Glasgow Warriors aim to start with a bang as they return to the top table of European rugby

Glasgow Warriors are looking to start with a bang as they kick off the revamped Investec Champions Cup with a home tie against Northampton Saints this evening.

Huw Jones is back in the Glasgow Warriors side for the first time since October after recovering from a foot injury. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Franco Smith’s side are back at the top table of European rugby after participating in the Challenge Cup last season. They did well in the second-tier tournament, reaching the final in Dublin, but were well beaten by Toulon.

They have the chance to make amends after the draw paired them with the French side in Pool 3, and they will also face Bayonne and old foes Exeter Chiefs, but it’s Northampton at Scotstoun for starters in what Smith believes is a worthy opening chapter for this season’s tournament.

“I think both teams have a similar DNA and that willingness to play with the ball is going to be important,” said the Warriors coach. “The team that is more precise and is more execution-driven will definitely have a better chance of winning the game. It will be a good game to watch and a good one to start the competition with. Hopefully it lives up to the expectation.

“It’s important to be back in the Champions Cup so we’re very excited about that. We’re facing some tough teams. Toulon and Exeter have been in the competition for a long time and then there’s Bayonne.”

European club rugby’s premier tournament has a new sponsor and a new format, and the revamp hasn’t won universal approval. Bernard Jackman, the former Ireland international turned pundit, wrote at the weekend that it was “nearly harder not to qualify than qualify” from the pool stage which sees the 24 teams split into four groups of six. Each club plays four matches and the top four from each group qualify for the round of 16, with the fifth-placed side dropping into the Challenge Cup.

Munster are the sixth team in Pool C but Glasgow will not face them as teams from the same league do not play each other. Nevertheless, the Irish side’s presence will have a significant impact on qualification as Smith’s side try to negotiate a path to the last 16. Their cause will be helped by the return of Scotland centre Huw Jones who is selected for the first time since October after recovering from a foot injury.