Edinburgh 10-7 Glasgow Warriors: 'Worrying lack of attacking flair and quality'

Edinburgh celebrated a win over Glasgow on Saturday, but it was a stodgy affair

If Gregor Townsend was at all perturbed by his Scotland side's lack of attacking potency in 2020, his visit to Murrayfield to take in the season's first 1872 Cup derby between Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors would have done little to allay his fears.

For over an hour, Scotland's two pro sides were incapable not only of conjuring try-scoring opportunities but of troubling the scoreboard at all. With 64 minutes played, we were looking at the very real possibility of this match ending 0-0 - until Edinburgh fly-half Jaco van der Walt banged over a penalty to spare us an unwanted dive into the record books.

These derby matches are often viewed as trial matches for the national team, with the Six Nations coming into focus. However, it's a slightly false narrative with more and more of Scotland's key players - Finn Russell, Stuart Hogg, Jonny Gray, Chris Harris, Sam Skinner - playing outside of Scotland.

There was little from his home-based players to excite Townsend and his backroom team in the Murrayfield stands.

• Edinburgh secure late win over Glasgow

You hoped in a game woefully short of quality, one moment of brilliance might make the difference, but perhaps it was more fitting that a blunder yielded the match-winning score. Brandon Thomson's wild pass didn't give Sam Johnson a chance. The loose ball was hacked forward and Edinburgh substitute Magnus Bradbury was able to ground the ball to score as Edinburgh eventually squeezed out a 10-7 win.

Glasgow's fly-half conundrum

Brandon Thomson missed a penalty against Edinburgh

Glasgow have a problem at 10. Adam Hastings is out with a long-term injury and has agreed to join Gloucester in the summer.

Since arriving in Scotland in 2017, Thomson has offered little to suggest he can boss a game of rugby at the top level. An appalling last-gasp penalty miss cost his team victory last month against the Dragons and he had a similarly woeful miss in front of the sticks on Saturday.

When a team has no confidence in its kicker, decision making becomes clouded, as when Ali Price passed up an eminently kickable penalty in favour of a quick tap in the second half. His team came away with nothing.

Fly-half is a problem that needs addressing, but Glasgow coach Danny Wilson will take some morsels of comfort in defeat. At times, his team's defence was excellent, particularly when withstanding an extended period of Edinburgh pressure near their own line in the opening quarter.

The performance of Richie Gray on his return from injury was hugely encouraging, the veteran lock getting through plenty of work and demonstrating the old line-out prowess is alive and well.

Wilson and Townsend will be enthused by the good form of Huw Jones, who continues to provide reminders of the gifts that make him, on a good day, one of the most devastating attackers in the game. He's not quite the Jones of old - the one who burst on to the scene in a blur of try-scoring brilliance - but the confidence to back himself to find the gaps appears to be returning.

Those positives do not mask the overall picture though. Glasgow have won two from nine in the Pro14 this season. That's the same return as perennial no-hopers Zebre, who they lead in the table courtesy of two bonus points.

They trail Conference A leaders Ulster by a colossal 35 points having played a game fewer. Warriors contested a Pro14 final only 20 months ago, but their descent since then - even allowing for the pandemic and all the challenges that has brought - has been stark and alarming.

Edinburgh's blunt attack

Bill Mata (left) has not been at his best for Edinburgh

Defence coaches Calum MacRae and Kenny Murray would no doubt have been satisfied with what they saw from their teams, one largely nullifying the other.

But, as much as Richard Cockerill bristled after the match at the suggestion his team was one dimensional, Edinburgh do not offer the variety in attack they did when they were picking off big results in the Pro14 and in Europe.

Much of this can be traced back to the diminished influence of Bill Mata. Think back to Edinburgh's finest performances in recent years and you're likely to remember an outrageous offload or telling intervention from the big number eight.

The Fijian is always a willing worker and is undoubtedly a marked man these days, but the magic that defined his best displays has been missing since last year's World Cup.

Here we go again

It's perhaps indicative of the shift in power in Scottish rugby that Glasgow are able to take positives from an 1872 Cup defeat while Edinburgh, in victory, are left searching for top gear.

In a neat adjustment of the Pro14 schedule, next weekend Glasgow and Edinburgh will not face Benetton and Zebre but instead take on each other at Scotstoun in the second instalment in the 1872 Cup series.

The likelihood of Glasgow or Edinburgh achieving anything of note in the Pro14, or in Europe, this season looks remote, but these games are still important, particularly for Townsend. He needs to see something from his big players in these games.

Scotland start their Six Nations campaign against England at Twickenham on 6 February. Their only hope is to have all their big players in a position to deliver the performance of their lives.

So, the wish for part two of the 1872 Cup next week? Some attacking flair, some tries, but above all, some quality rugby. Please!