Townsend urges players to follow his lead in France

GLASGOW coach Gregor Townsend has tasted European victory in the rich playground of Toulon and has urged his players to believe that they can do the same in the French stadium in October.

The Warriors have been handed an opening draw against the new Heineken Cup and French Top 14 champions, who feature an array of the world’s best players, on the first Sunday of European rugby followed by a home match against Exeter, while Edinburgh will launch their campaign against Munster at Murrayfield the previous day then travel to Perpignan.

Those will be severe tests for the Scottish teams, with Edinburgh seeking a lift after experiencing one of their worst seasons and Glasgow, despite enjoying a fine RaboDirect PRO12 campaign, needing to improve on a solitary Heineken pool win against Northampton.

It was with that club that fly-half Townsend claimed victory in Toulon in the first year of European competition, 1996-97. The Scot scored a try in an opening 38-29 win in the European Challenge Cup – the second-tier event – but the Saints lost by a point in the quarter-finals to Narbonne, one of seven French sides in the last eight.

“Toulon were not the force then that they are now,” he said, “and I also went there with Brive and we were winning by 20 points and lost by one, so I’ve experienced both sides.

“But I remember how unique that experience was, from the moment you step off the bus, and it is exciting to be going back there as a coach with a squad I believe can win there too.”

The Scotland players returned to training yesterday after a break following their South Africa exploits, while injured duo Ryan Wilson and Peter Horne have both undergone surgery on shoulder and knee injuries respectively that will rule Wilson out of the opening months and Horne until the spring.