Glasgow ruin the long-awaited return of Edinburgh fans to Murrayfield
Glasgow co-captain Fraser Brown scored a try on his 100th appearance as Warriors ruined the Edinburgh fans’ long-awaited return to BT Murrayfield. About 700 home supporters formed the first crowd inside a rugby ground since the lockdown in a test event authorised by the government, but they saw their side go down to a 15-3 defeat.
Edinburgh had already sealed top spot in Guinness PRO14 Conference B but their much-changed side failed to excite their supporters or build any momentum ahead of next weekend’s semi-final against Ulster.
The teams conceded 23 penalties between them in a very scrappy encounter but Glasgow managed tries in each half from Brown and Ratu Tagive to hand Danny Wilson a first win as head coach in their final game of the season.
After clinching a home semi-final with their 30-15 derby win last weekend, which also allowed them to retain the 1872 Cup, Edinburgh made ten changes. Fly-half Nathan Chamberlain, 20, and 22-year-olds Charlie Shiel and Jamie Hodgson were among those coming in as Richard Cockerill rotated his squad ahead of next weekend.
Wilson largely went for continuity after losing his first match in charge of Glasgow with even the late withdrawal of Richie Gray keeping his changes at three. Gray pulled out as a precaution while a family member awaited the result of a Covid-19 test.
The perfect start to his 100th @GlasgowWarriors cap ?@fraserjmbrown opens the scoring at BT Murrayfield – how much does he mean to the club? ?
?? Watch Live Now on @PremierSportsTV
?? Watch Live Now on @eirSport
?? Watch Live Now on @SuperSportTV#GuinnessPRO14 #EDIvGLA pic.twitter.com/yKo0zIe5IY— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) August 28, 2020
Chamberlain missed an early penalty and Glasgow went ahead in the eighth minute when Brown came from the back of a lineout maul to force his way over. Adam Hastings converted. Warriors centre Huw Jones was again handed the full-back berth but he was sin-binned in the 14th minute for a high tackle on Hamish Watson inside the 22. Edinburgh appealed for a penalty try but had to settle for three points as Chamberlain kicked over.
Glasgow survived the numerical disadvantage without major scares and the game continued in an untidy manner before the visitors pushed for a second try in the closing stages of the half.
Brown was heavily involved again as Warriors tried to force their way over but they were stopped at close range several times with referee Ben Blain twice checking try appeals on the big screen. Warriors passed up the chance to kick a penalty and had to settle for a four-point interval lead.
The second half started in even more untidy fashion with the lack of rhythm further exacerbated by a string of errors and the whistle of the referee, who was increasingly frustrating Cockerill with his decision-making. Edinburgh enjoyed their most enterprising period just before Glasgow’s second try, a quickly-taken penalty from Ali Price relieving the pressure and getting Warriors up the park.
Glasgow outnumbered Edinburgh on the left flank and Stafford McDowall was involved before Jones fed Tagive to go over on the hour mark. A Hastings penalty put the game further out of Edinburgh’s reach and their subsequent pressure proved too little, too late.
"Compare Cockerill’s win percentage to his 4 permanent predecessors and he handsomely outstrips them all… by any objective measure, Edinburgh are a team transformed"
– Stirring ode to Scotland's current fave Englishman by @JLyall93??? @EdinburghRugby https://t.co/K0NtUqCXGw
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 27, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
I think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
4 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
3 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
4 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to comments