Friday 1 May 2015 10:11, UK
Friday's European Challenge Cup final could be the game of the weekend, says Dewi Morris...
The big game of the weekend takes place at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon, but I think Friday's Challenge Cup final could better it.
Toulon and Clermont is possibly going to be a slugfest between two of the heavyweights of French rugby, but in the Challenge you have two sides who can play some excellent attacking rugby.
We're in for a battle royale at the Stoop as Edinburgh and Gloucester lock horns, and it's a fantastic springboard for players who have World Cup aspirations.
I must say I was incredibly impressed with Gloucester during their win over Exeter, who I had tipped to progress. They've had an indifferent season and struggled for consistency but they outperformed the Chiefs all over the pitch. The biggest thing for them was that they kept it going for 80 minutes. Matt Kvesic was outstanding, Tom Savage in the second row was my man of the match, and the appetite of the whole squad was impressive. It was like the good old days in the Shed.
Likewise, Edinburgh blitzed the Dragons in their semi-final. The modern day game is built on the strength and physicality of your forwards and the Dragons were blown away by a mighty performance from the Edinburgh pack.
The Dragons couldn't get the ball to their backs, their kicking was poor and their lineout fell apart. It was almost like watching an old-fashioned cup game where an amateur side pulls one of the big guys and their scrum goes back quicker than a motocaddy down the M4. The Dragons aren't a bad side; Edinburgh just produced a performance equal to what Gloucester produced against Exeter. They didn't allow them to settle.
Friday's final is a difficult game to predict. Gloucester need another big performance from Kvesic and Co to stem the flow of forward power that Edinburgh will bring.
It's also the duel of the Scottish scrum-halves as ex-Edinburgh man Greig Laidlaw comes against highly-rated youngster Sam Hidalgo-Clyne. When Alan Solomons first moved to Edinburgh, he tipped Hidalgo-Clyne to play at the highest level, including the British and Irish Lions. His pace, his ability to move off the mark and his goal-kicking were excellent against the Dragons. OK, his pack gave him an armchair ride but it was a similar case for Laidlaw against Exeter.
With a World Cup on the horizon, both players will be fighting tooth and nail for the Scotland No 9 shirt. Friday's game will probably come down to kicks, so we have a great battle in prospect.
The two packs will be snarling at each other, and if they can give their backs some good ball, we could be in for a cracker.
The Stoop is a fantastic place to play and the supporters travelling down are as well stay for Saturday's Champions Cup final and have a double hangover. The hangover will only be from the weak London beer though, not the quality of rugby on offer!
There is another huge game taking place at Ashton Gate on Saturday afternoon as Bristol face Rotherham Titans in the first leg of the Championship semi-finals.
The teams also met in last year's semi-finals, where Bristol were expected to blow Lee Blackett's men away, it went down to the wire. Bristol scraped a 17-14 win in the first leg, before Ryan Jones' influence saw them come from behind to take the second leg 22-11.
I went to watch Bristol training on Thursday and their captain Dwayne Peel seems to be orchestrating the ship. Sean Holley and Andy Robinson believe they have a stronger, more relaxed squad, and they come into the game on the back of ending Worcester’s unbeaten home record last weekend.
Rotherham are the perennial underdogs but they play a fantastic brand of rugby, and if they get parity up front we’re in for an excellent game. The first leg last year was spoiled by the weather but Saturday is due to be quite dry, so it’s all to play for.
There are a lot of reputations on the line. Worcester are playing London Scottish and the bookies – as well as myself – are going for a Worcester v Bristol final, which was tipped the beginning of the season. Barring an incredible sequence of results, that will indeed be the case.
Bristol got it all wrong in last year’s play-off final against London Welsh. Heads will roll if they don’t get up to the Premiership this year.
Watch Edinburgh v Gloucester live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7pm on Friday night, and Bristol v Rotherham Titans on Sky Sports 3 HD from 1pm on Saturday.
