Edinburgh A 27-10 Glasgow A: Capital show will to win

Edinburgh assistant coach Steve Scott was pleased to see a number of players put in impressive performances last night as their ‘A’ team defeated Glasgow Warriors’ second string just days before the first 1872 Cup encounter.

Edinburgh stand-off, on trial New Zealander Jade Te Rure, is surrounded and tackled by Glasgows Ali Price. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Scorers: Edinburgh Rugby A: Tries: Hoyland 2, Brown, Hill. Pen: Te Rure. Cons: Te Rure 2. Glasgow Warriors A: Tries: Hughes, Eddie.

The two clubs meet on Saturday afternoon at Scotstoun on Guinness Pro12 duty and then again at BT Murrayfield on 2 January.

And players such as Stuart McInally, Simon Berghan and Damien Hoyland will have done their chances of being involved no harm at all after they led their side to a 27-10 victory in the shadow of the national stadium.

After the match Scott said: “I thought the boys did well and really took the match to Glasgow. Matches like this are all about putting your hand up for selection and certainly a few of the guys have done well with Alan [Solomons] watching on.

“We also managed to get to see our two new Kiwis, Jade Te Rure and Hugh Blake, in action and they are on trial with us for a spell.

“Sadly Hugh got injured in the first half, but Jade looked a tidy player and in general I was pleased with the way things went.”

Edinburgh started the stronger of the two sides and they took the lead in the ninth minute when a lovely inside pass from scrum-half Sean Kennedy was taken by winger Hoyland and he went in under the posts.

Te Rure converted and Hoyland certainly looks confident after involvement with the Scotland Sevens team this term.

Six minutes later their second try arrived and it was fellow winger Tom Brown who was credited with this one under a pile of bodies.

That score seemed to awaken a Glasgow side being skippered by Scotland cap Al Kellock, and four minutes later, after an interception, stand-off Fraser Lyle did well to set-up winger Rory Hughes for the score.

In the 24th minute 12-5 became 12-10 when James Eddie showed great pace and composure for a No 8 to benefit from back-row colleague Will Bordill’s good break and score Glasgow’s second try of the night.

Both sides were really getting into this one now and the contact area was well contested. Unfortunately during one of these contests back-row Blake received a blow to the head and was treated on the pitch for a while before retiring with suspected concussion.

Kellock went off for Glasgow soon after the half hour mark as a precaution and the score remained 12-10 to Edinburgh at the interval.

Edinburgh came out after the break all guns blazing and it really was impressive how their pack started to turn the screw, winning a number of penalties with their opponents unable to cope.

Pressure led to Edinburgh’s third try of the match in the 47th minute and this time it was Heriot’s back-row Jason Hill, one of a number of club players given the chance to impress on both sides, who scored.

Te Rure converted and when the same man kicked a penalty just after the hour mark to make it 22-10, there looked like being only one winner.

Hoyland’s second try with 15 minutes to go sealed things for Edinburgh 27-10 and although this was only a reserve fixture, you could see how much it meant to them to get one over on their visitors from the west.

As well as the previously mentioned players, Kennedy was always busy around the fringes for Edinburgh while teenage back-row Jamie Ritchie has a really calm demeanour and is one for the future.

On a night when things did not go right for Glasgow, special mention to prop Mike Cusack who played 40 minutes after long-term injury and Bordill showed his promise.

Edinburgh A: R Howarth; D Hoyland, C Dean, J Dominguez, T Brown; J Te Rure, S Kennedy; N Beavon, S McInally, S Berghan, O Atkins, A Toolis, J Ritchie, M Bradbury, H Blake. Subs: J Hilterbrand, S Cessford, C Hunter-Hill, J Hill, Z Mercer, A Glashan, C Bezuidenhout, G McConnell, C Anderson.

Glasgow Warriors A: G Bryce; L Young, G Young, J Downey, R Hughes; F Lyle, A Price; J Yanuyanutawa, F Scott, M Cusack, S Cummings, A Kellock, T Spinks, J Eddie, W Bordill. Subs: G Hunter, J Malcolm, Z Fagerson, R McAlpine, J Agnew, L Wynne, M Smith, B McPherson, D Armstrong, G Lowe, R Norville, D McLuskey, P Ramsay, R Fergusson.

Referee: S Grove-White.