EDINBURGH CLAIM 1872 CUP AND PLAY-OFF PLACE
Edinburgh in play-offs and clinch 1872 Cup as rivals come up short
EDINBURGH followed up the spiky pre-match words of their coach Richard Cockerill with a bristling performance in winning the 1872 Cup last night.
Beating Glasgow Warriors in possibly the most entertaining derby yet delivered a strong message that Edinburgh are back, but it was just part of the success story.
This eighth win in nine Pro14 games clinched Edinburgh’s place in the new Pro14 play-offs, and a trip to Munster next weekend, but also a return to the European Champions Cup after a five-year absence. That was hard to imagine even six months ago and Cockerill was ecstatic at the finish.
‘The aim was the play-offs and Europe. I said in the week that it wasn’t the small-mindedness of this being our season — it was about three games, and now two,’ he said.
‘We go to Thomond Park for a huge play-off and we’re in Europe and so get to play with the big boys next year, which will be a challenge but also that’s where we want to be,’ he said.
‘It was a good game of rugby and both sides could have won it. There’s a bit of spice about Glasgow, but we talked ourselves up and we produced the goods, and the boys have beaten a very good team.
‘But we’re a good club too, with good players, and it’s actually nice to see the Edinburgh fans cheering our team, their team, at the end.
‘Glasgow are a better team than us and they’re genuine contenders to win the thing, but we showed we can compete at this level.
‘They’re better because history dictates that in the last five or six years they’ve been in play-offs and they’ve won the competition. But we’re starting to understand what it takes to be competing with these teams and I’m delighted for the players — they’ve worked hard.’
Glasgow have enjoyed a great season, which secured their place in the semi-finals before last night, but they have now won just once away from home and lost momentum at the wrong time. Head coach Dave Rennie is confident they can fix the problems in their fortnight’s rest before a semi-final meeting at home to either the Scarlets or Cheetahs, and a final in Dublin.
‘Edinburgh are a good side and work hard, defend well and show a lot of character,’ he said. ‘They deserved their victory tonight.
‘We were woeful when we lost here before. We showed a lot of toughness in the second one when we shut them out the game and won 17-0. Tonight was a good game of footy with both sides throwing everything at each other, but I have no complaints. They deserved it.’
Munster and Ulster’s 24-24 draw earlier yesterday in Limerick ensured that Edinburgh’s play-off spot was safe before the teams took the field. Many we expected did not take the field, however, with Jonny Gray, Tommy Seymour and Sam Johnson withdrawn from Glasgow’s team due to niggling injuries and Johnson’s replacement Peter Horne pulling a hamstring in the warm-up. All are expected to be fit for the semi-final.
But that sprung Alex Dunbar into the starting line-up 15 minutes before the start, and he made his presence felt in physical exchanges.
Edinburgh were also missing fullback Blair Kinghorn, due to food poisoning, and Chris Dean, the centre, to an ankle knock.
But Glasgow seemed the swifter to find their stride. Finn Russell sent an enticing kick-pass left just 12 minutes in and wing DTH van der Merwe held his balance to escape Dougie Fife’s tackle and score the game’s opening try, converted by Russell, and mark his 100th Warriors game in style.
The see-saw nature of the contest sparked, however, when Edinburgh hit back six minutes later. The Edinburgh forwards began to flex their muscle with no 8 Viliame Mata leading the charge, and Junior Rasolea spun a superb pass out to James Johnstone and the centre crashed over the line.
Glasgow responded in style. Russell put Nick Grigg though a gap just over halfway, he found George Horne and the scrum-half deftly passed inside to Russell who duly turned Edinburgh inside out before lobbing the ball to Callum Gibbins, who dived over by the posts.
Magnus Bradbury was one of several big ball-carriers that laid the platform for the equalising try from prop Jordan Lay, who dived
under a tackle to the line just five minutes before half-time.
Hidalgo-Clyne’s second conversion brought the sides level, but the scrum-half’s sublime kick-pass behind Glasgow that proved inchperfect for Duhan van der Merwe to touch down in almost a carbon copy of the game’s opening score from his Glasgow namesake was so crucial. Hidalgo-Clyne converted from the left touchline to send the hosts inside 21-14 up.
In the second period Wilson was lucky to stay on the park when he tripped Hidalgo-Clyne as he left a maul 15 metres from Glasgow’s line.
Replacement fly-half Duncan Weir stretched the home lead to ten points with a penalty with 13 minutes to go. Replacement prop Siosiua Halanukonuka set up a thrilling finale with a stunning 40yard sprint, which Glasgow turned into a try for DTH van der Merwe.
But there was to be no denying Edinburgh and a first play-off at Munster.
‘We’re huge underdogs,’ Cockerill added, ‘but whatever happens it will be a great learning experience.
‘We’ve made history, so now we’re at the top table. We’ve got good enough players to go to Thomond Park and make them sweat. If they don’t get it right we can beat them, if they get it right they should beat us, but we’ll see what happens.’