Edinburgh look to ‘X-factor’ duo to wrest back control of 1872 Cup from Glasgow Warriors

Getting the ball out to Graham and Van der Merwe will be key to capital club turning tables on visitors

Having splashed the cash to tie down Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe on new contracts, Edinburgh will look for an immediate return on their investment on Saturday when they host Glasgow Warriors in the second leg of the 1872 Cup.

The pair were effectively shackled in the first leg at Scotstoun where a combination of resolute home defending and the shocking weather nullified their threat. The forecast isn’t particularly great this weekend but there is hope – and indeed expectation – that two of Scottish rugby’s most potent attackers will have more of an impact at Murrayfield where a crowd of over 35,000 is expected, a record for this fixture. Edinburgh lost 22-10 at Scotstoun last week and Sean Everitt knows the onus is on his team to ensure his star wingers see more of the ball, but he has also urged the pair to do more to sprinkle their magic on the game.

“With defences the way they are at the moment you need these X-factor players and they both certainly bring that to the field,” said the Edinburgh coach. “Hopefully the conditions are better suited to the style of rugby that we want to play and that Glasgow play, and if we get them into the game more, obviously they’re dangerous players and have the ability to beat defenders. And that would be our plan.

Edinburgh Rugby's Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe have both signed new contracts with the capital club. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

“Our wingers have licence to work off the ball and not necessarily stay in the shape of attack, so the more touches they get on the ball the better for us. But at the same time we need to create opportunities for them and that starts with momentum. The momentum of your carries around the ruck will always tighten up the defence and open up space for wingers on the outside, regardless of who they are.

“So it’s important we do the hard yards first and we get good quality set-piece ball and that our breakdown is quick. We didn’t concede too many turnovers on the floor against Glasgow last week but they managed to slow our ball down and that was a weakness of ours in the first 20 minutes. And then when we generated quick ball we got into the ascendancy and got the ball out to where we wanted it. It’s a system we have to get right and it starts with the set-piece.”

Everitt called last week’s display by Edinburgh “a 40-minute” performance. He was pleased with the way his side played in the final 20 minutes of the first half and the first 20 of the second but knows he’ll need more than that on Saturday just to win the game, never mind overhaul a 12-point deficit. The coach has made two changes, one of them enforced. James Lang misses out due to the shoulder injury he sustained at Scotstoun and Mark Bennett comes in at outside centre, with Matt Currie moving from 13 to 12. The other change is more of a surprise, with Hamish Watson dropping to the bench. Luke Crosbie starts at six in a rejigged back row which sees Jamie Ritchie move to openside.

“For me it was just horses for courses,” said Everitt by way of explanation. “We went into the Ulster game with Hamish on the bench and he had a massive impact in that game. Luke Crosbie and Jamie Ritchie played well in those positions as well, so for me it’s just seeing if we can’t bring something different to the table. We know that Hamish is a world-class player, he’s a Lion, so we don’t see this as Hamish Watson being dropped for the game, it’s more strategy.”

Tom Jordan will start at stand-off for Glasgow Warriors against Edinburgh at Murrayfield. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Glasgow have also been hit by injury and have lost Sione Vailanu, their influential back-row forward who came off near the end of the first game against Edinburgh “It’s more serious than we thought,” reported Franco Smith, the Warriors coach. “The no-arms tackle in rugby is sometimes more dangerous than the head collisions. We’ve got him and Gregor Brown both sidelined with similar injuries now. For Sione, we’re looking at six to eight weeks out.”

Vailanu’s absence opens the door for Tom Gordon to start at six, with Ally Miller – a try-scorer in the club’s last two fixtures – shifting to No 8. Glasgow also make a switch at hooker, with Johnny Matthews starting and George Turner – who hurt his bicep in the first leg – on the bench. The final change sees Tom Jordan return at stand-off in place of Ross Thompson who is named among the replacements.

Smith dismissed the suggestion that playing the match at Murrayfield rather than the Hive lessens Edinburgh’s home advantage but will be heartened by the knowledge that Glasgow enjoyed two good wins on the international pitch last season, beating Perpignan in the Challenge Cup after Scotstoun was declared unplayable and then winning the 1872 Cup second leg 32-25 with a performance that was more convincing than the scoreline suggests. The stadium also holds fond memories for Smith who made his South Africa debut there in a record-breaking 68-7 win over Scotland in 1997. “I’m looking forward to going back there as it’s such a great place to go and play,” said the coach.

Smith expects Edinburgh to be “extraordinarily motivated” and to “come out swinging” but he is unlikely to deviate from his tried and trusted tactics against the wounded hosts. The driving maul continues to be Glasgow’s weapon of choice and Everitt knows that disrupting the Warriors lineout could be the difference between winning and losing. Edinburgh stole a couple of lineouts last week but Glasgow showed patience and persistence to eventually drive Matthews over for the try which swung momentum back in their favour.

While the 1872 Cup is the tangible prize on offer, Edinburgh would need to win by a minimum of 13 points to reclaim the trophy from Glasgow who would retain it in the event of a draw on aggregate. A narrower victory would not secure the silverware but it would deliver valuable points in the URC as the league reaches its halfway point. The odds favour Glasgow but Edinburgh can take some hope from the events of two years ago when they overturned a 30-17 first leg defeat at Scotstoun to lift the trophy with a 28-11 win at Murrayfield. A repeat on Saturday would require something special but in Graham and van der Merwe Edinburgh have players capable of delivering the unexpected.

Edinburgh: 15. Wes Goosen; 14. Darcy Graham, 13. Mark Bennett, 12. Matt Currie, 11. Duhan van der Merwe; 10. Ben Healy, 9. Ali Price; 1. Pierre Schoeman, 2. Ewan Ashman, 3. WP Nel, 4. Glen Young, 5. Grant Gilchrist (capt), 6. Luke Crosbie, 7. Jamie Ritchie, 8. Viliame Mata. Replacements: 16. Dave Cherry, 17. Boan Venter, 18. D’Arcy Rae, 19. Marshall Sykes, 20. Hamish Watson, 21. Ben Vellacott, 22. Cammy Scott, 23. Emiliano Boffelli.

Glasgow Warriors: 15. Josh McKay; 14. Huw Jones, 13. Sione Tuipulotu (capt), 12. Stafford McDowall, 11. Kyle Rowe; 10. Tom Jordan, 9. George Horne; 1. Jamie Bhatti, 2. Johnny Matthews, 3. Zander Fagerson, 4. Scott Cummings, 5. Richie Gray, 6. Thomas Gordon, 7. Rory Darge, 8. Ally Miller. Replacements: 16. George Turner, 17. Nathan McBeth, 18. Oli Kebble, 19. Greg Peterson, 20. Max Williamson, 21. Henco Venter, 22. Ben Afshar. 23. Ross Thompson.

Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU).

Match details: BKT United Rugby Championship and 1872 Cup second leg, Murrayfield, Saturday, 3pm.