Glasgow Warriors can make history by claiming a first win on English soil at Bath today but will need help from elsewhere if they are to extend this season's European campaign.
Having been ruled out of Heineken Cup quarter-final contention by Sunday's defeat at the hands of Leinster a win at The Rec would give them a chance of reaching the last eight in the Amlin Challenge Cup.
With the two best pool runners-up going into the Heineken Cup quarter-finals, the third, fourth and fifth best runners-up drop into the Amlin Challenge Cup.
Glasgow are currently sixth placed among the teams in second place in the six pools and can only overtake the teams in either Pool 1 or in Pool 5 if scores elsewhere go their way.
Realistically, with try count separating teams in different pools who finish tied on points, their low haul of tries is such that they will only qualify if:
They win while in Pool 1 Northampton Saints lose to Munster and the Scarlets fail to win at Castres
They win with a bonus point while Northampton lose to Munster and Scarlets fail to get a bonus point, or in Pool 5 if Biarritz and the Ospreys draw without either of them getting a four-try bonus point.
Looking to the longer term the latest evidence of the growing strength in depth at Glasgow was meanwhile offered yesterday with Tom Ryder's call up into Scotland's training squad for the Six Nations Championship after Fraser McKenzie suffered a dislocated shoulder during Sale's home defeat by Brive in the Amlin Challenge Cup on Thursday.
Though not first choice at the club because he is up against Al Kellock, the Scotland captain and Richie Gray, Ryder has impressed both when starting in their absence or when coming off the bench, making 29 appearances in the league and six in the Heineken Cup since initially joining them on a two month loan from Saracens last season.
"I'm delighted and proud to have received the call-up to the squad. First and foremost, my focus is on helping Glasgow Warriors win tomorrow's massive Heineken Cup match, but I'm really looking forward to joining up with the rest of the Scotland squad, putting in a lot of hard work and challenging for a place," said Ryder.
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