Expert Analysis: Tom English on Edinburgh’s Form and Glasgow’s Champions Cup Chances

BBC Scotland’s chief sportswriter Tom English has addressed questions from the public concerning Scottish rugby. Regarding Steven’s inquiry about Edinburgh’s progress towards becoming a consistent team and whether “motivation is possibly an issue with their best performances being when against a wall?”, Tom English noted their standing in the URC. He stated they are “three points off fourth place” but “only four points off 12th place.” English expressed uncertainty about their future trajectory, remarking, “My honest answer is that I don’t know.” He asserted that “Edinburgh should be in the top eight every season. Their squad and their budget demand it. But I can’t trust them.” English described their on-field performance as inconsistent, observing, “They do things on the pitch that only very good teams do, but then they do other things that very good teams would never do. They’re just maddening.” On the subject of consistency, he commented, “I think they’re totally capable of stringing wins together and powering into the URC play-offs while doing something in Europe, but I’ll only believe it when I see it.” He concluded by stating, “I won’t make any predictions for Edinburgh.” Alan questioned Glasgow’s squad depth for a deep run in this year’s Champions Cup and if their URC title win provided “the winning mentality to challenge Leinster and the powerful French teams?” Tom English clarified that Glasgow’s European challenges extend beyond Leinster and prominent French teams to include “the big beasts in South Africa.” He highlighted The Sharks, whose “squad is unreal,” suggesting that “If they click then I can see them going very close to winning it.” English outlined European team tiers, placing Toulouse, La Rochelle, and Leinster in “tier one,” with Glasgow in “tier two.” He anticipates Glasgow will “go well this year on both fronts,” noting their current “good position in the URC.” English added that “Glasgow at their best would give anybody a game,” and if the match is held in Glasgow, “you’d almost make them favourites, even against the biggest hitters.” He characterized the team as “incredibly physical and incredibly resilient,” possessing a “magnificent backline,” and fitting into the “‘dark horse’ category in terms of winning the Champions Cup.” He concluded by stating that “No other team – Toulouse included – is going to want to play a fired-up Glasgow.”