Pro14: Glasgow 8-16 Edinburgh: Visitors beat rivals again to retain 1872 Cup
- Published
Stuart McInally's try for Edinburgh early in the second half proved critical
Glasgow Warriors (3) 8 |
Try: G Horne Pen: Hastings |
Edinburgh (6) 16 |
Try: McInally Con: Van der Walt Pens: Van der Walt 3 |
Edinburgh earned their first Pro14 away win of the season to record a third successive derby victory over Glasgow and retain the 1872 Cup.
Richard Cockerill's side were superior throughout, their impressive pack dominating the set-piece exchanges.
Two Jaco van der Walt penalties, to one from Adam Hastings, saw the visitors lead 6-3 after a feisty first half.
Stuart McInally's try stretched their advantage and a blunted Glasgow could only muster a late George Horne try.
But Adam Hastings missed the conversion that would have given the Conference A leaders a losing bonus point.
Glasgow also lost Stuart Hogg to a hip injury at the interval, while centre Alex Dunbar limped off early in the second half.
After winning 23-7 at Murrayfield last Saturday, this victory saw Edinburgh win the 1872 Cup with a game to go in their best-of-three series this season.
Edinburgh disrupt Glasgow's flow
Before the match Warriors head coach Dave Rennie dismissed as "a lot of hot air" the notion that Edinburgh's physical intensity has spooked his side. Overplayed perhaps, but given Edinburgh had won three of the four previous meetings since Cockerill took charge, and six of the last eight overall, they have undoubtedly found a way to disrupt their rivals' flow.
Back at their Scotstoun fortress - only Scarlets and Saracens had left with victories in 2018 - Glasgow were expected to be much-improved from their poor display at Murrayfield.
The revival failed to ignite in a stop-start opening period as Edinburgh succeeded in sucking the sort of tempo from the game Glasgow live off.
Overthrows at the line-out, dropped balls, forced off-loads, and the referee's whistle - George Clancy awarded a total of 14 penalties in the first-half alone - all disrupted Warriors' rhythm. Their biggest impediment though was a mean Edinburgh defence that looks to have found the antidote to their rivals' all-court game.
The visitors were not without threat either, last weekend's two-try hero Duhan Van Der Merwe twice breaking away up the touchline before being hauled down.
Two penalties from Van der Walt either side of a three-pointer from Hastings gave Edinburgh a 6-3 advantage at the break.
By no means a situation beyond rescue, but when Hogg failed to reappear for the second half, and Dunbar limped off within three minutes of the resumption, it began to feel like this may not be Glasgow's day.
A big reason for that was Edinburgh's forwards. Cockerill can boast a pack these days that is equipped to take on any other in European rugby and they always had the edge here.
With Glasgow prop Oli Kebble in the sin-bin, a scrum deep in Warriors territory saw Bill Mata power towards the line only to be stopped just short, but McInally was on hand, as he so often is, to find a way over.
We waited for the Glasgow response until the realisation dawned on the Scotstoun crowd that none was coming. They saved their worst home performance of 2018 for last, and although replacement Horne burrowed over in the dying minutes, it was too late.
The day belonged to Edinburgh. The 1872 Cup is secured and their position in the Pro14 - they remain fifth in Conference B, but are now only three points behind Ulster in second - is looking healthier than it did a few weeks ago.
Their season has caught fire and it will be intriguing to see how far they can go.
Glasgow Warriors: Hogg, Seymour, Dunbar, P Horne, Matawalu, Hastings, Price, Kebble, Stewart, Rae, Swinson, Gray, Wilson, Gibbins, Fagerson.
Replacements: Bryce (for Stewart, 41), Bhatti (temp for Fagerson - 47), Halanukonuka (for Rae, 51), Harley, Fusaro, G Horne (for Price, 56), Johnson (for Dunbar, 43), Van der Merwe (for Hogg, 41).
Edinburgh: Kinghorn; Graham, Johnstone, Dean, Van der Merwe; Van der Walt, Pyrgos; Schoeman, McInally, Nel, Toolis, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Watson, Mata.
Replacements: Cherry (for McInally, 70), Dell, Berghan (for Nel, 70), Hunter-Hill (for Toolis, 74), Crosbie, Fowles, Hickey, Socino (for Dean, 41).