Dave Rennie turns focus to 1872 Cup clashes

Glasgow Warriors head coach Dave Rennie has urged his side to take their Champions Cup frustrations out on Edinburgh in the PRO14 next week.

The Warriors’ hopes of making the knockout phase suffered a blow on Saturday as they went down to La Rochelle at Scotstoun in a 12-7 defeat.

Rennie believes back-to-back victories over English pair Exeter Chiefs and Sale Sharks next month with at least one bonus point might still rescue the situation, but for now he is turning his mind back to domestic matters and the upcoming 1872 Cup fixtures against their Scottish rivals.

“We’ll be up for next weekend,” Rennie told the club’s official website. “We’re hugely disappointed about Saturday, but we’ve got to move on.

“We’re going into a period of tough games in the Guinness PRO14 and we’ve got to be up for them now.

“As for Europe, we probably need to beat both Exeter and Sale to qualify the way a couple of groups are looking. You’re going to need some big numbers to get through, 19 points or something is looking like the target. Saturday isn’t terminal for us, but it’s tougher now for sure.”

Rennie was speaking before Sunday’s other pool game between Exeter and Sale which the Chiefs won 35-10 to move 10 points clear of Glasgow in the group.