Warriors claim New Year's Day honours
Glasgow Warriors retained the 1872 Cup with another compelling, hard-nosed final quarter display in front of a record home crowd of 8,852 at Firhill in New Year’s Day.
Pro12 league points, of course, were also at stake as Glasgow built on last Monday’s 23-all draw through at Murrayfield and advanced up the league table.
Duncan Weir landed three penalties as did his opposite number Phil Godman, however, just as last week, Glasgow found a late surge and with Edinburgh short-handed due to a sin-binning, Glasgow snatched the game’s only try through Moray Low.
The steady rain that was falling about one hour before kick-off abated as the teams completed their warm-up, though it returned periodically throughout the game.
Both sides showed late changes to their squad. Ruaridh Jackson has been ruled out with a leg injury and his place on the bench is taken by Scott Wight.
In the visitors squad, Mike Blair, Lee Jones and Grant Gilchrist are in the starting team replacing the indisposed Chris Leck, Tom Brown and Esteban Lozada. Netani Talei, an influential performer last week, moves to the bench and David Denton returns to back-row duty. Alex Black and James King are also added to the bench.
Fireworks greeted the arrival of the Warriors as Duncan Weir kicked-off towards the north stand. An early offside enabled Weir to line-up a penalty chance about 30 metres out, ten metres from the right touchline and he started in his customary dead-eye mode.
Weir was over-ambitious with a penalty to touch from another offside but Glasgow had opened with some welcome zip, Chris Cusiter its very epitome.
An intervention from the sideline by assistant referee Bob Nevins saw Moray Low identified for some shenanigans and penalised but Phil Godman hooked his eighth minute kick badly left from the 10-metre line.
Cusiter’s snipe on the narrow side of a breakdown released Colin Shaw but the attack broke down with a penalty to the visitors inside their own 22. Glasgow continued to set the tone and when Andrew Kelly loitered at the breakdown in the 15th minute, Weir stepped up from just beyond the ten metre line but he too misfired.
A cross-kick from Weir had Al Kellock galloping with some intent on the right wing, but Lee Jones made a great saving take. In the 19th minute another offside saw Weir deservedly double Glasgow’s lead with his second penalty.
A sustained Edinburgh attack, in which Steven Turnbull and Stuart McInally impressed, saw Glasgow infringe in their own 22, just to the left of the posts and Godman goaled.
Glasgow got the nudge on in a scrum just outside the Edinburgh 22 and referee Allan deemed their advance had been derailed illegally. Weir landed his third penalty.
Weir then put his name on the debit side of the column, rather tamely loosing ball forward just outside his 22 and David Lemi had to look sharp to touchdown from John Houston’s hack on.
The Edinburgh back row were the dominant force in the game and Glasgow had gone off the boil somewhat.
Stuart Hogg was released on a break by Weir but referee Allan deemed the teenager had failed to release in a tackle – though it appeared that Hogg was not held and was seeking to be positive. In any event Godman missed the penalty.
Edinburgh kicked off the second half and Glasgow allowed the ball to bounce for their rivals to repossess. A dire opening, made worse as Godman goaled his second penalty from four attempts, as Glasgow were penalised at the ruck.
Godman endured his third penalty miss as Warriors were pinged for collapsing an advancing maul but the game needed some spark as it moved towards the hour mark. Before it got there though Godman did level with a close-range penalty.
Glasgow made a host of substitutions and as Robert Harley rumbled he was tackled dangerously by Matt Scott. Assistant referee Andrew Macpherson flagged and Scott was sent to the sin bin. Glasgow opted for the lineout, Gray pouched and his pack honey-potted forward over the try line. Referee Allan opted for the TMO and Jim Yuille ruled the score could be awarded. It was credited to Moray Low, who had just returned to the field for Mike Cusack. Scott Wight missed the conversion.
However, Wight was on target with a ruck penalty two minutes later to extend the home advantage to eight points.
Simon Webster made a fine break for Edinburgh and from a lovely crossfield kick by Godman, Lee Jones collected to give Mr Yuille another piece of TV scrutiny, and, on this occasion he ruled that Colin Shaw had made the saving tackle and Jones was in touch – much to the delight of the typically vociferous Glasgow support.
Wight miscued with a 77th minute penalty but the game was being played very much in Edinburgh territory at present.
Matt Scott returned from his yellow card with two minutes remaining and, at the death, Edinburgh claimed a losing bonus point with Godman dropping a goal, verified by the TMO.
The scorers:
For Glasgow Warriors:
Try: Low
Pens: Weir 3, Wight
For Edinburgh:
Pens: Godman 3
DG: Godman
Yellow card: Matt Scott (Edinburgh)
The teams:
Glasgow: 15 Peter Murchie, 14 David Lemi, 13 Stuart Hogg, 12 Graeme Morrison, 11 Colin Shaw, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Chris Cusiter, 8 Ryan Wilson, 7 Chris Fusaro, 6 Rob Harley, 5 Al Kellock (captain), 4 Richie Gray, 3 Moray Low, 2 Dougie Hall, 1 Jon Welsh.
Replacements: 16 Pat MacArthur, 17 Mike Cusack, 18 Ed Kalman, 19 Tom Ryder, 20 John Barclay, 21 Henry Pyrgos, 22 Troy Nathan, 23 Ruaridh Jackson.
Edinburgh: 15 Jim Thompson, 14 Simon Webster, 13 Matt Scott, 12 John Houston, 11 Tom Brown, 10 Phil Godman (captain), 9 Chris Leck, 8 Netani Talei, 7 Alan MacDonald, 6 Stuart McInally, 5 Esteban Lozada, 4 Steven Turnbull, 3 Jack Gilding, 2 Andrew Kelly, 1 Kyle Traynor.
Replacements: 16 Alun Walker, 17 Robin Hislop, 18 Lewis Niven, 19 Grant Gilchrist, 20 Ross Rennie, 21 Mike Blair, 22 Harry Leonard, 23 Lee Jones.
Referee: Peter Allan (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Andrew Macpherson (Scotland), Bob Nevins (Scotland)
TMO: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
