Franco Smith has plenty riding on Warriors beating Bulls in URC semi-final at Murrayfield

BULLS will be up against Franco Smith-captained Warriors in the URC semi-final on Saturday.

Glasgow Warriors coach Franco Smith has laughed off the suggestion that his team has scored an own goal by moving their United Rugby Championship semi-final against the Bulls from Glasgow to Edinburgh.

Any Scot will tell you that there is intense rivalry — and not a lot of love lost —between the residents of Scotland’s two biggest cities, but Smith says that when it comes to rugby, Murrayfield in Edinburgh is a neutral venue.

Smith, a proud son of Bloemfontein, says the relatively small number of rugby players in Scotland, and especially in soccer-powerhouse Glasgow, spend much of their season playing rugby in Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, where the sport is more popular.

“Scotland and Murrayfield in Edinburgh is still a long way from Pretoria, South Africa,” Smith told reporters with a smile.