Scottish Rugby Blog

Scottish Rugby News and Opinion

Search

1872 Cup: The Teams

Glasgow v Edinburgh
Graphic © Scottish Rugby Blog

Here are your final Edinburgh and Glasgow teams for the season, the last leg of the 1872 Cup decider, and the last game as head coaches for Gregor Townsend and Duncan Hodge.

Hodge will return to being Edinburgh’s backs coach, while 7s coach Calum MacRae will become their new defence coach – replacing Pete Wilkins who is leaving the club. Townsend, of course, is moving upstairs to the Big Seat along with most of his coaching team.

To mark his departure, he’s going all out for the silverware with probably the strongest team available, especially in the backs with Stuart Hogg said for his 100th Glasgow appearance and PRO12 Dream team/Lion Tommy Seymour picked. If Finn Russell and Price play as well as they did in a lively cameo against Leinster, it could be a long afternoon for Edinburgh. If it looks a little shorn of heavyweights in the back row – arguably an Edinburgh area of strength – Fagerson the younger has impressed in his previous outings and the bench is stacked with caps.

Glasgow team: Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour, Alex Dunbar, Pete Horne, Lee Jones, Finn Russell, Ali Price; Gordon Reid, Fraser Brown, Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings, Jonny Gray (capt), Rob Harley, Chris Fusaro, Matt Fagerson.
Replacements: Pat MacArthur, Alex Allan, Sila Puafisi, Tim Swinson, Adam Ashe, Henry Pyrgos, Nick Grigg, Sean Lamont (complete with blonde dye-job, we hear).

Edinburgh also have their strongest team out, with Hamish Watson and Jason Tovey the big names who might have featured missing down to injury. Blair Kinghorn gets a first run on the wing – a sign of things to come perhaps?

The battle in the second rows could be quite exciting with both sides picking top talents. Richard Cockerill is perhaps so keen to see under-used hooker George Turner in action he’s been picked in the back row as a replacement. With Watson missing out, John Hardie’s return could not be more timely.

Edinburgh: 15. Glenn Bryce, 14. Damien Hoyland, 13. Chris Dean, 12. Phil Burleigh, 11. Blair Kinghorn, 10. Duncan Weir, 9. Sam Hidalgo-Clyne; 1. Allan Dell, 2. Ross Ford, 3. Simon Berghan, 4. Grant Gilchrist (capt), 5. Ben Toolis, 6. Jamie Ritchie, 7. John Hardie, 8. Cornell du Preez.
Replacements: 16. Neil Cochrane, 17. Murray McCallum, 18. Kevin Bryce, 19. Fraser McKenzie, 20. George Turner, 21. Sean Kennedy, 22. Junior Rasolea, 23. Rory Scholes

Players unavailable due to injury: Magnus Bradbury (knee), Tom Brown (groin), Jack Cosgrove (ankle), Alasdair Dickinson (foot), Viliami Fihaki (knee), Nasi Manu (shoulder), Viliame Mata (shoulder), Stuart McInally (back), WP Nel (neck), Alex Northam (Achilles), Rory Sutherland (groin), Jason Tovey (shoulder), Hamish Watson (groin)

The game also offers a chance for a number of players: Hoyland, Toolis, du Preez  and arguably Lee Jones or Duncan Weir to stake a claim for a place on Scotland’s summer tour with Townsend watching.

Can Edinburgh stop Glasgow doing a demolition job?

20 Responses

  1. Jamie Ritchie v Rob Harley will be interesting. Both like to make the breakdown a dogs dinner.

  2. It will be interesting to see if Townsend is approaching this as a full Scotland trial for the summer tour. He obviously knows all the Glasgow boys so some of the Edinburgh players will have to really put their hands up if they want to tour. Should be a cracking game especially if the weather stays good.

  3. Man for man I would only say that Edinburgh only has an edge in the back row. However, that depends on Hardie being fully match fit and du Preez bringing his A game. If Glasgow can avoid chaos at the breakdown and cards, their more organised attack and home advantage should see them through.

    1. Great, I had looked for it and it was unlisted. I couldn’t understand why it wouldn’t be on.

      Thanks guys.

  4. The match is listed in Radio Times, broadcast on BBC2, starting at 5pm.

  5. Glasgow to walk this. The gulf in quality between the back lines is glaring. All three of Glasgow’s bench backs would walk into that Edinburgh lineup (ok maybe not Lamont).

    Edinburgh seem to be snapping up some young Scottish talent with the likes of Darcy Graham and Ally Miller joining, does anyone know if there are any young Scottish centres who Glasgow haven’t already signed that they could get? Stocks are looking a bit thin with Michael Allen retiring.

    1. Paddy Kelly signed for Glasgow and with Rory Hutchinson at Northampton I don’t think there are many available. Tom Galbraith was the other centre last year but not sure where he is at the moment. Maybe London Scottish.
      They’re rumoured to be signing Robbie Fruean from Bath which could be good in the short term. Risky as he underwent open heart surgery a few years ago and has struggled with it ever since, but a talented player with Premiership and Super rugby experience.
      Maybe try Kinghorn in the centre? Don’t think he’ll ever rival Hogg at fullback and doesn’t look entirely comfortable at 10 but could be a great 2nd play maker at 12

      1. Galbraith was at LS this season. News of next year’s squad only dribbling out. You could add Robbie Fergusson to that, also at LS and no word as yet on his future or otherwise there.

        Championship is a decent level to play at if you prefer regular game time. Centre’s a bit tough right now, Glasgow quality stocked and Embra seemingly not knowing what they want.

    2. Oh dear, prediction way out. Fair play to Edinburgh, hopefully bodes well for next season.

  6. Looking forward to the game. I expect Glasgow to win but I don’t think it’ll be a pushover and we’ll see the promise Edinburgh have had in flashes and get some hope for next season…

    Amazing to see the injuries Edinburgh have in the backrow and yet how strong their backrow is. Perhaps they should have put some of that recruitment focus on other areas of the team!

    1. Not me to be honest, sorry. Glasgow don’t deserve it and the ref has been lamentable. Excellent win Edinburgh. Edinburgh will improve. Glasgow have stagnated.

  7. I’d assume top of Dave Rennie’s shopping list is a replacement for Josh Strauss.

    Edinburgh defended very well & had their futures to play for, Glasgow had little to play for & it showed.

    Grigg should’ve started.

    Hoyland maybe booked his spot on the tour ahead of Jones (lovely pass by Du Preez for his try)

  8. Just heard ben youngs is out of tour for family reasons , could we see a third scot ? or will we see davies or care picked.

  9. Awful circumstances given the reasons for Ben Youngs dropping out, but nice to see Laidlaw called up to the Lions. I think he would have been in contention for the first selection had he stayed fit through the 6N, well deserved

  10. Just back from 727 on great western road. Congratulated Tommy Seymour on his lions selection. Henry pyrgos says thanks. Henry sorry you are not going- magic part of glasgow backs!

    Glasgow and Scotland are in a much better place.love coming to watch glasgow every week.

    WE ARE WARRIORS

    1. A pair of gents I would add despite the loss. Good to see Grayson Hart (earlier in broomhill) Henry and Tommy behaving like ordinary folk on way home from game.

You might also like these:

Scotland overturned a run of narrow defeats against Wales to come away with a first win in Cardiff since 2004 and seven test victories in a row for the first time in their history. Here's Eleanor with the talking points.
Give us your thoughts on the game as Scotland visit Cardiff Arms Park for the tournament opener.
Jonny is joined by Craig, Iain and Rory to review how the Men's and Under-20's Six Nations went for Scotland, as well as looking forward to the upcoming Women's 6 Nations tournament and rounding up the latest Scottish rugby news.
Give us your thoughts on the game as Scotland visit Dublin on St Patrick's Day weekend.

Scottish Rugby News and Opinion

Search