Ulster chief warns players Glasgow are now a ‘top tier’ team

Ulster defence chief Jonny Bell has warned his troops that Glasgow are in a completely different league to Edinburgh.

And he reckons Gregor Townsend’s Warriors are now in the top tier of European rugby.

The former Ireland star issued his alert as he consigned the 20-0 Pro12 hammering of struggling Edinburgh to history and stepped up preparations for the showdown with the table-toppers.

The sides clash in Belfast on Saturday, with Bell putting Glasgow in the same bracket as Euro giants Toulon and Leicester.

Bell said: “Glasgow will be a huge step up because they are the form team at the moment.

“They can hurt you from anywhere on the park and you can’t afford to switch off.”

Glasgow bosses have installed an extra stand at Scotstoun to cope with increased demand for big-game tickets.