Put your rugby questions to Tom English & Andy Burkepublished at 17:29
17:29
As usual on a Monday, we're giving you the chance to put your burning rugby questions to our reporters, Tom English and Andy Burke.
Whether it's looking back on Glasgow and Edinburgh's weekend action, looking further ahead to the Lions tour, or anything else Scottish rugby related, our team are ready.
Send your questions via this link and they will be answered on this page later on in the week.
Bulls 42-33 Edinburgh: Three things we learnedpublished at 11:00
11:00
Andrew Petrie BBC Sport Scotland
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Edinburgh find courage to end season with pride
Sean Everitt talked about a fast start and a strong finish. He got both of those, but it was the bit in the middle that saw the Bulls pull out of sight.
However, the fight Edinburgh showed to get ahead and then set up a tense-ish finale was irable.
They were able to pick themselves up off the canvas after the three-try blitz that would have left others floored. Tries from Ewan Ashman and Wes Goosen made a game of it, but they just couldn't climb the mountain.
If only they could show that hunger, fight and desire in every game, they wouldn't have had to face the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld - one of the hardest away days in the league.
Young guns offer hope for next season
There was a moment in the final 10 minutes that threatened to swing the game back Edinburgh's way.
Ali Price's up-and-under was chased by Harry Paterson, who smashed Canan Moodie back. Liam McConnell, the 20-year-old back-row just off the bench, cleaned out the ruck. Ben Muncaster followed to win the ruck penalty.
Three young players, all with huge futures, combining to set up a potential game-swinging moment. It didn't quite work out like that - the subsequent line-out was turned over by the Bulls - but it showed there is hope for the future.
With Dave Cherry away, promising hooker Paddy Harrison will get even more game time after a breakthrough season. Freddy Douglas, Muncaster and Liam McConnell will be knocking on the door. Tom Currie, too.
Connor McAlpine was on the bench for this one, with fellow scrum-half Hector Patterson also highly regarded. No scrum-half replacement will be sought for the outgoing Price.
Bradbury shows captain's qualities again
In the absence of co-captains Grant Gilchrist and Ben Vellacott, both missing through injury, it was once again Magnus Bradbury's turn to wear the armband.
It is now a long time since he was stripped off the captaincy due to an off-field incident, aged just 22.
Here, he delivered another stellar performance with the weight of responsibility having no burden at all.
He bungled one restart, which did prove costly, but spoke well after the game about how Edinburgh have had a tough season, but how they should be a top-four team.
Lofty ambitions? Sure. But if he can lift his team-mates to play at his level, there's no reason why they shouldn't be aiming that high.
Your views as Glasgow win & Edinburgh lose in URC quarter-finalspublished at 21:36 1 June
21:36 1 June
We asked for your thoughts after Glasgow beat Stormers and Edinburgh lost to Bulls in the URC quarter-finals.
Here's a taste of what you had to say:
GLASGOW
Stuart: Same as last year - game management was spot on. Played in the right areas when it mattered. Hopefully we can do the same next Saturday.
Ken: Glasgow starting to peak just at the right time.
Graeme: What a great result for the Warriors. I thought Tom Jordan was excellent and a good few others. Very proud to be a GW er. Bring on Leinster. Two in a row?
Charlie: Great victory. Some fantastic attacking play and many excellent performances from the backs. A colossal performance by the departing Henco Venter.
EDINBURGH
Steve: It appears Edinburgh hit the elevation wall a good 20 minutes before the Bulls, having been in control and playing as well as they have seen all season. A fair result on balance, but strange that our normally prolific ruck penalty count was so low.
Stair: Great end of season for Edinburgh. With 40 minutes gone we were the best team. As always we fell away in the third 20, only to come back into the game and almost create an upset. Far better outcome than I thought possible after our home surrender to Zebre some weeks ago. Well done and let's look forward to next year.
Glasgow 36-18 Stormers: Three things we learnedpublished at 11:23 1 June
11:23 1 June
Andy Burke BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter
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Image caption,
Glasgow Warriors are one game away from a second successive URC final
Darge responds to Lions disappointment
Rory Darge told BBC Scotland on last week's Scotland Rugby Podcast he's using the disappointment of missing out on selection for the British and Irish Lions as motivation. It certainly looked that way against the Stormers.
Darge was outstanding. Time and again he chopped down the big South African ball carriers and stymied their momentum by being his usual menace at the breakdown.
He led the way in the tackle charts with 23 and threw in two turnovers for good measure.
He is consistently good at the best of times, but a Rory Darge with a point to prove? That's one heck of a weapon for Glasgow in this United Rugby Championship play-off run-in.
Jordan shows his class
Tom Jordan is another player who can feel slightly aggrieved at missing out on the Lions after his sterling Six Nations performances for Scotland.
Warriors fans still feel aggrieved they will not see Jordan at Scotstoun next season, with the fly-half heading for Bristol this summer.
Four clean breaks, eight defenders beaten and 100m made tells only part of the story of Jordan's performance.
He was constantly testing the Stormers defence, refusing to be put down in the tackle, and the way he pumped up the crowd in key moments demonstrated a ferocious will to win.
Jordan will be a seismic loss to the team and the club, as a player and a character. Glasgow will hope he has one, ideally two, big performances left in him.
Things to work on for semi-final
It was a rather curious game in some respects.
Warriors lost the penalty count 16-4. Normally a disparity like that means the team on the wrong end is also on the wrong end of the result.
A combination of five excellent tries, some titanic goal-line defence and the Stormers sloppy handling meant being on the wrong side of the officials did not prove costly, but Glasgow will need to sort that out in the semi-final against Leinster.
The scrum, in the absence of Zander Fagerson, also creaked at various points and after the game Franco Smith identified the set piece as an area that must improve before next weekend.
There is a definite sense, however, that the defending champions are starting to show what they're all about.
Steyn relishes 'unreal night' as Glasgow sweep aside Stormerspublished at 15:57 31 May
15:57 31 May
Andy Burke BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter
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Captain Kyle Steyn says Glasgow were motivated to give their departing players another week in the Warriors shirt as they swept the Stormers aside to reach the United Rugby Championship semi-finals.
The reigning champions ran in five tries to seal a 36-18 victory over the South African side and set up a showdown against either Leinster or Scarlets, who meet in Dublin on Saturday, in the last four.
The likes of Henco Venter and Tom Jordan are among a number of players leaving the club this summer, and Steyn was delighted they were able to enjoy a special night under the lights at Scotstoun.
"If it is the last one at home then I'm really chuffed for those men because they deserve a send-off like that," Steyn told BBC Scotland.
"It was just an unreal night, the way the fans got behind us. I got goose bumps the way they clapped Henco off at the end.
"We're really chuffed that we've earned another week to be out there with them and ready to rip into it.
"At this time of year it's not about being perfect. It's about being able to kind of roll with the dice and just keep going no matter what.
"I was really proud of our big boys up front. I thought the way they defended when we were close on our line really set the tone for us and then the backs were good off the back of that."
Bulls 42-33 Edinburgh: Have your saypublished at 15:35 31 May
15:35 31 May
A 12-minute blitz at the start of the second half helped the Bulls roar back from behind to knock Edinburgh out of the United Rugby Championship play-offs at the quarter-final stage.
What did you make of that one, Edinburgh fans? Was it just a bridge too far?
Who impressed you out in Pretoria? And did you gain any confidence for next season?
Bulls 42-33 Edinburgh: What Everitt saidpublished at 15:32 31 May
15:32 31 May
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Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt told BBC Scotland: "You've got to deny entries 22. We weren't able to force enough rucks on the ball, and when they kept the ball in alive, - Keaghan Johannes' try is an example of that - they are really hard to stop. They've got a lot of pace up right.
"We wanted to stop momentum and force them to play from slow ball, but it wasn't always possible.
"We're disappointed in how we executed our kicking game, because they did win the aerial battle today. Some of those scraps that fall on the floor, it's a bounce of the ball, you need a little bit of luck as far as that's concerned.
"It was more around the the kicking game in the middle, third of the game that probably led to their win."
Glasgow 36-18 Stormers: Have your saypublished at 21:59 30 May
21:59 30 May
Glasgow fans, what did you make of your side's display as they swept Stormers aside to reach the URC semi-finals?
Glasgow 36-18 Stormers: What Smith saidpublished at 21:54 30 May
21:54 30 May
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Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith tells Premier Sports: "We were a little bit off it [at the end of the regular season] but I'm glad we could bounce back.
"We speak the whole season about the quality of the competition and quality of the sides. There was no easy game, always tough.
"Rory Darge played well, Henco Venter and Tom Jordan were also excellent tonight.
"It's good to have played Friday night. We get to wait and see and whatever comes our way, we will make sure we recover well.
"Good people make good players. We tried too hard to finish second in the competition and the weight of playing the semi-finals at home became too much in the end.
"It's a different competition. It's knockout rugby. It brings more excitement. The boys have learned and adapted. They really work hard and they believe in what we do."
Van Der Merwe out as Ritchie starts for Edinburgh in quarter-finalpublished at 15:21 30 May
15:21 30 May
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Image caption,
Jamie Ritchie will make what could be his final Edinburgh apperance
Duhan van der Merwe misses out on Edinburgh's URC quarter-final against Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday as head coach Sean Everitt makes just one change.
Scotland wing Van Der Merwe, who has been sidelined since March with ankle ligament damage, has resumed training and is with the squad in South Africa.
But Everitt said: "He's probably still a few days away from being ready to return to full match action. We're managing his return carefully to ensure he's fully prepared when he does step back onto the field."
Jamie Ritchie, who will Perpignan this summer, starts at blindside flanker as Ben Muncaster drops to the bench from the team that beat Ulster to clinch a play-off spot.
"We know the Bulls are always a massive physical threat, especially here at Loftus," added Everitt.
"To compete, and to win, we will need to be at our absolute very best. That means bringing ion and intensity, but crucially, it also demands composure and clinical discipline for the full 80 minutes."
Edinburgh XV to face Bulls: Goosen, Graham, Currie, Lang, Paterson, Thompson, Price, Schoeman, Ashman, Rae, Sykes, Skinner, Ritchie, Watson, Bradbury
What is play-off success for Glasgow & Edinburgh? Does Russell get a raw deal?published at 18:01 29 May
18:01 29 May
BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering some of your Scottish rugby questions
Jamie asked: What is success for Glasgow and Edinburgh in the play-offs? Is it crazy to think Edinburgh have a better chance at the title?
Tom answered: Let's talk Glasgow first. They have to beat the Stormers at home, that's a given. On current form, I'm worried. Anything other than a victory and the season will go down as a disappointment.
If they win, their problem then is that because they fell away to fourth they'll probably have to go to Dublin. They took the tough road to glory last season but this season looks even tougher.
With their injuries, I can't see them beating Leinster in Dublin. A competitive semi-final defeat would go down as a decent title defence in my book.
I wouldn't say Edinburgh have a better chance. They have a really hard assignment away to Bulls on Saturday and if they win that then, on seeding, they'll be playing Sharks away in the semi-final and, again on seeding, Leinster away in the final.
That's a brutal run. If they win the URC then forget the chat about Sean Everitt keeping his job, the only thing up for debate at that point will be where to put his statue.
Graham asked: With George Turner ing Harlequins can we look forward to him being part of the Scotland set-up again? We've missed him.
Tom Tom answered: Totally agree Scotland have missed him. He's still the best hooker and it's good news he's back close to home.
For, me, if he's still playing close to his best, he's first choice for Scotland. I hope he's making himself available come the autumn.
Davie asked: Great win for Bath in the Challenge Cup final but what has Finn Russell go to do? He got slated by the radio comms for having a poor game, this is the same commentator that criticises him for being a maverick. But when he controls a game behind a strong pack it's clearly not good enough either.
Tom answered: People are allowed their opinion. In my view, Finn Russell's game management is outstanding. Some have an outdated view of him as some kind of Harlem Globetrotter, but it's wildly unfair.
He's one of the best 10s I have seen and he's more mature now than he's ever been. His performance in the Challenge Cup final was quietly authoritative. No bells and whistles, just calm and dominant. The anti-maverick.
Put him behind a strong pack, as he'll have in the summer with the Lions, and he'll be brilliant. He can deliver the flashes of genius, but that's only part of what he is.
V.I.Pip asked: If Aberdeen, against all the odds, can win the Scottish Cup for the first time in 35 years, what's holding Scotland back from a Grand Slam? It's clearly about belief within the squad and clear, concise messaging from the management.
Tom answered: If only it was so easy. Scotland don't win championships or Grand Slams because they have to win four or five games in a row, with some of them against physically superior opponents.
They haven't been good enough to do that. They haven't had the artillery up front, where most rugby games are decided.
With all due respect to Aberdeen's opponents in the early rounds of the Scottish Cup, they were lower league. Then they beat nine-man Hearts in the semi-final. A Six Nations is a lot harder than that. You're playing against some of the best teams in the world. The attrition is through the roof.
I think these Scotland players believe in themselves, and they're a very fine side, but they're just not as good as Ireland and .
Glasgow ring changes for quarter-final against Stormerspublished at 13:43 29 May
13:43 29 May
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Image caption,
Tom Jordan will start at fly-half for Glasgow
Glasgow Warriors are able to call upon Josh McKay and Henco Venter for Friday's URC quarter-final against Stormers, but will be without Scotland centre Huw Jones who has an Achilles problem.
McKay returns from injury while Venter is available again following suspension amid several changes to the side beaten by Leinster in the final match of Glasgow's regular league season.
Gregor Hiddleston and Murphy Walker Jamie Bhatti in the front row and Scott Cummings partners Alex Samuel in the second row.
George Horne and Tom Jordan are the preferred half-backs, Stafford McDowall replaces Huw Jones alongside Sione Tuipulotu, while Kyle Rowe shifts to the wing to accommodate McKay at full-back.
"The Stormers will pose one of the most dangerous attacking threats in the competition tomorrow night, and we know that we must be at our best to meet the challenge they will bring," head coach Franco Smith said.
"They have the ability to hurt any team with ball in hand, mixing a physical forward pack with a backline that can spark something from anywhere.
"We know how special an atmosphere Scotstoun can provide on nights like these."
Glasgow Warriors XV to face Stormers: McKay, Rowe, McDowall, Tuipulotu, Steyn, Jordan, Horne; Bhatti, Hiddleston, Walker, Samuel, Cummings, Ferrie, Darge, Venter.
Thompson eager to end first Edinburgh season on a highpublished at 10:22 29 May
10:22 29 May
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Ross Thompson feels he has "grown" as a player in his first season with Edinburgh and is determined to help Sean Everitt's side progress in the play-offs.
The 26-year-old stand-off has started 16 of 18 league games since his move from Glasgow last summer.
Speaking to prior to Saturday's quarter-final against Bulls in Pretoria, Thompson said: "I think there's definitely things I can get better at, but I feel like I've grown.
"As the team performances have got a bit better, I feel like I've been playing a little bit better.
"I'm really happy here, I'm really glad I made the move and I've enjoyed this season. Hopefully there's still a few games left for us."
Thompson won the last of his seven Scotland caps on the 2024 summer tour of the Americas, but is fully focused on club matters for now.
Asked if he had hopes of earning a recall to Gregor Townsend's squad for this summer's tour of the South Pacific, the fly-half said: "I'm not too sure to be honest, I'm not giving it too much thought. I'm just looking forward to this quarter-final and the chance to go far in knockout rugby.
"We did it in the Challenge Cup, got to a semi-final, and it's really exciting to be a part of."
'We know what's coming' - Darge braced for intense Stormers challengepublished at 09:50 29 May
09:50 29 May
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Rory Darge has warned his Glasgow Warriors team-mates to be ready for an intense mental and physical challenge against Stormers at Scotstoun on Friday night.
The sides meet in the URC quarter-finals in Glasgow for the second successive season, with Franco Smith's side winning 27-10 a year ago on their way to the title.
Speaking on the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast, flanker Darge said: "Really excited for it. We had last week with no games, so a good amount of time to prep for what is a really big game at Scotstoun.
"I feel like we're in a really good place, all the real hard work's done other than once we get to Friday night.
"We know Stormers are going to be really physical, a really good outfit, so it's a massive challenge to progress to the semis.
"We know what's coming this Friday. I the quarter-final last year and the start of the game and the intensity the Stormers brought. We are under no illusion where we need to be mentally on Friday.
"We have to be absolutely aware of what it's going to take from us and where we're going to need to be mentally to compete against these guys because we know they'll have so much attitude and desire."
Dargey, 25, is using his omission from the British and Irish Lions squad to tour Australia this summer as a "motivator".
"If I'm honest, before the announcement, I didn't really have it in my head, I thought the back row is so competitive I didn't think that I was going to be in the squad," he said.
"Then you see your mates get announced and you feel delighted for them but gutted you're not involved in something as special as that. And then it pretty soon turns into a bit of a motivator for me anyway.
"I know how much I put into this game so why should other people get to experience that? I'm not saying that from a negative point of view, it's purely a positive point of view, I was delighted for the guys that are involved and it just was a bit of a motivator for me, really, and something to aspire to."
'Great asset' Rowe signs new Glasgow dealpublished at 16:19 28 May
16:19 28 May
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"Great asset" Kyle Rowe has much more to give after g a new two-year deal with Glasgow Warriors, says head coach Franco Smith.
The Scotland winger has become a key part of Smith's side since arriving from London Irish two years ago.
Also comfortable at full-back, the URC title winner has scored 16 tries in 35 games for Glasgow, who host Stormers in the quarter-finals on Friday.
"It was a really straightforward decision for me," Rowe said on his new deal. "I love being part of this club and the group we have here, so it was an easy decision to make.
"The style we play here really suits my game, and I love pulling on the jersey. Everyone here always drives each other forward, and I know we'll take that energy forward into the quarter-final too.
"There's a real buzz about the place ahead of this weekend, because these are the matches that you want to be involved in. Everyone's pulling in the same direction and we want to go do something special as a club once more."
Head coach Smith added: "Kyle is someone who we believe has only scratched the surface of his potential, and his ion for representing both Glasgow Warriors and Scotland is clear to see whenever he takes to the field.
"His ability to cover both wing and full-back is a great asset to us as a squad, as is his innate try-scoring ability and willingness to work without the ball."
Listen: Ritchie & Darge on URC ties & Lions disappointmentpublished at 11:48 28 May
11:48 28 May
With the URC quarter-finals looming this weekend, Edinburgh's Jamie Ritchie and Glasgow's Rory Darge the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast to talk play-offs, Lions disappointment and more.