Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors give Scottish rugby a shot in the arm after autumn gloom

Bonus-point wins for Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh in the Investec Champions Cup lifted some of the gloom and suggested that they could enjoy an extended run in Europe’s top-tier club competition.

It’s the first time in five years that both our pro teams have qualified in the same season and they have given themselves a real chance of progressing beyond the pool stage.

With the top four sides in each six-team group going through to the round of 16 there is no longer the jeopardy that was once associated with the Champions Cup and Glasgow and Edinburgh will both feel they can extend their involvement in the competition into the spring.

There was a grittiness in each side’s victory that was lacking when Scotland surrendered a 21-0 lead against Argentina last month to lose 33-24. The players were questioned in the aftermath of that game, and rightly so. It was pleasing, therefore, that many of them returned to form for their clubs.

The Warriors fans outsung the home support

Glasgow got the ball rolling, coming from 14-0 down to defeat Sale Sharks 26-21 in Salford. Up against a strong wind in the first half, Franco Smith’s side had to dig deep and it took them 32 minutes to get their first points on the board. But they followed up Gregor Hiddleston’s opening try with three more to snare the maximum five points in their Pool 1 opener.

Edinburgh also had to come from behind in difficult conditions to claim a bonus-point win. They trailed Toulon 10-0 in the pouring rain at Hive Stadium on Sunday night but turned the game around before half-time and were well worth their 33-20 victory.

The results were warmly received. The large Warriors travelling contingent at the CorpAcq Stadium outsung the home support and Edinburgh were rightly given an ovation when they came off against Toulon.

Both teams face tougher tests this weekend as Glasgow host six-time European champions Toulouse on Saturday night and Edinburgh travel to France to take on Castres on Sunday.

The prospect of Antoine Dupont and co coming to Scotstoun is one to whet the appetite and the match is already a sell-out.

Scott Forrest, Glasgow’s defence coach, was in bullish form on Monday as he was asked about the prospect of reigning in the free-scoring French side who opened their Champions Cup campaign with a 56-19 dismantling of the Sharks on Sunday, with Italy wing Ange Capuozzo scoring a hat-trick.

“Yes, it's a big challenge,” he said. “But we also know that Scotstoun is a very hard place for teams to come and play.”

Welcome to the skating rink

Glasgow don’t lose many at home and it’s fair to say their artificial pitch isn’t to the liking of many visitors. Kyle Steyn, the Warriors captain, jokingly referred to it as a “skating rink” at the weekend but the likes of Dupont, Capuozzo and Thomas Ramos possess wonderful skill and balance and are unlikely to be overly concerned by the underfoot conditions.

“They've got threats all across the pitch,” acknowledged Forrest.

“They're less about the structure and more around playing to space, using their strengths, which is obviously around the physicality. But from one to 15, they have got quality rugby players, quality ball players, players that see space very well, players that are proven at the top end of the international game.”

Such is their range of talents, Glasgow will concentrate more on their own game than the opposition’s.

“The focus this week is going to be on us, because you could spend forever looking at what Toulouse might do, and then they'll come here on Saturday night and they'll do something that no one's ever seen on a rugby pitch before,” said Forrest.

Edinburgh are playing lesser opponents - Castres are currently eighth in the Top 14, 11 points behind leaders Toulouse - but it’s still a tricky away fixture. Edinburgh won in France last season, beating Vannes in the Challenge Cup, and it will take a similar performance to get something from Sunday’s match.

Castres lost 34-14 to Gloucester in their Pool 2 opener at Kingsholm on Sunday, failing to score a point in the second half after holding the hosts at 14-14 half-time. They lost their way after the break and had both Christian Ambadiang and Enzo Herve sent to the sin-bin.

Edinburgh will need to be as disciplined this weekend as they were against Toulon in what is likely to be a hostile atmosphere at Stade Pierre-Fabre. The sides last met in the Champions three years ago and Edinburgh won home and away en route to qualifying for the last 16.

A repeat performance and a giant-killing act from Glasgow would ensure the feelgood factor continues into the new year.