Ahead of facing "the best team in Europe", Gregor Townsend says Glasgow Warriors will not be considered one of the continent's elite teams until they reach the Champions Cup knockout stages.

Townsend's team welcome the Irish giants to Scotstoun knowing they will have to win their final two pool games to guarantee qualification for the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

He said: "I believe if you really want to class yourself as one of the biggest teams in Europe, you have to do well in the Champions Cup.

"You have to get to quarter-finals and semi-finals and that's the challenge we have over the next two weekends.

"Hopefully things go well and that is where we find ourselves in a couple of months' time."