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
I believe it was the Wallaby Nick White who opened the floodgates - earning his team a yellow card against SA and getting Faf binned for 10. Nick White. The original soft pr1ck, diving git. Owen Farrell is growing on me.
2 Go to commentsTo be honest this result was not that seismic as shock, Canada are a very good team and very few teams fear the Black Ferns anymore. The rankings give a good picture, the top four ranked teams are the top four teams in women’s rugby with England ahead the other three can exchange places at any given time. Despite the USA result I still think Australia are ahead of the rest. WXV will show how big the gap is between nations.
9 Go to commentsFarrell playing in France next season better get use to play acting .
3 Go to commentsNot sure I see the magic. Solid flanker but the aggression and lack of bending at the hips leads to boo boos
4 Go to comments100%. Thank you, Andy.
2 Go to commentsFabulous player. Don’t know if people outside of Ireland appreciate his vision and genius. I wish he got more time with the National team. We will never know how high he could have soared. Super season to end with!
1 Go to commentsIf he's playing well enough to be in the top 2 or 3 open sides, then pick him. Essentially nothing else should come into it.
1 Go to commentsBe really surprised if Beale is considered for a WB squad, let alone a match day 23. Feel there are too many younger players in all positions in the backline now who should be developed. These upcoming games this year should be used to develop the players of the future, for building towards next RWC.
2 Go to commentsI think this all came from Fozzie immediately anointing Cane as captain when he became coach, well ahead of when any team was to be named. Then he seemingly felt unable to retract the captaincy as that would have been an admission he was wrong initially. Sam Cane was a good AB and a good captain. Through his injuries and some loss of form he maybe didn't deserve selection but Fozzie couldn't ever make that hard call which led to Cane copping it.
4 Go to commentsThe extra weight that Fraser put on over the off season is really showing. The word is 7/8 kgs heavier than last year. Feel he is now carrying into contact a lot more powerfully, which makes him a bigger threat playing in the sh position at lineout time. I do feel however that he is still too easily moved off the ball at the breakdown unless he is in really early. Comparing him to the top current guys such as Tommy Refell, and past supremos like Pocock and McCaw, I would hope he will develop more in that area. The rest of his game is way out front. His speed around the field as a support player is top notch, and his defence is very sound, apart from the front on tackle on the bigger men sometimes. I also would see him as a future WB captain. He does a lot of quiet encouraging, and for sure can lead from the front. Of the other three NZ lads on the stats. table, would think it may be Papalli’i who gets in. I do like Lakai. Is Blackadder not more a 6/8 player ? Actually really rated Lachlan Boshier, but he was not ever getting anywhere, so now in Japan. Would love to have seen how he went in a AB jersey. Excellent article, Nick…….most thought provoking
45 Go to commentsAhh too many OK 7’s out there at the moment, would have loved to have Harmon (and Boshier from Panasonic) included on that list (although I don’t know what I’m looking at with those stats!). I would love to see another 7 come through like Cane (who VdF has molded off), who was a real attacking machine before his neck injury and inability to turn his head/upper body to pass or catch properly forced his style to change. No sure McReight is it, he looks more like a canny McCaw than the blasters Hooper and Cane were. The real issue is what use can Schmidt mold out of his ability and skills in just two short seasons. I think Cale could do a lot of the more skillful stuff. McReight is probably best to knuckle down and do the core duties a modern day Cane performs for the other two loosies (if he’s the best Schmidt has to play with at 7).
45 Go to commentsI’ve little doubt that England is comfortably the No 1 team and not only beat other teams but beat them easily. Not so sure about France. They should be No 2 after winning 3 of last 4 matches against NZ and only a straightforward missed kick prevented it from being 4 out of 4. However, then they inexplicably lost to Canada and Wallaroos in WXV. I thought the NZ match was their “cup final” and they took the others lightly, but they were not particularly impressive in 6N except in flashes. I think they have stood still whilst Canada and England have moved forward but I don't think Canada has the depth and their team is ageing. I agree NZ not moving forward. What will be interesting is how the Wallaroos fare against NZ and then again in their September match against Ireland and then in WXV2 against other 6N teams. I was surprised they lost to USA.
9 Go to commentsI don't know why peoplenare upset here. If foreign fans think they are poor for their clubs and back it up with stats then it's probably true. Snyman would have been a legend in the NH if he was fit though. He just transforms Munster into a winning machine. Pollard is 100% the most disappointing one and his win rate outside world cups gives a good indicator. For all his clubs his average win rate is around 52%, inbetween world cups for the Boks it's 55%. Compared to other elite flyhalves who have 70%+ win rates for their clubs. If anything Manie is a far better investment if you looking for a flyhalf given that when he is on the pitch teams on average win 76% of games.
71 Go to commentsWhich captains were not human?
4 Go to commentsIt left him open to savage sledging most memorably POMs ‘Sh1t McCaw’ comment which prompted a national NZ meltdown. Cane was later substituted in that game. He had some redemption in the RWC quartfinal against Ireland but unfortunately he will be remembered for torpedo-ing his team with that red card in the final with NZ already 12-3 down.
4 Go to commentsThere should be a smaller number of teams cut off to play finals after the regular season, of course. However, with all due respect, the Crusaders aren’t playing well enough to even make that cut. They may have a late rally, if they can get some key players back from injury, but this is still a speculation as it stands. They will still have to rely on other results going their way too - their season is now entirely out of their control.
10 Go to comments1 week for two cynical and dirty plays? Absolutely pathetic punishment. He should’ve at least received 2 weeks - 1 week per trip. The guy is a cheating moron and liability. He should go back to league.
2 Go to commentsTest rugby is different level Some players are just big time players when the stakes are high they play better. The boks often lost to AUS on tour as they wanted to beat AB. Even at school level this is the case where some guys play better in tough games.
71 Go to commentsLet’s hope he misses more than just the Force game or the Reds won’t get very far in the finals.
2 Go to commentsThanks Nick. I’m looking at the other 7 options in Australia and they don’t seem to be close behind Fraser at the moment? Even before reading this I thought he was well ahead. A random one - Slipper and Allalatoa seem to be getting well beaten in the scrum. I can’t remember this happening often before. Is it a technique/teamwork issue or are their bodies finally past it?
45 Go to comments