Glasgow Warriors have one thing to do on Friday night in Dublin against Toulon in the European Challenge Cup final, and it can be summed up in three letters – win.

If they do so they will make history as the first Scottish club to win a European trophy. Lose and they will still be respected for their magnificent run to the final, showing great promise for seasons to come.

How much better would it be to win, however. You may say let them win it for Scotland and Scottish rugby, let them win it for the great city of Glasgow, the dear green place of my birth, let them win it for the growing number of diehard Warriors’ fans, let them win it for the club and the coaches and all the staff, but I would say this to them – go out and beat Toulon and win the Challenge Cup for yourselves.

For victory will bring sporting immortality, and in the hopefully many years they will have left on this planet, each member of the squad will be able to say to their children and grandchildren and anybody else who will listen: “I was there, we did this thing, we won the cup”.

Over the years I have interviewed many winners in many sports, and very few of them boast about winning, but all of them know how important it was to win. Just look at the tributes paid last week to Aberdeen FC on the 40th anniversary of their magnificent European Cup-Winners’ Cup victory over Real Madrid in Gothenburg.

I am not saying that type of hero worship will await the Warriors if they win, but in rugby terms there will be deserved adulation for a piece of history.

So how do Glasgow win against a mighty French side, former winners of the Champions Cup?

First, I have to say that Toulon got a huge let-off when Charles Ollivon’s red card for his shoulder-to-head tackle on Benetton’s Matteo Minozzi was rescinded.

Having looked at it a dozen times, yes it was questionable whether Ollivon intended to make the tackle in the way he did, but he certainly was reckless and I think he just about deserved a red card and suspension.

I was not surprised when the independent hearing dismissed the red card and thus cleared him to play in the final, and even less surprised when European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) did not appeal against that finding, as they had the right to do.

EPCR chairman Dominic McKay of Murrayfield and Celtic fame knows better than to take on the French over such an issue, so Ollivon will play on Friday when Tom Jordan won’t, albeit Jordan’s offence against Munster which laid out Conor Murray was clearly much worse.

Incidentally, I have heard an intriguing rumour from Scotstoun that Jordan’s head-high tackle on Murray might have been something to do with the New Zealander losing concentration because he was already feeling the leg injury which he clearly sustained at the time. Not an excuse, and Jordan didn’t make any, but it may make his action understandable as he most certainly, and most unlike him, did not tackle Murray properly.

Either way, Jordan is not available for Dublin and all the speculation this week has been about who will replace him, with Domingo Miotti and Duncan Weir the two options.

A lot will depend on how head coach Franco Smith wants the Warriors to play against the French Top 14 side. Will he send them out to try to blitz Toulon from the start, or will he be more cautious?

The blitz didn’t work against Munster at Scotstoun the weekend before last, and the final will be a match won by narrow margins in every phase of the game, so while I love the style of Glasgow’s normal play, perhaps a trifle more caution will be necessary.

For instance, Glasgow should ignore the publicity they have engendered with their tries from close range, usually scored by Johnny Matthews off a rolling maul. Toulon will be more than ready to counter that tactic, so I would urge that instead of sending kickable penalties into touch, please take the points and get the scoreboard ticking – and that means Weir’s reliable boot on the field.

To me the most fascinating aspect of Friday’s contest will be the clash of the back rows. Ollivon is one of the world’s best flankers just now, and will have the living legend that is Sergio Parisse alongside him as well as Cornell du Preez. But Glasgow have Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey, and Matt Fagerson as likely starters with Sione Vailanu able to come off the bench and make an impact.

I think the match will be won and lost at the breakdown, and if the Warriors can dominate that area then they can do that one simple thing and win.