TEMPERS FLARE BUT THERE’S ALARM AS DERBY LACKS VITAL SPARK
Glasgow gain revenge for last week’s Cup stunner but this turgid encounter was really a horror show
GLASGOW struck back in the festive derbies yesterday with a crucial victory that avenged last week’s shock defeat by Edinburgh to ensure the 1872 Cup will not be decided until the end of the season.
The Warriors also maintained their drive to the Guinness Pro14 play-offs — but, unfortunately for the capacity crowd at Scotstoun, there was little else to be taken from a dull encounter.
Glasgow winger Lee Jones will take personal pleasure from scoring the only try in the final act of the game, having been embarrassed by Chris Dean’s late winner at BT Murrayfield seven days ago.
But Finn Russell had the revenge mission wrapped up by then with four penalties that Edinburgh never looked like responding to.
When a fire alarm sounded at the ground just two minutes before half-time, forcing a stoppage and temporary evacuation of the stadium, there will have been some lamenting their return later after the quality of play deteriorated following its resumption.
In truth, the lack of accuracy in attack, poor decision-making and stunningly-bad execution at times ensured an abject advert for Scottish rugby, made worse by the presence of the Sky Sports cameras.
Indeed, if ever there was an advert for a Christmas break, this was it as Glasgow and Edinburgh did not so much battle out this encounter but emulated a turgid arm-wrestle of a training match in front of more than 7,000 paying fans. Entertaining it was not.
Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill had been spiky in the lead-up, insisting too much of the post-match analysis from his side’s 18-17 win at Murrayfield focused on Glasgow’s poor performance rather than the qualities in his team.
And scrum-half Sam HidalgoClyne suggested that the capital men’s run of five wins in the past six meetings before yesterday was down to their players wanting the 1872 Cup more.
Both claims were somewhat disingenuous, but perhaps helped the visitors — with all 15 men on the field this week — to efficiently wrap up the Glasgow armoury and push restored stand-off Russell to shun the touchline and kick for goal.
However, if they had a more clinical edge themselves to add to a promising number of line-breaks and good territory advantage, Cockerill’s men could have been celebrating a momentous double.
Edinburgh are undoubtedly hampered at present with six props out injured — which explains why professional squads rely on 50 players these days.
As terrific as they were in overcoming that last week, their handicap was exploited mercilessly by Glasgow this time — duly earning tighthead Zander Fagerson the Man-of-the-Match award.
The lineout and mauls still provided good sources of ball for Edinburgh but, led by skipper Jonny Gray, Glasgow’s set-piece provided the foundations to keep his side trundling along.
They created fewer chances — thanks largely to the visitors’ brave defensive performance — but, crucially, made much more of what openings did come their way.
In the first Glasgow attack, the hosts showed a clinical edge, Alex Dunbar streaking straight through the Edinburgh back-line, leaving Phil Burleigh flailing to earn a penalty, which Russell converted after just five minutes.
Stuart McInally was a dynamic leader throughout for Edinburgh and looked set to launch the game’s first try after a tremendous break 40 metres into the home half in the 11th minute.
But Ruaridh Jackson’s tackle dislodged the ball as McInally tried to find Damien Hoyland ten metres from the line and the ball was judged by the match officials to have been knocked forward.
Edinburgh were keen to play expansively, involving wings Hoyland and Duhan van der Merwe, and only a last-ditch tackle by Jackson denied Blair Kinghorn from getting into the corner.
Moments later, Glasgow hearts were in their mouths as Grant Gilchrist charged down an Ali Price clearance, only for Russell to be alert to dive on the ball first over the try-line.
However, despite penning Warriors in their own half for most of the first half-hour, Edinburgh failed to claim points, Jaco van der Walt underlining the lack of precision when he wastefully missed a penalty.
The capital side’s defence was resolute when Glasgow came back at them towards the end of the half, and Van der Walt was cursing his hands this time when he took a pass from van der Merwe wide on the left only to drop it with 30 metres of space opening up between him and the Glasgow try line.
The fire alarm then intruded on proceedings, and — on discovering there was no blaze — both coaches agreed to forget about the remaining two minutes, have a half-time and resume at 4.30pm, after a 35-minute stoppage in total.
The pattern of the game remained similar in the second period, Edinburgh making lots of running but Russell picking them off with penalties as referee Mike Adamson was strict about the visitors’ discipline.
There were still chances for Edinburgh, Kinghorn and Hamish Watson combining to glimpse open ground, with Dean almost breaking clear — but the final scoring pass continued to elude them.
Russell converted his fourth penalty with six minutes left to give Glasgow a 12-0 lead.
And as Edinburgh tried to attack from deep, ambitiously seeking a length-of-the-field try and bonus point, the hosts pounced again to finish the game.
Jones took George Horne’s pass and touched down in the corner.
The fact that all of the on-field players then became embroiled in an unsightly stramash that ended up in the hoardings and brought yellow cards for Fraser McKenzie and Chris Fusaro, underlined the frustrating nature of this encounter.
It was most certainly one that can be left in 2017 atop the pile of horror shows.