Allan Massie: Pack power illustrates difference between Glasgow and Edinburgh

Published on Friday 21 January 2011 16:02

BECAUSE Glasgow could no longer qualify for the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup, some may be inclined to underestimate their achievement in beating London Wasps at Firhill last week.

They shouldn't. The point is that Wasps, former Heineken champions and one of the four or five strongest English clubs, had to win this match if they were to feature in the knock-out stages themselves.

Had they won, they would have had a fair chance of doing so since their final game this weekend is a home tie against Toulouse. A stiff task, certainly, but not an insuperable challenge. So they came to Glasgow fully primed and departed well beaten, tail between their legs.

The contrast between Glasgow's 20-10 win and Edinburgh's 37-0 defeat at the hands of Northampton, admittedly away from home, says much about the difference between the two clubs. Edinburgh can play brilliant 15-man rugby. Nobody who has watched them over the season can reasonably dispute this. Indeed, their first-half performance in the home game against the same opponents a few weeks ago was outstanding. They scored three of the best tries one has seen from any Scottish team against good opposition for years - perhaps since that astonishing first-half in Paris in 1999 when Scotland scored five tries within 30 minutes. Nevertheless, Edinburgh lost that game, too, if only by the narrow margin 31-27. They lost in the same way and for the same reason that they tend to lose matches: because their set-piece was not good enough and they were beaten up-front, therefore found themselves playing on the back foot.

When Glasgow's pack is going well, as it did against Wasps last week, they are formidable opponents for anyone. Edinburgh's pack is underpowered. Glasgow's locks, Alastair Kellock and Richie Gray, are heavier and stronger than any pair Edinburgh can field. Scott MacLeod is excellent in the line-out and a skilful ball-player. Fraser Mackenzie also has rare skills, but is at least a couple of years short of full physical development. Glasgow are stronger at No 8, too, with Johnnie Beattie, Richie Vernon and Ryan Wilson, named man of the match against Wasps. Edinburgh frequently have to field their captain, Roddy Grant, in that position. He is a splendid player but his real position is No 7. Indeed, Edinburgh often play an entire back-row of 7s: Ross Rennie, Grant and Alan MacDonald.

Attempts were made in the summer to strengthen the pack by recruiting the Fijian No 8, Netani Talei, and the Argentine lock, Estaban Lozada. Both have had good games. Yet neither has had the transforming influence Rob Moffat must have looked for.

Consequently, Edinburgh are a side for whom everything has to go right if they are to win. Glasgow are more capable of grinding out a win. The remarkable feature of their defeat of Wasps was that they won in the absence of five international players: centres Max Evans and Graeme Morrison, scrum-half Chris Cusiter and Johnnie Beattie and John Barclay from the back-row. More strength in depth than some have supposed, and it has been particularly pleasing to see the very talented Colin Gregor blossoming after being given an extended run at scrum-half in Cusiter's absence. Anyone who dismissed him as "just a sevens specialist" knows better now.

Strength in depth is, of course, what the Irish professional teams have. Both Leinster and Ulster have benefited from being able to recruit South African internationalists. For imports to be valuable, they really have to come from the top flight. Rudi Pienaar is now as important to Ulster as Felipe Contepomi used to be to Leinster.

For the Scottish clubs, the last week-end of the Heineken is of no great significance. Their opponents, Cardiff Blues and Newport-Gwent Dragons, are, like them, playing for pride only. Media attention will mostly be elsewhere. Nevertheless, no professional game can sensibly be described as meaningless, even when performance may seem to matter as much as results. For many players, this is the last opportunity to impress Andy Robinson before the squad for the A international against Ireland next Friday is finalised. For some, these games offer the chance to push for a starting place against France the following week.

It's good to see that Glasgow have left Richie Gray out of their squad for this game. The young man has looked in need of a bit of a rest before he faces up to the challenge of the Six Nations. Meanwhile, for many, the selection of Chris Paterson to start at No 10 against Cardiff - perhaps in direct opposition to Dan Parks - will provoke reflections of what might have been, and of how Scotland's results over the last few years might have been better if he had been given an extended run in that position after the 2003 World Cup. "It might have been", of course, are sad words.