URC: Glasgow Warriors 16-10 Edinburgh - Dempsey try helps hosts to win

Connor Boyle dragged Edinburgh into the game in the second half with a try but the hosts held on

Glasgow Warriors put one over on their old rivals with a narrow victory against Edinburgh at Scotstoun in the United Rugby Championship.

Jack Dempsey got his legs pumping to power over the try-line as Warriors established a 10-point half-time lead.

Edinburgh's second-half improvement was marked by Connor Boyle, holding off two players to dot down after a maul.

And two second-half penalties by stand-off Tom Jordan helped Glasgow to a first-leg lead in the 150th 1872 Cup.

The teams meet again in a week's time at Murrayfield, where Edinburgh will feel they can overturn that six-point advantage to retain the old trophy.

You travel to these games between Scotland's big two more in hope than expectation of a game to warm the cockles. And given the weather - cold and wet in part - we could have badly done with one of those.

• Reaction & as it happened

There have been classics between these two in the past, some real barnstormers. This, alas, wasn't among them.

The early rain mitigated against the kind of adventurous rugby that both of these sides like to play. As a result, it was more a beast than a beauty.

Edinburgh had two opportunities to go ahead early on, both with the boot, both missed by the normally infallible Emiliano Boffelli.

Neither were easy - one flying wide and the other hitting a post - but for a marksman of such unerring accuracy they were eminently kickable. You almost gawped in shock when he failed to knock them over.

From then - the second penalty coming in the 13th minute - Glasgow took over. They didn't exactly cut Edinburgh to ribbons, but they dominated them. They set up camp inside Edinburgh's 22 and forced the visitors to offend to survive.

The penalties flowed, Glasgow went to touch and at the third time of asking they went over, Dempsey going through Chris Dean to score. Horne added the conversion to make it 7-0. Points, at last.

Harry Paterson, a late replacement for Wes Goosen, tries to evade Glasgow's defence

Dean left the fray soon after when staggering to his feet following a thumping hit from Sione Tuipulotu. Dean was off and there was no messing about. It was an example on how to remove a vulnerable player from the action while also illustrating what a physically brutal sport this can be.

More Glasgow pressure and more Edinburgh penalties saw Horne put over another kick just before the break. Glasgow led by 10. The least they deserved, but an epic it was not.

Edinburgh had offered nothing in the opening 40, so if they managed to successfully put one foot in front of the other with ball in hand in the second half then it would have been an improvement.

They had much more about them early in the new half, James Lang making a clean break and giving it to the previously anonymous Duhan van der Merwe.

Had he pinned his ears back and run through contact he might have made it close to the try-line. Instead, he turned inside and the chance went. But not for long.

Edinburgh got it back, launched a lineout maul and over went Boyle. Boffelli found his magic touch with the conversion. Just three points in it now.

It was scrappy and error-ridden but it was ferociously competitive. Glasgow increased their lead when winning a scrum penalty near the Edinburgh 5m line, a decision that sparked euphoria among the home forwards. Jordan put it over.

The match-winning play came with six minutes left. Having weathered a storm and turned Glasgow over, Edinburgh got caught in possession and gave it back again.

It was Ben Muncaster who dallied, opting to hold on to ball in his own 22 instead of feeding Van der Merwe outside him. Enter big JP du Preez like a super monster truck. Du Preez hit Muncaster with a vengeance, forcing the back-row to hold on. Penalty Glasgow, put over by Jordan.

Edinburgh recovered to snatch a losing bonus point when Van der Walt fired over a late penalty from the halfway line. First blood in the 1872 Cup to Glasgow. And a continuation of a pleasing winning run.

Glasgow Warriors assistant coach Peter Horne: "We're chuffed. It was pretty scruffy, but derbies are never as glamorous as you hope they are going to be.

"It was a brilliant finish [from Jack Dempsey], and it galvanised us a little bit.

"We've brought a bit more resilience. That's shone through in the last few weeks. It's really satisfying. It comes down to desire, being technically sound and looking after the ball.

"I'm delighted for [brother George Horne]. He's been injured, so it's great to see him going well."

Edinburgh head coach Mike Blair: "We're disappointed. I felt we didn't really fire a shot in the game. Glasgow came out with more intent at the start, showed really good physicality.

"We did manage the game well into the wind and put ourselves into a position with a breeze behind us and only three points in it. That was our time to kick on but Glasgow made more of their opportunities than we did.

"At half-time we talked about what it takes to win derbies. It's not always the flashy rugby. It's being in the moment, making good decisions at the right time.

"We didn't show ourselves until the last two minutes when we're playing with desperation. We should be confident in what we're trying to do, proactive, not waiting until we have to do something. We did get one point out of it, which is not great but it's something."

Line-ups

Glasgow Warriors: McKay, Cancelliere, Tuipulotu, McDowall, Steyn (C), Jordan, G Horne; Bhatti, Brown, Sordoni, Manjezi, R Gray, Fagerson, Vailanu, Dempsey.

Replacements: Turner, Walker, Berghan, Du Preez, Bean, Price, Miotti.

Edinburgh: Paterson, Boffelli, Lang, Dean, Van Der Merwe, Savala, Vellacott; Schoeman, Cruse, Nel, Young, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Boyle, Mata.

Replacements: Harrison, Venter, Williams, Sykes, Muncaster, Pyrgos, Van Der Walt, Scott.

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