GRIPPING STUFF!
GLASGOW 15 EDINBURGH 30
FIVE months without a game? You would never have thought it after watching such a rip-roaring encounter between Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors.
Twenty-eight points scored by half-time, lots of niggle and some clever bits of play — especially from Edinburgh winger Duhan van der Merwe — made it a superb encounter to enjoy as professional rugby returned to Scotland.
There were no fans inside the stadium but the players of both sides were motivated enough not to notice. They didn’t need anything to spur them on. Playing in a derby was enough to get them fired up.
Edinburgh deserved their win on the basis of their second-half performance. The victory qualifies them for the Pro14 semi-finals. Defeat puts Glasgow out of the running.
The capital club didn’t get everything right. The high ball bombardment supposedly due to be aimed at new Glasgow full-back Huw Jones never materialised. Jones wasn’t great but he had an easier game than he expected.
Out of everybody it was South African born winger Van der Merwe who caught the eye. The fact he is now qualified for Scotland through residency will have delighted national head coach Gregor Townsend, who will be looking to cap him by the end of the year.
It was also a special game for replacement scrum-half Charlie Shiel whose try 16 minutes from time made the game safe for Edinburgh.
There was a surreal feeling inside BT Murrayfield with not a single fan inside the stadium. That didn’t stop the announcer — brought through specially by Glasgow to make it feel like a home game for them — from still going through his routine.
Back In Black by AC/DC — one of the Warriors fans’ favourite songs — blared out to exactly nobody. Then he announced the teams over the microphone to a deadly hush.
Before the game started there was a silence to honour those who had lost their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic before the players came together in a circle to show support for rugby against racism.
Then the entertainment on the pitch began. Edinburgh took the early initiative, winning two penalties in a row. They kicked the first one to the corner, won the line-out and got another right in front of the posts.
Up stepped fly-half Jaco van der Walt to put over a confidenceboosting three points after just three minutes. With six minutes on the clock, they went further ahead from another van der Walt penalty after Glasgow were ruled offside by referee Mike Adamson.
It took 14 minutes for Glasgow to get their first points after they were awarded a controversial penalty. Chris Dean’s pass to Van der Merwe on the wing was flat but never forward as Adamson judged.
Play was called back for a scrum where Edinburgh were penalised, allowing fly-half Adam Hastings to put over a kick from 40 metres out.
On 20 minutes, Glasgow scored the first try of the game after Blair Kinghorn fumbled near his own line and gifted them a put-in at the scrum. They won the ball and although Fraser Brown was stopped just short, once the ball was recycled, Peter Horne went over.
Before the conversion was taken Stuart McInally was lucky not to be yellow-carded after he pushed Hastings over. That led to a brawl between both sets of players behind the posts but McInally was only given a talking-to by the referee.
That incident didn’t put Hastings off, the Glasgow fly-half getting up to put over the conversion.
Seven minutes later, Edinburgh lost their second-row Andrew Davidson to a head injury, with Jamie Hodgson taking his place in the line-out. They took the enforced change in their stride and scored a converted try four minutes later.
Grant Gilchrist did the hard work by breaking through a couple of tackles before being stopped short. Scrum-half Nic Groom had anticipated his run and in a clever piece of play got the ball and burrowed over. Van der Walt kicked the extras.
Four minutes before the break, Glasgow scored a fine try thanks to their fine ball retention. They went through phase after phase in attack before Hastings showed bravery to shrug off two tackles and score.
His conversion attempt hit the upright and came out. Edinburgh did their best to get a score back in the final minutes of the half but the Glasgow defence held firm.
Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill was clearly not happy with the performances of his props, with Rory Sutherland and W P Nel not appearing for the second half. In their place came Pierre Schoeman and Simon Berghan. Glasgow made one change, with prop Oli Kebble being replaced by Dylan Evans, who is on loan from Scarlets.
Edinburgh made the better start to the half with Fijian internationalist Eroni Sau nearly scoring in the corner.
Glasgow needed a bit more bulk in the pack. A struggling Rob Harley was replaced by Tom Gordon in the back row. They also tried to find a bit of a spark among their backs, with George Horne coming on for scrum-half Ali Price, who had been anonymous, after just 55 minutes. The changes made little difference as five minutes later Edinburgh scored the try of the game.
Van der Merwe, carrying the ball in one hand, cut inside from his wing, taking out two opposition players as he went. He did well to get the ball away to Groom who went under the posts. Van der Walt put over the conversion. The fly-half had his kicking boots on and then scored a 40-metre penalty to give his side an eight-point cushion.
The game was made safe when Shiel ran in at the corner. Van der Walt succeeded with the conversion yet again.
Glasgow never threw in the towel and ended the game camped near the Edinburgh line.
After the match, Edinburgh were presented with the 1872 Cup — the trophy contested by both Scottish professional sides — but for them that was a side issue. Making the Pro14 semi-finals was Edinburgh’s main aim and they achieved it on the day Scotland welcomed back professional rugby in style.
SCORERS; Glasgow — Tries: P Horne, Hastings. Con: Hastings. Pen: Hastings. Edinburgh — Tries: Groom (2), Shiel. Cons: Van der Walt (3). Pens: Van der Walt (3). Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland).