Scottish Rugby

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Former Glasgow hooker Fraser Brown says the Warriors simply cannot pass up the opportunity to finish in the URC's top two.

Franco Smith's side lead the standings with three games of the regular season left, but two of those are away in South Africa, against Bulls and Lions.

The league's top two are guaranteed a home quarter-final in the play-offs, and indeed a home semi-final if they get there, and Brown has challenged Glasgow to capitalise on their good work so far this season.

"[A top-two finish] has to be the target," Brown told the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast.

"At the start of the season, or even pre-Six Nations, you're talking about top four, because you want that home quarter-final. It's so hard to win away from home in the play-offs.

"The big looming shadow being that if you don't get a home quarter-final or semi, you're probably going to be away to a South African team.

"The prospect of getting top two and having a home quarter and semi is something that you have to grab with both hands.

"It's going to be a big challenge over the next three weekends, but I've got full confidence we can go there and do it."

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Edinburgh lock Jamie Hodgson has signed a new two-year deal with the capital club.

The Scotland international has played just eight times this season, having recovered from an ankle injury suffered earlier this year.

“I’m thrilled to extend terms with my hometown team," Hodgson said. "I love the direction we’re moving in as club and it’s a real honour to represent the city and our fans.

“We’ve got a talented squad and a quality coaching team, and I truly believe we can achieve something special together.

“With three crucial games coming up, the support of the Edinburgh fans will be massive as we push for the play-offs. Hopefully I can play my part in what could be a really exciting end to the season.”

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Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors will both return for the Celtic Challenge in the 2024-25 season.

The six teams involved will play an expanded 10-round format, with each side playing five home matches and five away matches.

Edinburgh finished second in this season's competition, while Glasgow lost all their games and finished bottom of the standings.

“I’m excited we can announce the second season of our women’s side," Edinburgh's managing director, Douglas Struth said. "The team’s first season was a huge step forward for the club, and I can’t wait to see how they can develop in the expanded competition.

“It’s an extremely exciting time in women’s rugby – with Scotland getting a sell-out crowd at Hive Stadium, and the viewing figures of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations reaching outstanding new heights."

Glasgow's managing director Al Kellock said: “It’s a competition that has the potential to provide a new platform and a new opportunity for some of Scotland’s brightest talents, and one that proved extremely popular with our supporters in its first season."

The latest BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast has dropped, with Tom English and Andy Burke joined by recently-retired Glasgow Warriors and Scotland hooker Fraser Brown.

He looks back on a memorable career that included 61 caps, two World Cups and the 2015 Pro12 title, as well as talking about what the future may hold.

Listen here.

Are we in a dream world? Do we need to wake up? With three rounds to go, Glasgow are sitting top of the URC - a place that, only three seasons ago, looked highly unlikely to happen any time soon.

The question now is can the Warriors continue this trend and finish as the first seeds?

The answer to that will be the result of the two-week trip to South Africa. Big spenders Leinster went there and came home with nothing and, in that final game, looked like they accepted defeat with a weakened team taking to the field.

The Warriors have had mixed success since the inclusion of the South African sides to the league and will have memories of last season when food poisoning ravaged the travelling squad.

Ten points is all that is required to confirm second, while 12 will confirm first. Anything else looks like it will need other results to go the way of the Warriors.

The team announcement for Saturday's game highlighted a number of key players getting rest. Much was spoken about how it was a slightly weakened pack that travelled to Italy but taking home five points is a major tick in the box, especially as Rory Darge, Matt Fagerson and Jack Dempsey were not included.

If you want to see Sione Tuipulotu look more at ease and untested, you do not need to look further than last weekend, with his distribution skills at the forefront of all positive Warriors' attacks.

So can we dream? Absolutely. A week off and then back into the thick of the action. May is a big month for the Warriors. Players back from injuries, players at the peak of their form and, most importantly, players wanting to take that final step to glory.

Not firing on all cylinders. Less than the sum of their parts. Not all they can be.

Three ways Edinburgh supporters have tried to express how they feel about the team's performances lately.

I tend to agree but only Leinster and some mob from just along the M8 have won more league games than we have so we are, despite some misgivings, not that far away from getting it right.

Just one more bonus point would have meant we were fifth after the weekend. Two and we’d be fourth.

I certainly can’t endorse Ben Healy’s assertion that "we have the ingredients to win a trophy". To use his analogy, the recipe seems a little garbled.

However, if we continue with the simple dishes we’ve been serving, it's entirely possible we could put those ingredients together and achieve that play-off place. It may not be worthy of a Michelin star but we are cooking and getting the job done.

Three games remain. First up, it’s Zebre at the Hive. We’ve not lost at home in 2024. We’ve not lost to Zebre since 2018 and have never been beaten by them at home.

Then Munster. Tougher, obviously. We’ve not beaten them since 2019. It’s a home game though.

Lastly, we go to Benetton. They’ve got a tricky month to negotiate before we visit, including a double-header in South Africa, so could go into this game with just the 44 points they are on now. But, we’ve not won in Treviso since 2015.

If you are looking for a good omen then consider this. The last time we won five games in a row was in 2021 and both the Italian clubs were in that sequence.

Now, where’s that apron?

Sandy Smith can be found on The Burgh Watch, external

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Scotland's loss to Ireland meant Bryan Easson's side missed out on third place in the Six Nations and automatic qualification for the 2025 World Cup, but they now have the chance to retain the WXV 2 title.

Qualification for the World Cup looks highly likely, although admittedly complex. Five teams have already secured their place, and a further six will qualify as winners of six regional tournaments in 2024.

The final six spots will go to the highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified - and that certain to include Scotland.

WXV2 will once again be held in South Africa, with Scotland playing on three consecutive Sundays - 29 September, 6 and 13 October.

Their opposition is still unknown at this stage, although they could face re-matches against last year's opponents - South Africa, the USA, and Japan.

Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm was bittersweet about the Six Nations campaign, saying: “Pushing France so close, coming away with two wins and pushing Ireland right up till the final whistle is an incredible achievement in a tournament, but it doesn’t mean we are satisfied.

“The depth we have built in this squad and the performances we have put together have been good but our ability to put away opportunities is going to be the point of difference to take us to the next level."

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While eyes were on Belfast to see if Scotland could finish third in the Women's Six Nations, there were still some exiles in action down south at the weekend.

Attention was on Shaftesbury Park where Saracens lifted the Allianz Cup after a clinical second half, but more encouraging news came from The Stoop.

Jade Konkel made a try-scoring return for Harlequins, having been out injured since November and missed the entire Six Nations. However, it wasn't enough to beat Trailfinders - for whom Liz Muzgrove also scored - in the seventh-placed play-off.

Back to the final, former Scotland winger Isla Alejandro started for Saracens while hooker Nic Haynes came off the bench as they lifted their first Allianz Cup by beating Bristol Bears.

Gemma Bell, who featured for Edinburgh at blindside in the Celtic Challenge, came off the bench as Gloucester secured third place with a win over Exeter Chiefs - who started Eilidh Sinclair on the wing and props Demi Swann and Panashe Muzambe on the bench.

Izzy McGuire-Evans and Evie Tonkin started for Sale Sharks as they lost to Loughborough Lightning in the fifth-place play-off, with Scotland internationals Mhairi Grieve and Sarah Law coming off the bench.

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Scotland forward Jade Konkel says she feared her career was over but is "immensely grateful" to have returned to action after 15 months on the sidelines.

The Harlequins number eight marked her comeback with a try in her side's 31-42 defeat to Trailfinders Women in the Allianz Cup on Sunday.

Having missed her national team's Six Nations campaign, Konkel will be vying to regain her spot in the Scotland squad ahead of the WXV 2 tournament in September and next year's World Cup.

"This injury over the last 15 months marks the hardest setback I’ve encountered on my journey as an athlete," she wrote on X, external.

"The physical discomfort is one aspect, but the emotional and mental toll has been what has truly set it apart.

"After the third surgery, the road ahead felt long and uncertain. Doubts crept in, and I questioned if my body could withstand the rigors of training and matches again.

"I am immensely grateful to the brilliant team behind the scenes for their unwavering support throughout.

"I am deeply thankful for their tireless efforts to help me get back on that pitch…. And I loved every moment."

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So close, yet so far. It seems even Scotland's women can't break the national sporting curse of promising so much and just coming up short.

Their Six Nations story actually looks remarkably similar to the men's side in recent years. A historic win on the road in Wales, a narrow loss to France, and then a nail-biting defeat to Ireland.

There is a similarity too, in the manner of victories. Wins over Wales and Italy felt more like an risky heist rather than the comfortable victories that some of Scotland's play threatened.

They struggled in the red zone, highlighted by the fact that they were the lowest point-scorers in the competition - despite ultimately finishing fourth.

They scored more tries than only Wales, and their attacking stats were largely down on last year. Fewer tries, carries, metres gained, line breaks, defenders beaten, tackles evaded, and entries in the opposition 22m.

Put simply, Scotland need to be far more clinical. The immense frustration for head coach Bryan Easson is that they have shown they are capable of such feats, having done it during WXV 2 when they won all of their games by a margin of 10 points or more.

They also have a back-line capable of piercing top-tier defences. Emma Orr is a dynamic runner, capable of bouncing off tackles and spotting a gap. Outside her, they have a back-three that Rachel Malcolm rightly called "world class" in Rhona Lloyd, Francesca McGhie and Chloe Rollie.

Of course, it's not all about attack. Defensively, Scotland were sound and it was their solid base that almost led to a historic win over France.

They conceded only 104 points across the five games - almost half of which came against England. You have to go back to 2006 to find a Scotland defence more miserly.

Individually, 19-year-old Alex Stewart was one of the breakout stars of the tournament, making a tournament-high 74 tackles. Alongside her in the back-row, Evie Gallagher had seven breakdown steals - more than any other player - while Louise McMillan pinched seven line-outs.

Off the pitch too, there were plenty of positives. A sell-out crowd of 7,774 at the Hive Stadium against England set a new record for Scottish women's rugby, and player names were on the back of the jerseys for the first time ever.

Players, coaches and fans might be feeling low on the trip back from Belfast; once the dust has settled, there is plenty to smile about.

After another weekend of high drama in Scottish rugby, Glasgow rose to the top of the URC table while Scotland fell to defeat against Ireland, denying them a third place finish in the Six Nations.

Here's your views on that disappointing loss in Belfast:

Graham: I would've kicked the points to draw level near the end to take third position. That’s one that got away, but Scotland should be very proud of their achievements this year. My 14-year-old daughter plays rugby, and now she has some wonderful role models to look up to.

Geoff: It was a tough match against an improving Irish side. Many critical decisions went against the Scots, halting momentum. As the professionalism improves so must the discipline. This Scottish side has style and capability.

We also asked for your thoughts on Glasgow's dominant win over Zebre:

Joshua: Glasgow started slowly but finished well. Got the result we needed but would have been punished more in the first half hour by most other teams in the league.

Peter: Glasgow had what is becoming their trademark - a slow start. Zebre took the game to them and it looked like Glasgow were not expecting it. In the second half, it looked like a different team. Unfortunately, only playing well for 60 minutes is not going to be enough for the two games in South Africa.

Stuart: Good five-pointer for Warriors, but the slow starts are a worry. Seems it’s been a problem for both our two pro clubs and national side these past few seasons. Bulls will not be a push over in South Africa in our next match.

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Jamie Dobie says Glasgow Warriors "put things right" with their second-half performance in Italy as they took top spot in the URC.

France Smith's men led by eight at the break against Zebre before roaring clear with tries from Kyle Steyn (2), Jamie Dobie and George Horne to notch a 40-9 bonus-point triumph.

“We’re delighted to take the full five points," scrum half Dobie said.

"The game didn’t start how we wanted it to, we didn’t have many attacking opportunities apart from those two maul tries that we got before half-time.

“I think there will be frustrations with the first half overall. But we’re in a pretty good place.

“We had a good gathering at half-time and put a lot of our problems right in the second half using the attack and flair we have and we scored some really good tries.”

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Edinburgh flanker Jamie Ritchie praised his side's ability to dig deep for victory in Cardiff and boost their URC play-off hopes.

The hosts briefly levelled in the second half on Saturday but Edinburgh responded strongly with tries from Ewan Ashman and Boan Venter to secure a 24-7 win.

"It was tough, we knew they would be playing with a lot of emotions and we'd have to weather that storm," player of the match Ritchie told Premier Sports.

"I am really proud of how we weathered that and the tide turned when we were more clinical in other areas than they were."

Edinburgh occupy ninth place in the table, a point behind Benetton, Ulster and Connacht, with three games remaining in the race for the play-offs.

Skipper Grant Gilchrist said: "Every week is a cup final. We're embracing the pressure because it's a real privilege to be in the fight for the top eight."

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Scotland centre Lisa Thomson was left “absolutely gutted” by the narrow loss in Ireland that cost her side a third-place Six Nations finish and a spot in WXV1.

Bryan Easson’s side finished the championship fourth with nine points after wins over Wales and Italy, with their other defeats coming against top two England and France.

“We’ve not been pleased with our performances throughout the Six Nations but we’ve been finding a way to win,” said Thomson.

“We didn’t do that here [in Belfast] and those are the games when everything’s riding on it we need to find a way to win.”

Scotland’s defeat also kept them waiting for World Cup qualification and means they will defend their WXV2 title rather than play in WXV1.

“The championship as a whole would suggest we are moving forward but we wanted to finish it off in a way we deserved,” said head coach Easson.

“Now we have to focus on what we will learn from this championship, move on and look to come back and perform as best as we can. We’ll look forward to going to South Africa, contesting the title and making sure we qualify for the World Cup.

“The depth we have built in this squad and the performances we have put together have been good but our ability to put away opportunities is going to be the point of difference to take us to the next level.”

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Scottish Rugby have eased concerns over the condition of Caity Mattinson after the scrum-half was taken off on a stretcher in Saturday’s Six Nations loss to Ireland.

Mattinson received lengthy treatment on the pitch before departing before half-time of the 15-12 loss that consigned Scotland to a fourth-place finish.

A Scottish Rugby statement said: “We are pleased to confirm, after receiving medical care against Ireland yesterday, Caity Mattinson is back with the team and is doing well.”

What did you make of Scotland's defeat away to Ireland, as their Six Nations campaign ended in disappointment?

Have your say here.

A victorious afternoon away from home for both Scottish clubs. Glasgow beat Zebre in Parma, while Edinburgh won in Cardiff.

What did you make of the performances? Who stood out?

Let us know your thoughts here.

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Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt spoke to Premier Sports after his side's win away to Cardiff in the URC:

"We set a challenge for the last five games. It's a shame not to come away with the bonus point but it's an important win away from home.

"I'm happy we were able to pull through at the end against a relentless and resilient Cardiff.

"Hats off to them, they've had a good season, I know their results haven't gone their way. I thought we did really well to come back, we were under the pump from the first five minutes but we pulled through.

"I think we did well to keep Cardiff out in the first half. To keep them scoreless at half time was a good effort from our boys. I thought Cardiff defended well and you could see the emotion they put into their performance.

"I'm happy with the patience our boys put into the performance today."

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Glasgow Warriors lock Scott Cummings spoke to the club's media team after their comprehensive 9-40 win over Zebre:

"It was a great win in the end. Obviously coming here and putting 40 points up, you can't not be happy with that.

"I don't think we were happy with the way we started the game, Zebre obviously came out and performed well in that first half.

"We got a bit frightened, there were areas we could be a lot better and a lot more effective in.

"I think as the game went on we came into our own a little bit more and definitely got our structure going how we wanted it to. It all paid off in dividends at the end."