Jack Mann come into the back row as Sione Vailanu moves to openside.

Behind the scrum, Jamie Dobie shifts from wing to scrum-half. Stafford McDowall moves from outside to inside centre, Ollie Smith takes the number 13 jersey and Sebastian Cancelliere starts on the wing.

Glasgow occupy second place in the table, with Zebre 15th.

"Zebre are a team that can hurt any team when presented with an opportunity, and we have seen the significant progress they have made across this season both in Parma and on the road," Smith said.

"We know that there is little margin for error in a league as tightly contested as the URC, and we know we must be at our best tomorrow night."

Glasgow side to face Parma: Bhatti, Hiddleston, Richardson, Oguntibeju, Samuel, Ferrie, Vailanu, Mann; Dobie, Hastings, Steyn, McDowall, Smith, Cancelliere, McKay.

Replacements: Matthews, Schickerling, Talakai, Williamson, Darge, Kennedy, Jordan, Cordero.

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Scotland forward Rachel McLachlan has described the prospect of winning her 50th cap as "kind of surreal".

The Montpellier flanker reaches the milestone against England at Twickenham in the Women's Six Nations on Saturday.

"It's an absolute privilege to be here, honestly," she said.

"That's never lost on me, no matter how long I'm here, whether it's my first cap or my 50th."

The 26-year-old made her debut for the national side in 2018 and says in the following nine years women's rugby in Scotland has been transformed.

"This is now our full-time jobs - that's been absolutely massive," she added.

"We've got great depth across all positions now and a lot of young people coming through as well, which is amazing for both them but also to push the people who have been in the jerseys."

The Scots, who sit second bottom of the table with one win in three following their defeat by Italy on Sunday, face the world champions on their home patch on Saturday.

"They are a quality team but we also know what we can be and we want to show that, especially after last week," said McLachlan.

"We're a bit wounded, we're hurt by our performance and we know we have so much more in us. So I think going forward it's an exciting prospect for us and we just want to get stuck in."

Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer

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Mid-morning on Thursday and Johnny Sexton is announced as the latest coaching addition to the British and Irish Lions - or, perhaps, the Irish and British Lions.

Immediately, the talk turns to what this means for Finn Russell, given Sexton's barbed comments about the Scotland fly-half as recently as February. Doomsday for Finn?

An interview Sexton gave to The Times last autumn will get a hell of an airing over the next few months. Sexton said being overlooked for the last Lions tour in 2021 "kills me to this day", an angst that came across strongly in his autobiography, published last year.

He expected Owen Farrell and Dan Biggar to be picked but couldn't understand why coach Warren Gatland went with Russell ahead of him.

Sexton and Russell are polar opposites as players and people. They see the game in different ways. Sexton, clearly, has a beef with Russell - or with the coverage he inspires.

Hence, the alarm in the Russell camp at the news of Sexton's elevation. That's an Ireland head coach, an Ireland attack coach and now Sexton running the show in Australia.

There's fast-tracking and then there's this. For the 2024 November internationals, Sexton was given a vague job title in Andy Farrell's Ireland coaching ticket - consultant.

When the Six Nations swung around, he was still involved, but again his remit was not wholly specific - kicking advisor, mentoring the Ireland fly-halves, contributing his thoughts on the attack.

After a single-figures Test involvement as a coach/mentor, Sexton is now a Lions coach. The new Neil Jenkins, as it were.

That interview last year shone a light on Sexton's views on Russell, revealing some of the things that have built up over the years but were never voiced in public.

The Irishman called Russell "flashy" and a "media darling" in that piece. He has long held the view the Scotland fly-half is talented but showy, but this was the first time he said it on the record. He didn't exactly ask 'where's your medals?' but it was implied. His words were put-downs.

He also called England's Marcus Smith flashy, but then rowed back. He called Smith a generational talent who can manage a game while lighting it up. There was no such readjustment of his opinion on Russell.

In fact, he went one further. Who would Sexton pick as the starting Test 10 in Australia? Most observers would have said - and would still say - Russell. "I'd pick Owen Farrell," said Sexton of the Lions coach's son.

"Who do you want in there when the going gets tough? Test match animals. I know who the media would want. Finn Russell, Marcus Smith, the flashy…"

You can almost hear the words being spat out. Who do you want in the trenches? Who's the Test match animal? Not Russell. The Scot remained stoic when all this was put to him. This stuff has been one-way traffic, from Sexton to Russell. The Bath man has only ever said nice things about Sexton.

It's easy to interpret this as bad news for Russell and good news for Owen Farrell (and Sam Prendergast). Sexton is a Prendergast fan and also a huge admirer of Farrell, a truly great 10 in his day but one who has played just 14 games for a struggling Racing this season (including three yellow cards).

Farrell, 33, has had only three starts this year and has played just 139 minutes since the end of January. He has no form, but his stock may have risen on Thursday. His father could pick him - the squad is named on 8 May, so time is running out - but he'd be open to accusations of favouritism, fair or otherwise.

Now Farrell junior has an independent champion in Sexton and his voice on who should play 10 will carry serious weight. It's all very intriguing.

What's also interesting is that in his new role, Sexton is now going to have start looking at Russell through a coach's eyes rather than with the bitterness of a rival player.

All he has seen up to now is a talented operator but one who is, in his one-eyed opinion, over-praised in the media while winning virtually nothing, a guy who unjustly took his Lions place in 2021 and broke his heart.

Maybe now he'll see things in Russell he has never allowed himself to see before. Maybe. The two men were (briefly) Lions together in 2017 and played against each other numerous times over the years, but there's no relationship there, no bond.

One of the beauties of the Lions is how strangers and arch rivals can become team-mates and friends in the relative blink of an eye on tour. Sexton and Russell will be another test of that.

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Sean Everitt insists Edinburgh are "relishing this opportunity" to see off Springboks-laden Sharks in Friday night's URC showdown and continue their recent momentum.

The capital side are eyeing a South African hat-trick after defeating Lions and Bulls this month on their run to the Challenge Cup semis.

Edinburgh last faced Sharks a year ago, losing 36-30 in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals in Durban, but head into Friday's game in fine fettle after four wins in their past five outings in all competitions.

"Obviously we take a lot of confidence and momentum into the game," head coach Everitt said.

"We know the Sharks present similar challenges to what the Bulls do. The Bulls brought on five Springboks in the second half and it made a difference to their performance.

"The Sharks will be no different. They'll start with probably a dozen Springboks in their ranks. But at the same time, we've done well against the Sharks when we were away in the quarter-final last year in the EPCR, so we also take confidence out of that performance when there were a lot of the Springboks playing as well.

"We've also got our own group of internationals and we're playing at home, so we're relishing this opportunity. Our rugby performances have improved and with that you obviously get results."

Everitt has rested Scotland wing Darcy Graham and Hamish Watson amid five changes for Friday's game.

Props Pierre Schoeman and D'arcy Rae both start, Ali Price and Harry Paterson feature in the backs and Ben Muncaster comes in at openside flanker.

Edinburgh are eighth in the URC and one of several clubs scrambling to secure their spot in the play-offs.

"We've got some tough games on the road as well coming up, so it is challenging," Everitt added. "The league is really tight, so every point matters at this stage."

Meanwhile, scrum-half Charlie Shiel will remain at Edinburgh for a ninth season after signing a new one-year deal.

Edinburgh team to face Sharks: ⁠Goosen, Paterson, Currie, Lang , McCann, Thompson, Price; Schoeman, Ashman, Rae, Skinner, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Muncaster, Bradbury.

Replacements: Cherry, Venter, Williams, Young, Douglas, Shiel, Scott, Tuipulotu.

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

David asked: Besides 'everything', what do Edinburgh need to get right to beat Finn Russell, Cam Redpath and their Bath compadres in the Challenge Cup semis?

Tom answered: Let's look at this. The Finn Russell-inspired Bath are 10 points clear at the top of the Premiership. They score an average of more than five tries per game and more than 37 points per game. They've played 13 and have lost only one.

Overall, domestically and in Europe, they've played 19 games and have lost four - against La Rochelle (by four points), Leinster (by 26), Northampton (one point) and Benetton (one point).

I'm discounting the Benetton loss (22-21) because Bath had a drastically weakened team out that day and it doesn't have much relevance.

So, their fully-loaded team has only lost to a double European champion, a four-time European champion and the current champions of England (and current European Cup semi-finalists).

When we're looking for weaknesses there's not a lot to go on. Certainly, Bath failed to cope with La Rochelle's physicality. The French forwards dominated and Bath's discipline was poor amid the onslaught.

They threatened a comeback, but couldn't pull it out. So, all Edinburgh have to do is bring the same monstrous power that La Rochelle have and things will go swimmingly. Hmm.

Alternatively, Edinburgh can just do what Leinster did - seven tries to three, 21 clean breaks to four, 41 defenders beaten to 19, eight penalties given away as opposed to Bath's 16. Bath also got a red card. All because of the relentless, suffocating pressure Leinster applied. Ask Glasgow about that.

Northampton beat them in a one-point belter. Bath conceded 19 turnovers that day. They missed a lot of tackles and conceded double-figure penalties as well.

Those are the games Sean Everitt will be studying. Allow Russell to dictate the game and they can forget about it.

Get the Edinburgh forwards (who are playing well right now) into a demonic mood and there's a definite chance. A home game as well. That'll help. It's a big task but not an impossible one if the Edinburgh pack takes the battle to Bath.

Chris asked: Will the Lions coaches have noticed Rory Darge's inability to quit? He was in the top three in the tackle stats after this round, and while on a well beaten team, he kept fighting.

Tom answered: He's a terrific player, but the Lions coaches already know that. John Dalziel is in that coaching group and he'll know more than most about Darge's work-rate and influence.

The problem is back-row is a place of infinite strength for the Lions. At openside alone you have Josh van der Flier, Ben Curry, Tom Curry, Jack Willis, Jac Morgan and the coming boy, Henry Pollock. As much as I'd love to see Darge make it, I think he's going to fall short amid savage competition.

Keith asked: Given Edinburgh's recent decision not to replace departing scrum-half Ali Price but instead look to develop existing young talent, can we expect a similar approach from Glasgow in relation to the pending departure of stand-off Tom Jordan?

Tom answered: I can't see a new fly-half being signed - the money's not there. That's the brutal reality now. The SRU is a major loss-making organisation.

Jordan's exit is horrible and was, I believe, avoidable. Anyway… they have Adam Hastings and, for another season, they have Duncan Weir, who's a fantastic clubman.

Weir will continue to play lots of games next season plus, you'd imagine, he will be working overtime in trying to develop the next Glasgow 10.

There needs to be one in place for when he exits the stage the season after next. That's one of the biggest challenges facing the club, in my view.

Tom English and Andy Burke discuss contrasting fortunes for Edinburgh and Glasgow in Europe, plus disappointment for Scotland in the Women's Six Nations.

Listen to the latest episode of the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast.

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Scotland lock Max Williamson has agreed a new contract extension at Glasgow Warriors.

Following a breakout 2023-24 campaign, the 22-year-old made his international debut against Canada last summer and featured in the other three tour Tests before coming off the bench in the November matches with Fiji and South Africa at Murrayfield.

"Max is a young player who we believe has the potential to be a key player for both Glasgow Warriors and Scotland for many years to come," said Warriors head coach Franco Smith.

"His performances both last season and prior to his injury this season showcased his ability both at the set-piece and in the loose, and his skillset make him a real asset for our squad.

"He is extremely passionate about representing this club, and we look forward to seeing him continue to develop here at Scotstoun."

Grant Young
Fan writer

Leinster positively dismantled Warriors on Friday, running in eight tries without conceding a point.

The wealth of experience and quality at Leinster's disposal was just a step above.

Even with some of the injured players available, I struggle to see how Glasgow could have competed.

Adding Sione Tuipulotu or Huw Jones would have added some star quality but the strength of the Irish game plan was frightening.

They suffocated Glasgow, who were often pushed back way behind the gain line. You have to say Leinster are built for success - they look hungrier than ever to do the double and end their relatively long trophy drought. They probably aren't far off the best club side in the world.

So what were the positives for Glasgow? It's a struggle to find many, but the return of Max Williamson to the squad is a start and he looked to make up for lost time when he got on the pitch.

Kyle Rowe continued to impress sweeping up the backfield as did Jamie Dobie who is growing week by week into a top class winger.

Other than the scoreline there was some other bad news as it looks likely that Matt Fagerson will miss the rest of the season after he went off with a serious looking leg injury. Another loss to the Glasgow back row with Jack Dempsey out and Henco Venter suspended.

It's back to URC action now and Glasgow will be hoping for no European hangover when they take on Zebre.

The Italians sit 15th in the table, but have won three of their past five games including victories away to Ulster and Edinburgh.

A hard contest for the Warriors to pick themselves up for and a growingly difficult place to travel to and win. Glasgow will need to shake themselves off, put aside the Leinster game and focus fully on finishing the league season as highly as possible.

Sandy Smith
Fan writer

No slight intended to Mosese Tuipulotu, but his enforced absence has meant James Lang has been reinstated in the 12 spot and it's clear the switch has had a positive effect on the team and its attacking ability.

Since Lang's return we have won three consecutive games for only the second time this season. We have scored more and conceded less than we did in the previous three games and have looked more like a collective as opposed to 15 folk who've just met.

Lang himself doesn't score too many. Indeed, his two tries on Saturday were his first for the club since he crossed the line against Leinster in November 2023. However if I were to count his try involvement then you'd get a much better handle on his contribution.

One swallow does not make a summer and neither do three games make a season, but there does seem to be a quiet evolution taking place at Edinburgh.

The tension and excitement during the match against Bulls was almost palpable. Despite a healthy two score lead after an outstanding first half I can't imagine there was a single Edinburgh supporter who didn't feel like a seal stranded on an floating iceberg.

Of course, as Bulls attempted a comeback in the second half the temperature rose, the berg wobbled and looked like tipping.

While the first half was all about Edinburgh's attack, the second was the exact opposite.

In the end it was Edinburgh's bigger tackle count, turnovers and discipline that got them over the line.

We should have anticipated a close one though. We have played Bulls four times since they joined the URC and the average winning margin in those games is fewer than five points.

Job done though and attention now switches to a league match against Sharks. It presents us with a chance to complete a full house against the South African sides this season and perhaps climb the table with the two teams directly above us playing away from home.

As usual on a Monday, we're giving you the chance to put your burning questions about the game to our rugby reporter Andy Burke.

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

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Italy thrive at the Hive

I think most of us expected to see Scotland, having won their last three meetings with Italy, turn up and do the business on Sunday. To win and, if they hit their straps, to win well.

This was a different Italy side to what we've seen in the last couple of years, though.

They played at a tempo and with an intensity right from the start that Scotland struggled to match.

The Italian back three looked dangerous every time they got on the ball and Aura Muzzo and Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi bagged three tries between them.

It was a tough start to the Six Nations with heavy defeats to England and Ireland, but Italy were good value for their win in Edinburgh.

Scots do themselves no favours

As good as Italy were, Scotland were way off it.

There was a lack of urgency right from the off and as Bryan Easson admitted post-match, they were largely dominated in the contact area throughout.

The handling was poor as was some of the kicking from hand, with several charge-downs and numerous loose kicks that only served to feed Italy's dangerous runners.

Game-management was another problem area, an example being the decision to go for the corner at the end of the first half – a decision which yielded no points – instead of going for goal to level things up at 10-10.

Too many Scotland players failed to bring their best stuff, and in the end, they got what they deserved.

Daunting England test looms large

Scotland's next test is their biggest yet – a trip to Welford Road to take on a rampant England.

The Red Roses, chasing a fourth consecutive Grand Slam, have taken maximum points from their three matches so far.

Ireland put it up to England in the first half of their encounter in round three, trailing by just two points at the break, but the champions blew them away in the second half to romp to a 49-5 victory.

If Scotland offer England the sort of encouragement they did to Italy, it could get very ugly on the scoreboard.

The Scots showed away to France they have the capacity to stay in the battle against a powerful side away from home. They'll need rediscover that belligerence very quickly.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Warriors blown away

After watching Leinster's ruthless destruction of Harlequins in the last-16, it was clear Glasgow had a mountain to climb in Dublin.

Just about everyone expected a home win, probably a comfortable one, but the hope was the URC champions would put up more of a fight than the English Premiership side had mustered in their 62-0 defeat.

As it was, Glasgow were blown away in a very similar fashion. They were bettered - and battered - in every single aspect of the game and failed to fire a shot worthy of the name.

At 33-0 at half-time, the game was done. In truth, it was done after 22 minutes when Adam Hastings was sin-binned, and a penalty try was awarded to put Leinster 14-0 to the good.

We knew it required something close to a miracle for Glasgow to progress. Missing so many key players through injury and suspension, they were made to look a pale imitation of the side we know they can be.

Levels to the game

Franco Smith was typically philosophical after the defeat, preferring to heap praise on Leinster rather than chastise his own team.

Smith described the Irish side as the best club team he has ever seen, and he's seen a few. Better than Ireland, even.

What was underlined in the most emphatic terms is that Glasgow, with the limitations they have in terms of finance and resources, will always struggle to trouble the back end of the Champions Cup.

Three times they have made the quarter-finals, and three times they have been hammered by sides assembled at far greater expense – twice by Saracens in their prime, and now by Leinster.

Smith made some interesting comments to BBC Scotland after the game about the need to understand "how many people must be in our building" to compete with the top teams.

With the likes of Tom Jordan, Henco Venter and, reportedly, Jack Mann leaving Scotstoun in the summer, the question is whether the SRU can continue to match Smith's ambition against a background of financial cost-cutting.

Dublin drubbing can't define season

You do wonder if the Leinster/Ireland factor has become an insurmountable psychological hurdle for Scottish players. Given the repeated beatings they have taken at the hands of the same players over and over again in recent years, how could it not?

There are emotional scars that come with a heavy defeat, especially in such a high-profile game. It's an inevitable part of sport.

What Warriors must ensure is that this drubbing in Dublin does not come to define their season.

They have bounced back from big disappointments before. A Challenge Cup final thrashing at the hands of Toulon – another horror show at the Aviva Stadium – in Smith's first season was bleak, but the head coach has cited it as a reference point for the team in their run to become URC champions last season.

There is still plenty to play for this season, not least defending that crown. To do that, you would imagine at some stage they will have to face the might of Leinster once again in Dublin.

The hope is they can quickly banish the memories of this rout. If not, should the sides meet again in a potential URC final, Warriors will be beaten before they set foot on the park.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Edinburgh breathe new life into season

In a campaign that looked to be bobbing along towards a predictably underwhelming conclusion, suddenly Edinburgh's season has new life.

The victory over the Bulls, which booked a semi-final spot in the Challenge Cup, was impressive in several ways.

The four tries scored were well constructed, and while there were defensive wobbles that led to the four tries conceded, the way Edinburgh repelled the rampaging Bulls to close out the win showed tremendous character.

They also showed mature game management, twice electing to kick at goal to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Those two Ross Thomson penalties ultimately proved to be the difference.

Now, Edinburgh are two games from silverware. It will be another tough challenge to get by Bath, but with home advantage, this is a huge opportunity for the club.

Ultra Magnus

Magnus Bradbury is a player who encapsulates Edinburgh in microcosm.

At his best, he is a beast. A powerhouse in contact who gives his team the go-forward they so desperately need.

When he's off it, he can be hard to detect on the field. Fortunately for Edinburgh, Saturday against the Bulls saw Bradbury at his best.

The big number eight was superb, blasting holes in a fiercely physical Bulls defence which opened the gaps for his team-mates to exploit.

He also helped himself to a try, and Edinburgh need this version of Bradbury between now and the end of the season if they are to make this a campaign to remember.

Departing Ritchie looks to go out with a bang

Jamie Ritchie will leave his boyhood club this summer for a new adventure in France with Perpignan. The former Scotland captain looks hell bent on going out with a bang.

The flanker has been in terrific form the past six months, all the way back to a towering display for Scotland in the November victory over Australia.

Ritchie led the charge against the Bulls, carrying hard, being his usual menace at the breakdown and winning some key battles in the air.

It would be a fitting end for such a terrific servant if Ritchie could leave the club having delivered a piece of silverware, but there's a lot of work to do yet.

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Scotland centre Lisa Thomson tells BBC Sport: "I think in the first half we overplayed. We let them get a rumble on and get in our way. That wasn't us today.

"We know that Italy have really good rugby players, we have been in tight battles with them for years.

"We got caught up playing their game and not our game. We need to be better next week. It's not good enough."

We asked for your views on a contrasting weekend for Glasgow and Edinburgh in European action.

Here's the best of what you had to say:

GLASGOW

Graeme: Playing a full Ireland team mascarading as Leinster with the inclusion of Jordie Barrett was never going to be easy. With 10 frontline players not available and not one of the Warriors players a guaranteed starter for Scotland, it was never going to be easy.

Campbell: It was so predictable. Leinster were always going to do what they do best. Blitz defence, turn over, followed by a kick that would put a decent artillery battery to shame for long distance accuracy. The saddest part was how obvious that was and not one ounce of adaption was shown.

David: Matt Fagerson injuring himself is a big, big blow. For Glasgow and for Lions selection. Leinster are just unreal. Was there in the stands and can confirm Barrett is pretty good!

EDINBURGH

Arran: First half was excellent, free-flowing attacking rugby. Completely starved Bulls of the ball and what little possession they did have went nowhere. Second half completely different, couldn't get out of our own half and kicking was poor from Ross Thompson and Ali Price, but defence held when it needed to. A win's a win but will need a full 80-minute performance against Bath or Gloucester if we're to make the final.

Andrew: The best Edinburgh performance for a long time. First half in attack, second in defence when Bulls stepped it up. Still some work to do but a marked improvement and look to be building momentum into the end of the season.

Steve: Nervy as it was in the end, this was an outstanding result against a team brimming with quality. The first half was dreamy and the fight we showed in the second half is what's required week after week from here in. Improved game management once again, and Thompson is really starting to fit in nicely.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Co-captain Grant Gilchrist says Edinburgh must embrace the pressure of high-stakes rugby because every match between now and the end of the season represents a knockout situation.

Gilchrist was among the try scorers as Edinburgh edged a thrilling Challenge Cup quarter-final 34-28 against the Bulls.

After building a 31-7 lead, Edinburgh had to withstand a ferocious Bulls fightback before ultimately getting over the line.

The victory secured a home semi-final against either Gloucester or Bath, and with the capital side also in the thick of a scrap to reach the URC play-offs, Gilchrist says there is little margin for error.

"Games at this level are tough and knockout rugby, you've just got to find a way to win. We dug in enough to do that," Gilchrist told BBC Scotland.

"We knew it was going to be a real test. We were playing a top-quality team.

"I thought the first half we were outstanding. Some of the speed in our play, the connected play between backs and forwards, it was as good as we've been, clearly, by how we found ourselves on the scoreboard.

"We've got to get comfortable in that space of knockout rugby. Our position in the URC is going to help us with that, because between now and the semi-final, we find ourselves in games that we have to win as well.

"We're two wins away from silverware. It's not pie-in-the-sky stuff any more. It's real."