PREVIEW: EDINBURGH v GLASGOW (Champ)

DERBY weekend for Scottish rivals Edinburgh and Glasgow starts at Armadale tonight (Friday) in what is billed as the biggest clash between the sides in six years.

The Monarchs won the league title when they met in the 2015 Grand Final, but have not beaten the Tigers since the final match of the 2018 season.

Both are firmly in the play-off picture with Glasgow going into the meeting top of the table and five points ahead of Edinburgh, who have two matches in hand.

Full-strength sides are expected despite a series of recent fitness doubts for the Monarchs, with Joe Lawlor due back after his Covid isolation.

Edinburgh star Josh Pickering said: “I don’t get built up – at first it is really hard as you can tell how much it means, it’s the only time you see Alex (Harkess) on the track walk with us and things like that, but we can only control ourselves.

“I’ve said to the boys you just treat these meetings like any other. You can’t be getting off-task – you have to just do your job, race your bike and it will take care of itself.”

Glasgow boss Cami Brown said: “We have to make getting a point our target and then see where it takes us. They have strength in depth. In saying that, we don’t go there with any fear – because we’re on a winning run again.

“Sunday at home will be massive. If we win our home match that’s the most important thing. Anything on Friday is a real bonus.”

The meeting is live streamed via EMTV and with increased capacity in the stadium this will now only be available to those outside a 25-mile radius of the track.

EDINBURGH: Sam Masters, Nathan Greaves, Kye Thomson, Josh Pickering, Richie Worrall, Joe Lawlor, William Lawson.
GLASGOW: Craig Cook, Sam Jensen, Ricky Wells, Broc Nicol, Ulrich Ostergaard, Connor Bailey, Justin Sedgmen.