Sean Lineen's irrepressible optimism was tested to the limit yesterday as he announced that neither Dan Parks nor Thom Evans will play in today's vital Heineken Cup opener in Newport.

Sean Lineen's irrepressible optimism was tested to the limit yesterday as he announced that neither Dan Parks nor Thom Evans will play in today's vital Heineken Cup opener in Newport.

Against a team who have won three successive matches while his have been struggling, the challenge confronting the Glasgow Warriors coach and his team was always formidable.

However, to be deprived of the man who has been the Magners League's top points scorer for the past two seasons and kicked the team to victory at the same venue in the league opener this season, as well as the competition's top try scorer this season, is a savage, two-fisted blow. "It was just not worth taking the risk with Dan," he explained. "If he got a bang on his damaged knee he'd be out for three months."

As for the loss of Evans, who has bagged five tries in as many matches even though the team have been far from performing at their optimum, the humour that can help take teams through adversity was in evidence.

Revealing that the former boy band member had required the services of a cosmetic surgeon after having the smile ripped off his face during last week's match, Lineen observed: "Thom's got to be kissable again."

In truth, the gash the winger has suffered was severe and there was no way he could be considered. Instead, Hefin O'Hare, a player of whose work ethic the coach is a great admirer, comes back on the wing while Colin Gregor has the even bigger task of filling Parks' boots. "Losing those two is not ideal, but we are going down there with players of whom we know what they can do," said Lineen.

If the general perception is that what both can do is relatively limited, Lineen's decision to opt for Gregor's experience over the highly promising Ruaridh Jackson is significant.

The sevens internationalist struggled last season when he got his chance during the World Cup, but Lineen felt that in Munster last week Gregor looked much more like the player who had kept Parks out of the side for a couple of games the previous season.

"Colin directed play well, was defensively good, stood up in the front line and some of his kicking was outstanding," said his coach.

For all their recent form, the Dragons at Rodney Parade do not represent as formidable foes as Munster at the opening of the new Thomond Park last weekend and a repeat performance may be enough. However, it will take real nerve to see the Warriors through.

Indeed, they would do as well as their Scottish rivals to pay heed to the message from Edinburgh's new signing as they go into today's opener against Leinster.

The reality is that both Scottish teams need to win today or they will effectively be out of the competition, and Jim Hamilton learned a great deal about such occasions in English rugby's most effective finishing school.

The lock had a frustrating time when he rejoined Leicester following a World Cup at which he had excelled for Scotland. However, following his summer transfer to the Scottish capital, he remains hugely respectful of the culture he left behind and is hoping to pass on some of the knowledge gleaned there.

"The Heineken Cup was massive for Leicester, it is a massive tournament, close to international level," he said. "Everyone likes playing rugby but when the Heineken Cup came along it always had that special feel to it, everyone was dying to play in it. Now I am delighted to be getting the chance to have a start, especially making my first start at home.

"Last season's Leicester game here shows where Edinburgh are going. They knocked Leicester out of the Heineken Cup. That shows the potential Edinburgh have got, they were unfortunate not to beat Toulouse and I hope that will give the guys some confidence; there are some big-game players here.

"The thing Leicester had, though, was that never-say-die attitude and they knew how to close a game," he said.

"If there was a point in it and we needed to score then we knew we had the players to do that. Again, if we were winning by one point, then we knew how to shut the game down.

"I was part of that, but you had the likes of Martin Corry and Neil Back as examples, the key was that they were still very calm."

Since all four Celtic teams involved in these two fixtures go in believing they cannot afford to lose, it is unlikely that either Scottish side will be clear with 10 minutes remaining today. Coolness and calculation will be key.