We asked our intrepid and knowledgeable rugby reporters, Tom English and Andy Burke, to give their predictions on how Glasgow and Edinburgh will fare in the new URC season, which kicks off on Friday.
Here is Andy’s verdict….
GLASGOW
It feels like we are having much the same conversation about Glasgow’s prospects this season as we did heading into last season. With key players departing, was their squad deep enough to challenge on two fronts?
They answered that emphatically with brilliants runs in both the Champions Cup and the URC, but worked so hard to lay the foundations of a truly special season, they fell short when it came to the crunch of both competitions.
Those home defeats to Toulon in the Champions Cup quarters and to the Bulls in the URC semis were bitter pills to swallow.
Will there be a hangover from the miss opportunity that was last season? Or did it merely whet the appetite to go even further this time around?
Predicted finish: Second. Having predicted Glasgow for a fifth-place finish in the URC regular season last time around and being made to look even more of a fool than normal as Warriors topped the log, I’m not going to make the same mistake in underestimating them. The departures of Huw Jones, Adam Hastings, Jack Dempsey, Johnny Matthews and others does, on paper at least, weaken the Glasgow squad, but they have tremendous faith in the wave of youngsters coming through. George Horne says it’s the best crop of talent he has seen to emerge at the club in his time there. Under Franco Smith’s astute management, I think Glasgow will be in the hunt again this season.
Player to watch: Dan Lancaster. I was tempted to go with Jamie Ritchie as I’m fascinated to see how the former Edinburgh captain adjusts to his new surroundings at Scotstoun. However, with news this week that he could be out until November as he recovers from an ankle/achilles problem, it could be some time before he gets a real run in a Warriors shirt, particularly if he is called into the Scotland squad for the Nations Championship. I think this needs to be a big season for Dan Lancaster – for his and Glasgow’s sake. Hastings’ exit has left Charlie Savala and Matthew Urwin as the competition for the 10 jersey.
Breakout star: Fergus Watson. The 21-year-old wing made quite the impression on his Warriors debut against Benetton in March with a try and Player-of-the-Match performance. Watson is a big unit who takes some stopping and there are few better teams at getting the ball into the hands of their outside backs than Glasgow.
With Kyle Steyn, Kyle Rowe, Jamie Dobie and Ollie Smith all wingers by trade or more than comfortable playing there, the competition for spots is fierce. However, I expect Watson to get more opportunities to shine this season.
EDINBURGH
Oh how I long to be able to write and broadcast more positive coverage of Edinburgh this season!
It was a dismal campaign last time around, limping home in 12th place to miss out on the URC playoffs.
Many called for Sean Everitt to go, but the head coach has remained in post and instead Scottish Rugby has overhauled his backroom team. For Everitt’s sake, it has to work.
The fans are utterly fed up living in the shadow of the team along the M8, and it is high time this Edinburgh team gave them cause for optimism.
Predicted finish: 10th. Much like my woeful forecasting of Glasgow’s prospects last season, I called it completely wrong with Edinburgh (I should get out of this predicting game). I backed them to finish in sixth and they were way off that. I struggle to make a case for them doing much better this season, other than blind faith. The new coaches may make a difference, but I still feel there are too many gaps in quality throughout the team.
If Duhan van der Merve can rediscover his best stuff – and his hopes of World Cup selection could depend on it – and Darcy Graham stays fit, there are match-winners in the team that could drive the team forward. Inconsistency has been a plague on Edinburgh for the longest time. They need to find it to avoid another disappointing season.
Player to watch: Freddy Douglas. I tipped him as my Player to Watch last season, but I think it’s time for Douglas to be properly unleashed.
The back-row has been spoken about for so long as one of the Scottish game’s most exciting talents that it’s easy to forget he is still only 21. If anything though, he was held back too long from the Edinburgh side, making his Scotland debut before making a single start for his club.
Douglas now needs to be a regular starter. Gregor Townsend has described him – even allowing for his lack of experience – as one of the best jacklers in the world. With a Rugby World Cup looming, Douglas needs to be given the platform to allow his immense talent to flourish.
Breakout star: Hector Patterson. Having signed his first professional contract earlier this year, the 21-year-old scrum-half started to force his way into the first team picture towards the end of last season.
New signing Louis Chapman is expected to be the first choice nine this season, but he will not arrive until after Canterbury’s Bunnings NPC campaign comes to an end. With Ben Vellacott currently injured, Patterson could get some opportunities early in the season to stake his claim.
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