Train driver helps Glasgow Warriors get back on track with win over Edinburgh
A passing train driver helped Glasgow get back on track as Danny Wilson’s team climbed off the bottom of their Guinness PRO14 conference with a 23-22 triumph over Edinburgh.
It was full steam ahead for the capital outfit when Jamie Farndale grabbed the opening try of the derby thriller.
But a blunder by Edinburgh scrum-half Nic Groom, who mistook the horn from a locomotive chugging behind Scotstoun’s North Stand for the half-time buzzer, saw Edinburgh hit the buffers.
That mistake gave Warriors youngster Ross Thompson the chance to kick a penalty and swing the momentum back in Glasgow’s favour.
They then opened up the second half with two quickfire tries as Matt Fagerson and George Turner crossed and although Richard Cockerill’s side hit back through Chris Dean and Eroni Sau, it was the hosts who held on for a big victory which not only moves them off the foot of Conference A, but also levels up this year’s 1872 Cup series at one win apiece.
When the teams last met just a fortnight ago, it took more than an hour of turgid action before a point was scored.
Thankfully there was no delay in things heating up this time, with Warriors’ 21-year-old stand-off Thompson marking his first professional start with two swift penalties before Edinburgh hit back with a Jaco Van Der Walt attempt.
Turner found himself in the sin-bin on 34 minutes when he needlessly thrust his shoulder into Grant Gilchrist’s midriff off the ball.
It took Edinburgh just three minutes to make their extra man count. Huw Jones did brilliantly to put in a try-saving tackle on Farndale – a late call-up after Jack Blain failed a pre-match fitness test – in the far corner.
But undeterred, they worked it all the way to the left before quickly switching back to the right side as Blair Kinghorn and Dean fed the ball to Farndale, who this time was free to run in for the score.
Yet Glasgow were able to trim the interval deficit back to one as Thompson booted his third penalty after Groom’s bizarre mistake saw him kick the ball out with 30 seconds still left to play having been confused by the train horn.
Warriors were now the team on the charge and they scored twice inside the first 11 minutes of the second half, first when Fagerson smashed over after some patient build-up play before Turner barged through from a driven line-out following a yellow card for Van Der Walt.
🚨 LAST MINUTE DRAMA 🚨
Eroni Sau scored the try in the dying moments for @EdinburghRugby 🏰
BUT Jaco van der Walt MISSED the conversion! 😱
🇮🇪 @eirSport#GuinnessPRO14 | #GLAvEDI pic.twitter.com/nIAYqvlG1r
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) January 16, 2021
But the 14-man visitors hit back immediately as Dave Cherry pierced the line before Hamish Watson released Dean to score under the posts.
Glasgow then had to see out the final five minutes a man down when Jones was next to be shown yellow for illegally slowing an Edinburgh attack.
Sau thought he had won it for the men from the east with 90 seconds remaining when he danced down the line to score, only for Van Der Walt’s conversion to creep wide.
Man of the match Thompson had the chance to increase the victory margin to four points at the end – but he was wide with another penalty.
👏 Your Guinness Player of the Match 👏
Sensational debut for Ross Thompson who kicked 13 points for @GlasgowWarriors 👟#GuinnessPRO14 | #GLAvEDI pic.twitter.com/2RYwpbvTb8
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) January 16, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Good luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to comments