Scottish Rugby

Glasgow Warriors booked a spot in the last 16 of the Champions Cup with an outstanding bonus-point win at Clermont Auvergne.

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Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Ewan Ashman hopes Edinburgh have finally found the consistency they have been searching for this season after their Champions Cup victory over Gloucester.

The Scotland hooker was among the try-scorers as Sean Everitt's side came back from 13 points down to deliver a bonus-point win.

It keeps Edinburgh alive in the competition ahead of their final pool match away to Finn Russell's Bath on Friday night.

"It was probably not the prettiest match," Ashman told BBC Scotland.

"It was really attritional and they fronted up and showed that grit to get us over the line at the end.

"It's exactly what we wanted to do. It's pretty simple, we've got five points and that's what we needed to do so we can be happy, learn our lessons and move on to the next. We need to keep winning games and go away next week and do a job.

"It should be a cracker. A few familiar faces in that side, some pretty good ones as well.

"I'm excited to see those boys and I just know that we're going to step up. That's exactly what we need. We need to do a Hive-worthy performance away from home and that's what we're working on. That's what we'll do next week."

Edinburgh rallied from 13 points down at half-time to deliver a bonus-point win over Gloucester and keep their Investec Champions Cup hopes alive.

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Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt tells BBC Scotland: "A tough talk at half-time. It wasn't a lack of effort, but a lack of accuracy. There were a lot of errors, but we tightened it up.

"Proud of how the boys put it together in the second half. It would have just given me less grey hairs if they had done it in the first 40.

"It's difficult going in at 18-5 down if you haven't fired a shot, but we fired several of them. We played some good rugby, just didn't finish.

"Credit to Gloucester, they defended extremely well. Magnus [Bradbury] showed good leadership and we were much improved.

"Ewan Ashman is a great carrier for us and brings a lot of energy. A great guy to have in our group.

"It's a massive win for us. We did target 10 points in our home fixtures. The competition is tight this year, so we'll be looking at the other results this weekend and then go to the Rec next weekend."

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Huw Jones will make his first Glasgow Warriors appearance of the season away to Clermont-Auvergne in the Champions Cup on Saturday.

The Scotland centre has not played since the British & Irish Lions summer tour of Australia and will resume his midfield partnership with Sione Tuipulotu.

The Warriors are also boosted by the return of Kyle Rowe at full-back as they aim to retain top spot in Pool One, following wins over Sale and Toulouse.

George Horne comes in to start at scrum-half, with Jamie Dobie retaining his place on the left wing after a comfortable URC victory against Zebre.

Matt Fagerson and Jack Dempsey are restored to the back-row and Dan Lancaster takes over from injured fly-half Adam Hastings.

Alex Craig and Scott Cummings make up the second row, while Gregor Hiddleston and Zander Fagerson beef up the visitors' front row.

Jones, 31, underwent surgery on a long-standing Achilles injury after playing in all three Tests for the Lions.

Rowe, 27, has been out of action since November with a knee problem.

"We are pleased to welcome both Huw and Kyle back," said head coach Franco Smith.

"Both men have worked diligently throughout their recovery alongside our medical and strength and conditioning teams, and have put themselves in the best position possible ahead of their return.

"Clermont will pose a stern test, with a highly physical forward pack and the ability to cause teams problems from anywhere on the field.

"Their record at home is formidable and we know that we will need to be at our best to match their level."

Glasgow Warriors: Rowe, Steyn (capt), Jones, Tuipulotu, Dobie, Lancaster, Horne; Schickerling, Hiddleston, Z Fagerson, Craig, Cummings, Ferrie, M Fagerson, Dempsey.

Replacements: Stephen, Sutherland, Talakai, Williamson, Brown, Miller, McDowall, Afshar.

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Scotland winger Duhan van der Merwe returns from a hip injury for Edinburgh's home game against Gloucester in the Champions Cup on Friday.

James Whitcombe makes his second start of the season at loosehead prop, while back-row Liam McConnell is reinstated after coming off the bench in the weekend URC win at Treviso.

Wes Goosen reverts to full-back to accommodate Van der Merwe, with Darcy Graham lining up on the opposite flank.

Callum Hunter-Hill continues in the second row in the absence of the injured Grant Gilchrist.

Scotland internationals Ewan Ashman and Ben Muncaster bolster the bench after a complete HIA protocol and a knee injury respectively.

Academy lock Euan McVie is also among the replacements, hoping to make his professional debut.

Edinburgh opened with a win over Toulon before a big defeat away to Castres, while they complete their group stage matches with a visit to Bath.

Edinburgh: Goosen, Graham, Currie, Lang, Van der Merwe, Thompson, Vellacott; Whitcombe, Morris, Blyth-Lafferty, Hunter-Hill, Young, McConnell, Douglas, Bradbury (capt).

Replacements: Ashman, Schoeman, Hill, McVie, Dodd, Muncaster, Shiel, O'Conor.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Gregor Brown says he has embraced his recent role as impact substitute for Glasgow Warriors.

The back-row was a standout for Scotland in the autumn internationals but has had to make do with a bench spot in recent weeks for his club.

Rather than view that as a negative, Brown is relishing the opportunity to influence matches in the latter stages, such as his outstanding second-half performance in the famous win over Toulouse last month.

"I think you see the way that the game in world rugby is going at Test level and at club level, South Africa probably hit headlines for it with their bomb squad, their ability to roll off six, seven world-class forwards off the bench to see out a game," Brown said.

"That's coming to the game more. Traditionally it was probably best players starting, then a second team coming on.

"I do genuinely think that the game is shifting. Those last 20-30 minutes are really important.

"It's something that I take pride in. It would be easy for someone to be upset they're not starting and kick your heels, but I've definitely felt as much a part of the wins in the past few weeks as I was starting and I think you have such an important role to play coming off the bench."

BBC Sport Scotland's Andy Burke has been answering some of your Scottish rugby questions.

Keith asked: With the rumoured exit of Adam Hastings to Montpellier, following similar departures by Finn Russell and Tom Jordan, do Glasgow fans have to accept we simply can't afford to keep our fly-halves in Scotland for their prime years? Or is it part of the David Nucifora plan to open up a regular playing spot for the next generation in this critical position?

Andy answered: Firstly, it will be a real shame to see Hastings depart Glasgow. It's my understanding he will be leaving Scotstoun this summer and it's an undoubted blow as he was just starting to get back to his best after so many injury-blighted seasons.

I think it is driven in part by both the reasons you outline. Hastings will be on a chunky salary and, as we saw with the departures last summer including Jordan, there is only so much money to go around. Glasgow can't retain all their top earners year on year.

The need to promote young talent also necessitates established players to move on. Warriors under Franco Smith are among the best in the business at developing young players and while it's frustrating to see household names depart, the production line at Scotstoun looks pretty healthy right now.

Ethan asked: What should we expect the Glasgow team to play Clermont to look like? A younger team like last weekend against Zebre, or were the 'big guns' rested to go back to back against Clermont and Saracens?

Andy answered: Definitely the latter. Warriors assistant Nigel Carolan told us as much this week, saying the victory over Toulouse has changed their perspective on the Champions Cup this season and what they might be able to achieve.

Victories over Clermont and Saracens would give Glasgow a fantastic opportunity to top their pool and with that would come a route to a potential semi-final with all their matches at home.

So expect the 'big guns' to return this weekend and the possible return from injury of Huw Jones and Kyle Rowe, who are very close to being match ready.

Tom English and Andy Burke chat to Duncan Weir after his final match for Glasgow Warriors as the former Scotland international reflects on his career and looks ahead to the next chapter of his life in rugby.

It's all on the latest episode of the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast - listen and subscribe on BBC Sounds.

Sandy Smith
Fan writer

Edinburgh always seem to confound expectations when they are staring into the abyss.

A first victory in Treviso since 2017 and a first away win of the season couldn't have come at a better moment.

There are two things we need to thank for this victory. The first is the work of our defence coach Michael Todd. We may not be the best attacking side but boy do we know how to hold a line.

Secondly, we need to thank Glasgow for testing that defence to and beyond its capabilities in the past two weeks because it feels like the stresses they put us under have ironically helped to hone that area of our play down to a fine edge.

A defence that had to be at its best, particularly in that second half when Benetton had a dominant 72% possession. Fourteen points is the smallest total Benetton have scored at home all season.

That defence was even key to Darcy Graham's second-half try as they forced an error out of Benetton who had all 15 players in the Edinburgh 22.

We are now 10th, which is an improvement, and only the top two in the league have conceded fewer tries than Edinburgh.

Attack wise there were a few encouraging moments, especially from Wes Goosen and Matt Currie. The latter is looking more like the player he was before his injury.

Too many handling errors, however, combined with a high penalty count compromised our attack.

Freddy Douglas, fast becoming the turnover king, was a deserved man of the match but Harri Morris was also outstanding. He topped the tackle stats and perhaps only three incomplete lineouts compromised his bid even if the loss of Grant Gilchrist prior to kick-off may have contributed to that.

Morris' turnover in the 77th minute could easily be described as a match-winning moment but of course being Edinburgh we still gave the ball away at the following ruck as Charlie Shiel box kicked.

If that wasn't enough tension Cammy Scott hit the posts with the clock in the red, keeping the game alive and allowing Benetton a last opportunity when all we needed was the ball to go dead.

Thankfully a knock-on with the clock showing 83 minutes meant Edinburgh got to travel home with a smile and that rare away win.

Sandy Smith can be found at The Burgh Watch, external

Do you have any burning questions on Scottish rugby after Glasgow and Edinburgh started 2026 with wins in the URC?

Send in your questions to our reporters via this link and a selection of answers will be published on this page later in the week.

It was an Italian double for Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors on Saturday in the United Rugby Championship and we asked for your views after their victories.

Glasgow lie second behind Stormers, who have won all eight of their games, after their 47-10 defeat of Zebre in what was fly-half Duncan Weir's final game.

Here are some of your comments.

Ethan: Glasgow match was a hard watch at times as it took a while for them to get into it in the first half. In the second half, the first 20 or so minutes they seemed to have switched off whilst Zebre played more intensely. Though, in the end, what mattered was Glasgow managed to pull ahead with the flurry of tries. Great result for a younger team and a fantastic send off for Weir, even if he feels a bit sore today after dislocating his finger and hurting his hamstring!

Peter: Nothing much more to say than thank you Dunky [Weir]! A stalwart for Glasgow and the smiles you brought to everyone's faces in Scotstoun, including a beaming [coach] Franco [Smith], on Saturday night when you scored that try. Shows the high regard you are held. All the best with the academy - I think you'll be a fantastic coach.

Edinburgh, meanwhile, bounced back from their festive double defeat with a victory of their own - but only just, 15-14 away to Benetton. Sean Everitt's side are now 10th.

Frank: Brilliant return to form for Edinburgh and Darcy Graham. Graham's player-of-the-match performance can surely inspire Edinburgh to a top four URC spot and European Cup play-offs. Great to feel positive about Scottish rugby for a change.

Stair: Once again, Edinburgh almost clawed defeat from the jaws of victory. Still, an away win is a win. Poor second-half performance plagued with unnecessary penalties. Typical Edinburgh under this coach.

John: With the team Edinburgh were able to put out, a good away win. Ross Thompson not the answer at 10 - poor game. I don't think any of the 10s have set the heather on fire when played. I think the 10-12-13 challenge is the problem. Not strong enough, regardless who plays. And therefore, where you would like to think the strength is, ie Darcy [Graham], [Wes] Goosen and Duhan [van der Merwe] at present are not getting enough ball, as well as a coach in my eyes who is too soft and not getting best out of players or good selection process. Shame, as there are good players there.

Greig: As an Edinburgh fan, I'm fully aware of our injury list and various excuses from the head coach. But our [the fans'] fears of having a threadbare squad are coming to fruition. Just look at the quality of our bench in the win over Benetton. Nowhere near good enough. We should beat Gloucester this coming week, but it could easily swing towards the English side. For years, my season-ticket pals and me have said we need an enforcer in the second row, a beast in the back row and a wrecking ball centre. No sign of that happening, but we can still dream.

And what about a comparison between Scotland's two URC sides?

Andrew: When I watched the Glasgow game, with a very much second-string team, I saw some slick interpassing, including the forwards. Plus, they worked a couple of training ground moves. Edinburgh again defended valiantly, but their passing movement was rarely slick or inventive. What are Glasgow doing at training that Edinburgh evidently aren't?

Edinburgh started 2026 with a narrow 15-14 win away to Benetton.

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Glasgow Warriors completed a Scottish double over Italian sides by defeating visitors Zebre 47-10.

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Ross Thompson makes his first Edinburgh start since November for their URC trip to Benetton on Saturday.

The fly-half is one of five changes made by head coach Sean Everitt to the side beaten by Glasgow Warriors last time out.

"It was a disappointing period for us over Christmas, but we're ready to fight back against a strong Benetton side on the road," Everitt told the Edinburgh website.

"The URC is still wide open, so any points we can pick up from now to the end of the season will keep us in the mix for the play-offs."

Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, Tom Dodd and Freddy Douglas start in a rotated forward pack, while Jack Brown joins Thompson in the backs.

Edinburgh XV to face Benetton: Brown, Graham, Currie, Lang, Goosen, Thompson, Vellacott; Schoeman, Morris, O. Blyth-Lafferty, Young, Gilchrist, Dodd, Douglas, Bradbury.

Replacements: J. Blyth-Lafferty, Whitcombe, Hill, Hunter-Hill, McConnell, Shiel, Scott, O'Conor.