Edinburgh Rugby learn Champions Cup fate as Blair Kinghorn and Toulouse avoid exit with thrashing

Edinburgh left themselves vulnerable to those beneath them in Pool 2 after being trounced 63-10 by Bath on Friday evening. Sitting second going into yesterday's fixtures, they could have ended the day outside the top four had results gone against them.

And while Castres leapfrogged the capital side by winning 31-29 away at Munster, Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt was able to breathe a sigh of relief after Gloucester failed to defeat Toulon at home.

Had Gloucester won and Toulon picked up either a try-scoring or losing bonus point, then Edinburgh would have slipped to fifth in the standings and dropped into the Challenge Cup knock-out phase. Instead, Edinburgh finished fourth and will discover their last-16 opponents when the final round of fixtures conclude today.

Defending champions Toulouse also avoided any prospect of elimination after they thrashed Sale Sharks 77-7 at home.

Defeat would have left the French giants at the mercy of Sharks in Pool 1, but the heavy triumph moves them up to second place in Pool 1 behind Glasgow Warriors, who face Saracens on Sunday evening.

Scotland internationalist Blair Kinghorn started at stand-off for Toulouse but did not get on the points scoresheet.