Edinburgh Rugby have character but they must break damaging cycle as Glasgow Warriors remain armed with hope

Saturday’s 1872 Cup second leg at Murrayfield won’t go down in the annals as a classic, but that will matter little to Edinburgh, who showed impressive fortitude to grind out a 10-7 victory over their oldest rivals.

Glasgow Warriors had dominated the first leg so thoroughly that it felt as if the gap between the sides was wider than ever. Yet, the second chapter in this gripping story had an entirely different narrative. Sean Everitt, the home coach, got his tactics spot on and managed to smother Glasgow’s attacking threats with a defensive display which combined accuracy and grit.

In Pierre Schoeman, Edinburgh also had the match-winner, a super sub kept in reserve for the final half hour. Home supporters in the record 40,063 crowd must have feared the worst when Glasgow moved ahead for the first time in the match after being awarded a penalty try in the 68th minute but they reckoned without the redoubtable Schoeman.

Edinburgh's Marshall Sykes and Matt Currie during the match against Glasgow Warriors. | SNS Group

After Edinburgh had worked a short kick-off at the restart, Schoeman produced a little grubber which opened space on the right wing. The prop then reappeared to finish things off, taking three Glasgow players with him as he forced his way over the line.

It was a try that encapsulated the match and returned Edinburgh to the all-important top eight of the United Rugby Championship as the regular season reaches its halfway point. The teams are so tightly bunched in the middle of the table that seventh-placed Edinburgh are four points off third place and four points from 13th.

A defeat on Saturday would have seen them drop into the lower reaches and also pile pressure on Everitt after such a pallid showing against Glasgow in the first leg. He said the players had let everyone down at Hampden but they stood up at Murrayfield and it is the second time this season they have responded in this manner.

When Edinburgh were on the receiving end of a 55-21 hammering by the Lions in South Africa in early October, the character of the team was questioned. They had trailed 48-0 at half-time in Johannesburg, a league record margin. A week later, they thumped the Stormers 38-7 at Hive Stadium.

The cycle of tepid away performances being followed by rousing displays at home has been the story of Edinburgh’s campaign and has to be broken if they are to be considered serious challengers. They’ve not won on the road since April and face a trip to France next to face Vannes in the Challenge Cup. The newly promoted club are bottom of the Top 14 but have enjoyed notable wins this season over Lyon, Castres and La Rochelle. They also hammered Gloucester at home in the Challenge Cup.

Glasgow Warriors are still very much in the hunt for more silverware. | SNS Group

Edinburgh now need to back up the win at Murrayfield with another in Brittany to show they really mean business.

For Glasgow, Saturday’s game was bitter-sweet. They returned west with the 1872 Cup, 40-24 winners on aggregate, but there was little to celebrate. They remain second in the URC, behind runaway leaders Leinster, despite their third league defeat of the season.

Their focus now turns to the Champions Cup and a home game against Racing 92 on January 10 followed by a trip to Harlequins eight days later. Franco Smith’s side have made a solid start to their European campaign and are second in Pool 4. They lacked accuracy and ruthlessness on Saturday, which was out of character, but there remains a sense that they could really challenge in the Champions Cup this season, as well as the URC. It remains a campaign alive with possibilities for Smith’s team.