Guinness Pro 12’s Edinburgh and Aviva Premierships’ Gloucester descend on the home of Harlequins’ Twickenham Stoop on Friday evening, as they meet in the final of the European Challenge Cup.
The encounter at ‘the stoop’ is a pre-cursor to the inaugural Champions Cup final at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon between French giants Toulon and Clermont Auvergne, as Gloucester go in search of a title they last won in 2006, whilst Edinburgh appear in their first European club final.
Edinburgh head down to the English capital having won five of the last six games in all competitions, as their form has improved since the turn of the year under the guidance of head coach, Alan Solomans. The Scottish capital outfit now find themselves on the cusp of automatic qualification to the European Champions Cup through the Pro 12 league, and last weekend they warmed up for this weekend’s final in perfect fashion, trouncing bottom-placed, Zebre, 37-0 at Murrayfield.
A brace from back-rower, Roddy Grant, plus further tries from wing, Dougie Fife, hookers, Ross Ford and Stuart McInally, alongside 12 points from the boot of Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, gave the Scottish side a resounding win over their Italian visitors, as they enter this Friday’s evening European tie having scored 82 points in their last two fixtures, including another big win in the Challenge Cup’s semi-final at Murrayfield, against Welsh outfit, Newport Gwent Dragons.
Although at home, Edinburgh faced an equally in-form side in the Dragons two weeks ago, however the hosts blew the South-Welsh outfit apart with four converted tries, an unconverted try and four penalties from kicking, scrum-half, Hidalgo-Clyne, who starred in the European semi with 25 points in the Scottish side’s 45-16 victory.
Lock, Ben Toolis, celebrates as Edinburgh dismantled the Dragons in their Challenge Cup semi-final.
Spanish born-Scot, Hidalgo-Clyne, has impressed throughout this year’s Challenge Cup and his points haul in the last round took his tally in the competition to 91, as he leads his Edinburgh team as top point’s scorer. The scrum-half turned in a man-of-the-match performance during Edinburgh’s quarter-final in a 23-18 success away at the Madjeski Stadium against London Irish, following eye-catching displays in the pool stage, as the Scottish capital negotiated their way through a group including Lyon, Bordeaux Begles and London Welsh, as pool winners.
Gloucester head east across the country on Friday evening on the back of consecutive victories in the Challenge Cup’s semi-final and English Premiership, as their new look squad continues to acclimatise in the south-west. The Cherry and Whites currently sit ninth domestically as a Champions Cup playoff berth still remains mathematically possible with two games left to play, albeit unlikely.
The Kingsholm outfit welcomed Newcastle Falcons to their home last time out as they triumphed late-on in a pulsating 42-40 victory. The hosts trailed 27-13 at half-time and were still 40-23 down with 10 minutes remaining, however two quickfire tries from England international, Billy Twelvetrees and Henry Purdy put Gloucester within touching distance of a losing bonus point becoming four winning points, and in the dying moments their continued momentum prevailed, as Billy Burns touched down to snatch an all-important win ahead of Friday evening’s final.
Last Saturday’s victory at Kingsholm was a second in succession, following their Challenge Cup semi-final win against Premiership-rivals Exeter Chiefs, almost a fortnight ago. With the Chiefs battling for Premiership playoff qualification, the Cherry and Whites flipped the league table on its head as they defeated the Devon outfit 30-19, through tries from winger, Bill Meakes, Tom Savage and Jonny May, plus a penalty from James Hook, alongside 12 further points from the boot of former Edinburgh scrum-half, Greig Laidlaw.
Laidlaw joined Gloucester last summer from Edinburgh in a host of changes at Kingsholm, and Director of Rugby, David Humphrey’s side have had greater success in Europe than domestically this campaign. New scrum-half, Laidlaw, is his side’s top point’s scorer in Europe’s second-tier competition, on 67, as he kicked two successful conversions in Gloucester’s narrow 14-7 win over Irish side, Connact, in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals.
Humphrey’s side enter Friday evening’s showpiece event with an 100% record in the competition this season as they cruised through their group with six wins from six, in a pool which included Oyonnax, Zebre and Brive, resulting in the south-west outfit qualifying for the knockout stages as top seeds, and with Champions Cup playoff qualification realistically out of reach domestically, the Challenge Cup now offers Gloucester hope of a European top-tier playoff berth with a final victory.
The standout matchup within the two sides on Friday is undoubtedly either sides goal-kicking, scrum-halves in Laidlaw and Hidalgo-Clyne. With the impending World Cup, both players are vying for a place in Vern Cotter’s Scotland starting XV, with five-cap Hidalgo-Clyne hot on the heels of 39-cap and Scottish captain, Laidlaw, however the young Edinburgh srcum-half has been quick to dismiss the suggestion it’s all about himself and his counterpart during the week; "It's not Sam against Greig - it's Edinburgh against Gloucester," he said.
"It's not about getting a cheap shot on him. It is about playing my usual game and hopefully, if we do things right, we'll get the better of him and win."
Pressed on whether he saw the weekend’s final as being decisive in Scotland boss Cotter’s international selection, Hidalgo-Clyne said; "It is always going to be in the back of your mind, but I don't think it is going to be a one-off game that will influence the decision."
"Vern and the coaching staff have been watching us all season."
Other potential matchup’s within the backs at the Twickenham Stoop this weekend, is between the top-try scorers for either side within the Challenge Cup this season. Gloucester’s, Charlie Sharples, has touched down five times for the Cherry and Whites during their European campaign, whilst fellow and opposing winger, Fife, has struck four times in the Scottish sides road to the final, including a score in Edinburgh’s dominant semi-final win.
With both sides in recent free-scoring form and possessing further attaching threats such as England wing, May (Gloucester), and Scotland wing, Tim Visser (Edinburgh), it could be easy to overlook the defensive efforts from two of the Challenge Cup’s most stifling defences.
Gloucester Flanker, Matt Kvesic, is in fine form this season with four tries in the Challenge Cup and leading his club in tackles and turnovers.
Former Worcester Warriors and now Cherry and White, Matt Kvesic, has a club high 97 tackles and eight turnovers within the competition this season, whilst Edinburgh’s, Grant, leads the Scottish capital with 70 tackles and 4 turnovers, as both back-rowers look set to continue their commanding presence at the heart of potential title glory for either side on Friday evening.
The European Challenge Cup has been a welcome distraction from domestic struggles for Edinburgh and Gloucester this season, and with Champions Cup rugby for 2015/16 in sight for both clubs, claiming victory in this weekend's final would be an historic end to indiffering campaigns for the trophy-starved duo.