SEAN LINEEN has called for the annual winners of the Heineken European Cup to go head-to-head with the Super 14 champions in a dream rugby showdown.
Speaking at the announcement that Edinburgh is to stage the 2009 Euro final, Lineen said a battle of the hemispheres was an obvious match-up while backing the Europeans to give a good account of themselves.
Lineen, who arrived from New Zealand in
1988 and went on to gain Scottish caps on the strength of a Hebriddean grandfather before taking up his current position as Glasgow coach, said: "Home advantage would be important if a Northern/Southern Hemisphere match ever materialised.
"But if, for example, Munster were to take on Canterbury or Auckland in Limerick then I'd fancy the Irishmen."
Such a vote of confidence reflects the growing feel-good factor in European rugby especially with an increasing number of players crossing the world to pursue their careers.
Son of an ex-All Black, Lineen admitted the Heineken Cup was attracting envious glances down under.
"My family look at the Heineken Cup and are impressed with the intensity of the matches and the variety of the competition compared with Super 14, where it is the same teams playing each other every season.
"A meeting of the two champions has plenty of appeal but the difficulties fitting such a tie into the calendar must be respected."
As for the possibility of either Glasgow or Edinburgh going the whole way to the final next year, Lineen refused to discount such a possibility.
"It's long odds but we are entitled to dream and both sides are improving."
According to Lineen, that improvement can be furthered on the forthcoming national tour of Argentina when he'll have an assistant coaching role that will bring him back into contact with one of those he insists can shape a bright future north of the border – Ben Cairns. "Ben is one that got away when he signed for Edinburgh so far as Glasgow are concerned.
"He did play a game for Glasgow under the previous coaching set-up headed by Hugh Campbell and discussions were held.
"Instead he joined Edinburgh, taking with him tremendous pace that can worry defences and also a first-class attitude."
Meanwhile, regardless of possible Scottish involvement the eyes of the rugby world will be on Murrayfield more than ever this time next year, European Rugby chief executive Derek McGrath has admitted.
The weekend after the continent's blue riband club rugby event is held the Lions will play the first match of their eagerly awaited tour of South Africa against a Highveldt Select.
He said: "I don't know how (Lions coach) Ian McGeechan would view two teams from the home unions contesting the final with players who are going on to South Africa soon after. Maybe he'd prefer a French monopoly.
"Ideally we would want an international final with teams from opposing countries.
"That has been shown to be the best mix for visiting fans and creating wider public interest."
On the last occasion Murrayfield hosted the final, in 2005, Toulouse defeated fellow Frenchmen Stade Francais.
McGrath added: "If we were to get a couple of French teams in 2009 it would help benchmark how far the competition has come.
"When Dublin hosted the Toulouse v. Perpignan final in 2003 there were 28,600 present.
"By comparison 51,236 attended the all-French Murrayfield final.
"That exceeded our expectations and the final has been brought to Murrayfield again for a variety of reasons.
"It is also a chance to inject some energy into one of our stakeholder territories.
"Returning to Murrayfield helps raise awareness within another culture of the brand and Scottish teams have also been improving in Europe which is what we want to see and was one of the factors taken into account."
The full article contains 649 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
