Edinburgh begin 2021 with derby win

  • 2 January 2021

Edinburgh Rugby started 2021 and their 1872 cup defence with a win, holding on to beat local rivals Glasgow Warriors 10-7 in a physical encounter at BT Murrayfield.

The match is unlikely to go down as a Capital Classic, however Richard Cockerill’s side won’t complain, as they took their first step towards retaining the 1872 cup for a fourth consecutive year.

It took 60 minutes for the first points in the game, with Van Der Walt hitting a long range penalty, before substitute Magnus Bradbury scored the decisive try of the match. Lewis Bean scored late for the visitors, however it was the home team who held on to win.

Key Moments

The first half was scoreless, but it wasn’t without incident and intrigue. Edinburgh edged the run of play, with 77% of the territory and chances to score, but it would be a half epitomised by physical set-piece and breakdown battles.

The opening exchanges of the game were dominated by the men from the capital, with the home team camping inside the Glasgow 22. Chris Dean and Darcy Graham both made scintillating breaks, as the forwards battered the Warriors line with physical carrying.

Edinburgh turned down kickable penalties in search of a try, opting for kicks to the corner and scrums, however the Warriors defence held firm, surviving the first 20 without conceding.

The home side were almost made to pay for not scoring when Huw Jones burst through a gap in the defence, with the Scotland International coming close to forcing the first points of the game. A combination of strong defence - in particular Mark Bennett in the 13 channel - and a missed kick from Brandon Thompson meant the scoreboard remained untouched at half time.

The second half didn’t erupt into a try-fest, instead both sides toiled to find a clinical edge, and a sense of trepidation took over with small errors from either team. Glasgow started the half brightly, making a few forays into Edinburgh territory, but like the home side in the first half, they were unable to make the pressure count.

The deadlock was eventually broken in the 64th minute of the game, as Edinburgh finally took the lead through a long range kick from Jaco Van Der Walt, nailing the kick from just inside the Glasgow half with his first attempt of the game.

Having scored the first points of the game the home side scored the first try moments later. Van Der Walt turned provider, pouncing on a handling error from Glasgow to hack through. Magnus Bradbury was first in a queue of men in blue, applying the finish to give Edinburgh a healthy lead going into the final stages of the game.

Glasgow looked to hit back with a late comeback, and got a try for their efforts with Lewis Bean crossing from close-range, however the home team were able to hold on to record a 10-7 victory over their rivals.

Play of the Day

The longer the game remained scoreless, the more crucial it became to record the first points of the match.

The big play came in the lead up to Edinburgh taking the lead, with a ferocious chase of a Pyrgos box-kick to force Ratu Tagive into touch, giving Edinburgh a great platform to attack from.


Player of the Match

Edinburgh’s defence kept Glasgow scoreless for 79 minutes of the match, and a large part of that was due to the performance of Mark Bennett.

The outside centre dominated the 13 channel, not just through big hits, but through exceptional reads of attacking plays.

The Olympian also made a crucial turnover at the end of the first half to deny Glasgow as they were looking to get on the board.

live commentary 3:00 PM Saturday 2 Jan 2021

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Kick-off 3:00 PM

Edinburgh

Glasgow Warriors

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