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'I played at Edinburgh... I class some of the boys as really good friends'

By PA
Scotland's Jamie Bhatti (left) and Magnus Bradbury during a training session at Oriam High Performance Centre, Edinburgh. Picture date: Tuesday January 25, 2022. (Photo by Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images)

Glasgow prop Jamie Bhatti is well aware of the significance of their derby clash against Edinburgh.

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The winners of Saturday’s encounter will clinch Heineken Champions Cup rugby next season with the losers having to settle for Challenge Cup action.

With Warriors ahead of Edinburgh on points difference in seventh place in the United Rugby Championship, the BT Murrayfield clash will also determine the venue of their quarter-final opponents with the losing side set to travel to Leinster.

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Bhatti told the Warriors’ media team: “We have not really spoken about it that much but it’s in the back of our minds that this is going to define what’s going to happen for us next season as well.

“It’s massive for us going forward because we want to be playing against the best teams in Europe next season and this game is a stepping stone to do that.”

The 1872 Cup is also up for grabs with Glasgow 13 points in front following the first leg but individual prizes are potentially at stake too.

“It’s a derby game and you are playing against your mates,” Bhatti said. “We are all mates. I played at Edinburgh for a season pre-Covid and I have got a lot of good mates that I still keep in contact with. I class some of the boys as really good friends of mine.

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“There is a fun side of it, playing against your mates, but obviously you want to get one up on the competition as well – because there is the bigger picture when it comes to the national team and selection for that. You want to get an upper hand on the competition.”

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f
fl 23 minutes ago
‘The problem with this year’s Champions Cup? Too many English clubs’

"Yes I was the one who suggested to use a UEFA style point. And I guessed, that based on the last 5 years we should start with 6 top14, 6 URC and 4 Prem."

Yes I am aware that you suggested it, but you then went on to say that we should initially start with a balance that clearly wasn't derived from that system. I'm not a mind reader, so how was I to work out that you'd arrived at that balance by dint of completely having failed to remember the history of the competition.


"Again, I was the one suggesting that, but you didn't like the outcome of that."

I have no issues with the outcome of that, I had an issue with a completely random allocation of teams that you plucked out of thin air.

Interestingly its you who now seem to be renouncing the UEFA style points system, because you don't like the outcome of reducing URC representation.


"4 teams for Top14, URC and Prem, 3 teams for other leagues and the last winner, what do you think?"

What about 4 each + 4 to the best performing teams in last years competition not to have otherwise qualified? Or what about a UEFA style system where places are allocated to leagues on the basis of their performance in previous years' competitions?

There's no point including Black Lion if they're just going to get whitewashed every year, which I think would be a possibility. At most I'd support 1 team from the Rugby Europe Super Cup, or the Russian Championship being included. Maybe the best placed non-Israeli team and the Russian winners could play off every year for the spot? But honestly I think its best if they stay limited to the Challenge Cup for now.

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