A happy ending for Pierre Schoeman and Edinburgh but Glasgow Warriors take home the 1872 Cup

What a difference a week makes. This was no classic but Edinburgh Rugby deserve great credit for eking out a hugely important victory over Glasgow Warriors in the second leg of the 1872 Cup in front of over 40,000 at Murrayfield.

It was turgid and attritional but after being completely outclassed in the first leg at Hampden, Edinburgh showed great character to beat the URC champions 10-7. They managed to shut down their more fancied opponents with some gritty defending and overcame late adversity to snatch the game back when Glasgow threatened to nick it.

The Warriors have the consolation of going home with the silverware, winning the 1872 Cup 40-24 on aggregate, but they never really got going against resolute opponents who again saved their best form for home.

Pierre Schoeman scores Edinburgh's decisive try in the 10-7 win over Glasgow Warriors at Scottish Gas Murrayfield. | SNS Group

It was a slow burn. We had to wait 68 minutes for the first try and then got two in quick succession. The only points of the first half had come from a Ross Thompson penalty and Edinburgh held on to their slender 3-0 lead as the clock ticked away. But when Glasgow were awarded a penalty try it looked like the visitors were going to snatch it. A minute later, Pierre Schoeman stormed over to put Edinburgh back in front, with Ben Healy’s conversion making it 10-7 much to the delight of home supporters in the 40,063 crowd, a new record for the capital club. It means over 67,000 watched the two matches between the sides.

For Schoeman, it’s a happy ending to a turbulent week. He signed a new three-year contract with Edinburgh on Boxing Day, was hailed as “world class” by his coach, Sean Everitt, who then promptly dropped him to the bench for this match. But it was the prop, who was yellow-carded in the first leg, who was responsible for the decisive moment of the second.

Both sides can now enjoy a mini break before resuming with European ties on January 10-11. Glasgow will have much to ponder. Although they remain second in the URC, this was a game they were highly fancied to win. They started brightly enough and looked dangerous down the left and Ally Miller went close only to be denied by Wes Goosen. It was a full-blooded affair and at one point Ben Muncaster, Grant Gilchrist and Gregor Brown were all getting treatment.

Glasgow Warriors' Sione Tuipulotu gets to grip with Edinburgh's Patrick Harrison during the 1872 Cup second leg at Murrayfield. | SNS Group

Edinburgh were looking far more robust than last week and when Jamie Ritchie was played in by Mosese Tuipulotu, the flanker was able to break free. As he galloped into the Glasgow 22 he had options on the left and right. He chose the latter, passing to Ali Price when Duhan van der Merwe on the other side might have been a better bet.

Ritchie had to go off a couple of minutes later. He failed a head injury assessment and was replaced by Hamish Watson, making his first appearance since October. Thompson then produced a perfect 50-22 to turn the tables on Glasgow. From the subsequent lineout, Edinburgh won a penalty when Jack Mann didn’t roll away and Thompson kicked the first three points of the match.

Edinburgh took heart and enjoyed their best spell. Thompson had another pot at goal with a long-range penalty but pulled it. They were then camped on the Glasgow line but just couldn’t find a way through. Luke Crosbie went closest, stretching for the line with his left arm, but the ball squirmed from his grasp under pressure from Gregor Hiddleston.

Glasgow looked more like their old selves at the start of the second half. The introduction of George Horne pepped them up and the little scrum-half sparked a dangerous attack which culminated in Price taking the ball into his own in-goal area after a kick through from Kyle Rowe. The Warriors won a free-kick from the subsequent scrum but couldn’t make it count.

Frustration was beginning to creep in and Glasgow were marched back 10 metres after Horne barked at the referee. “The chat needs to stop,” warned Irish official Eoghan Cross.

Glasgow Warriors captain Kyle Steyn lifts the 1872 Cup after his side's aggregate win. | SNS Group

The record crowd were entitled to ask when the action was going to begin. Over an hour had elapsed without a try but that all changed in the 68th minute as the game exploded into life. Glasgow were turning the screw and Edinburgh had been warned by Cross. A succession of lineouts eventually bore fruit and after Rory Darge and Sione Tuipulotu had gone close, Glasgow got their maul set and Edinburgh were unable to stop it legally. A penalty try was awarded and Paddy Harrison was sent to the sin-bin.

It was suddenly looking bleak for the home side who found themselves 7-3 behind and down to 14 men with 12 minutes remaining. But they dug deep and scored a try of their own from the restart, with Schoeman the creator and finisher. His little grubber maybe lacked finesse but it was effective. Gilchrist took it on before Schoeman piled over. Healy, on for Thompson, landed the tricky conversion to put Edinburgh 10-7 ahead and their defence was sufficiently resolute to see the game out.

Scorers: Edinburgh: Try: Schoeman. Con: Healy. Pen: Thompson. Glasgow Warriors: Try: penalty try.

Yellow card: Harrison (Edinburgh, 68min)

Edinburgh: W Goosen; D Graham, M Currie, M Tuipulotu (J Lang 55), D van der Merwe (C Shiel 61); R Thompson (B Healy 55), A Price; B Venter (P Schoeman 48), D Cherry (P Harrison 60), D Rae (J Sebastian 48), S Skinner (M Sykes 65), G Gilchrist, J Ritchie (H Watson 12; Cherry 75; Harrison 79), L Crosbie, B Muncaster.

Glasgow Warriors: K Rowe; S Cancelliere (G Horne 50), H Jones, S Tuipulotu, K Steyn; T Jordan, J Dobie; J Bhatti (R Sutherland 44), G Hiddleston (G Stewart 72), Z Fagerson (S Talakai 72), G Brown (A Samuel 72), S Cummings, A Miller, M Fagerson, J Mann (R Darge 44). Replacements not used: A Fraser, D Weir.

Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU).

Attendance: 40,063.