THE SCOTSMAN REPORTS

David Kelso
GLASGOW coach Sean Lineen last night confessed to being a member of the Andy Robinson appreciation society but this week he will be looking to put one over on the Edinburgh coach.
Sean Lineen wants Glasgow to end 2007 on a high with the 1872 Challenge CupThe inter-city rivals go head-to-head at Murrayfield on Friday in their first Magners League derby of the season.

And despite their recent brilliant form, Lineen reckons his side will go into the battle as underdogs.

As he revealed his line-up for the festive showdown, he couldn't disguise his admiration for what Robinson, once the coach of England, has achieved since taking over the reins of Edinburgh.

Lineen said: "I am wanting my guys to show their class to keep up their Heineken Cup form and prove our standing as the top professional side in the country, but as far as I am concerned, Edinburgh will be favourites.

"We have not beaten them on their patch for quite a while and the bottom line is that Andy has done a terrific job over the past couple of months. They have established a successful run at Murrayfield and we will be up against it."

Lineen added: "I hope we get a bumper crowd to befit the occasion and that as many of our fans as possible can make the trip through to cheer us on. I know their presence will definitely improve our prospects.

"For both sets of supporters, it should be a spectacle because both Glasgow and Edinburgh have been making rugby people all over Europe stand up and take notice."

Edinburgh's Ben Cairns adopted a similar standpoint as he called on the capital supporters to keep up their verbal momentum when the Warriors pitch up at the national stadium in the most eagerly anticipated derby for years.

The full-back, who snapped up one of Edinburgh's tries in the stirring Heineken Cup triumph over Leinster, declared: "The punters were amazing during that game. It was our biggest crowd of the season and they definitely lifted us when it mattered. We want to see them back when we square up to Glasgow, and we want to hear them again." On a personal note, Cairns added: "Beating Leinster was without doubt my finest hour as an Edinburgh player. They still had everything to play for and, following our defeat over in Dublin the previous Friday, nobody outside the Edinburgh camp really gave us a chance.

"They were really up for it and determined to earn revenge for our narrow win at Murrayfield last year. So to not only beat them but win by 19 points was brilliant. Some of the guys are comparing it to the Toulouse win from a few years ago, so in these terms it is the biggest win I've experienced at the club. Now we are focusing on Glasgow and in a match like this, more than just points are at stake."

Apart from the vital Magners League points, the sides will be vying for the 1872 Challenge Cup, resurrected to mark the anniversary of the first inter-city derby 135 years ago. That makes the series even older than the Old Firm saga. With 2Glasgow sitting one point ahead of Edinburgh in the Magners League standings, the victorious team will finish 2007 as the country's top pro team.

This article was posted on 24-Dec-2007, 08:31 by Hugh Barrow.