I’ve heard a lot of chat from people tipping Glasgow as dark horses for the Champions Cup this season and I can’t see any reason why they shouldn’t be up there challenging.
To be honest, as the reigning URC champions, I’d say my old club are better than just dark horses. They deserve to be up there among the favourites based on that achievement alone when you consider they beat the best of Irish and South African rugby along the way.
Of course, Champions Cup rugby is another step up in class when you add the elite English and French teams into the mix but you suspect Glasgow won’t fear anyone, especially at home.
They’ll go into the tournament with plenty of confidence and deservedly so, but if people elsewhere want to underestimate them then that won’t do them any harm either.
I was down at Scotstoun earlier in the week and it always feels a bit more special in the build-up to a Champions Cup match, even just the different post coverings and the different balls being used in training.
There’s a different buzz around the place which is no surprise when you consider it’s one of the biggest club competitions around.
Glasgow celebrate their stunning URC success on South African soil earlier this year
Franco Smith’s side have earned the right to feel confident going into this year’s Euro campaign
Flanker Ally Miller runs fearlessly at the Bayonne defence in a brave away display last year
Glasgow open up their campaign tomorrow night against Sale Sharks and that ought to be an absolute cracker.
Franco Smith and the boys will be aware that their only defeat at home last season came at this same stage a year ago against Northampton Saints but I thought they recovered well from that in the rest of their pool matches.
They dug out a cracking win away to Bayonne, beat Toulon with a bit to spare at Scotstoun and should have also had a win at Exeter Chiefs if Euan Ferrie hadn’t had a last-second try controversially chalked off.
Even the last-16 game against Harlequins was close and you suspect Glasgow will be out for revenge against Danny Wilson’s side when that rematch rolls around next month.
But it’s Sale to start and that will be a real test for Warriors, although their pack will be along more familiar lines, I’d imagine, after an inexperienced side struggled a bit against Scarlets in the URC last weekend.
Sharks have plenty of talent in the ranks, too, and I enjoyed watching Arron Reed playing for Scotland in the autumn. He has serious pace to burn and Warriors will need to keep a close eye on him throughout the contest.
Euan Ferrie’s late try at Exeter was disallowed to deny Warriors a famous victory
You’d hope, though, that Glasgow would make it safely out of their pool and then, as we saw in the URC playoffs last season, they tend to take their game to another level when it comes to knockout rugby. On their day you’d back them to beat anybody.
Meanwhile, over at Edinburgh, it’s the Challenge Cup for them and a tricky-looking start away to Gloucester tonight.
That’s a big test against a team that are going well in the Premiership and had a good win against Northampton last weekend.
They’ve made some brilliant signings in Welsh pair Tomos Williams and Gareth Anscombe so it would be quite a statement if Edinburgh could come away from that one with a victory.
Their pool also includes a home tie with Black Lion from Georgia who are coached now by Richard Cockerill. Having Cockers back in the capital to face his former side will add a bit of spice to that one, especially if Edinburgh need a win to progress.
Richard Cockerill will return to Edinburgh with his Georgian Black Lion side
The European action gets under way when Finn Russell’s Bath welcome La Rochelle to the Rec
My old rivals along the M8 haven’t quite got going in the URC this season but if you look at the back-three firepower they’ve got with guys like Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham, you’d like to think they could thrive in Europe this season if they can find their top form.
I’m just excited to be getting the chance to cover a lot of these massive matches for Premier Sports this season.
It all gets going in the Champions Cup tonight when Bath and my old pal Finn Russell welcome La Rochelle to the Rec and that ought to be an absolute cracker. It’s an iconic stadium and it should make for a brilliant occasion.
Bath have been going great guns and are currently top of the Premiership table, while Ronan O’Gara’s side won this competition in 2022 and 2023 and were runners-up the year before. So it’s a brilliant way to get this season’s Investec Champions Cup up and running.
Premier Sports are certainly throwing plenty of big names at their ECPR coverage. It’s a star-studded group of pundits they’re rolling out with Martin Bayfield hosting and legends like Lawrence Dallaglio and Simon Zebo doing the punditry — and then there’s John Barclay and myself involved too!
Ryan Wilson will be on hand to run the rule over the best of the action on Premier Sports
The Premier Sports team will bring all the best European rugby action to our screens
It’s a big line-up and a statement from Premier Sports as they look to give it the coverage that it deserves. I’m just delighted to be a part of it and can’t wait for both tournaments to get going.
Ryan Wilson is part of the Premier Sports team bringing every Investec Champions Cup game live throughout the competition. Tune in to watch Glasgow Warriors open their Champions Cup campaign against Gallagher Premiership side Sale Sharks at Scotstoun tomorrow from 7.30pm live on Premier Sports 2. Ryan will be alongside Ross Harries, Andy Goode and Rory Hamilton. Plus there’s action from Gloucester v Edinburgh this evening in the EPCR Challenge Cup from 8pm.
Premier Sports is the new home of Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup with 80 games live throughout the competition. Premier Sports is available in the UK from £10.99 a month and is available on Sky, Virgin and Amazon Prime. Premier Sports also streams online on a wide range of devices and platforms. Visit: www.premiersports.tv to sign-up.
