THE HERALD REPORTS
KEVIN FERRIE, Chief Rugby Writer December 29 2007
The mood of optimism that is sweeping the Scottish rugby community was encapsulated in events at Murrayfield last night as a bumper crowd saw Edinburgh claim a last-ditch win and a four-try bonus point at the end of a spell-binding Inter-City derby which produced seven tries and a breathless finish.

While the failure to open sufficient turnstiles meant the evening began with another public relations own goal by the SRU as people were made to queue too long to get into the national stadium on a grim evening in the capital, the fare served up by both sides should ensure that all among the 6225 supporters who turned up will be back.

"It was a great game of rugby, wasn't it?" said Andy Robinson, the former England head coach who has done wonders since taking over at Edinburgh. "As an advert for the game it was outstanding, particularly in those conditions."

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While deeply disappointed, particularly at how his side had handed the initiative to their opponents in the opening half, Sean Lineen, the Warriors coach, echoed those sentiments.

"For Scottish professional rugby that was brilliant," he said. "You saw two teams serve up a cracking game and they both showed that they want to go places.

"There are still a lot of knockers of the professional game in Scotland, but we have to get over that and I'm elated by the size of that crowd and the way the teams performed."

In the end it was a victory Edinburgh's efforts just about deserved overall, but only a piece of brilliance by Nick De Luca saved it for them as he put Ben Cairns through for the winning try after it looked like 21-point Dan Parks had snatched the win for the Warriors with his touchdown and conversion three minutes into injury time.

It also meant that it remains 27 years, spanning the amateur and professional eras, since Edinburgh lost to Glasgow at home in what is the oldest competitive rugby fixture apart from the Calcutta Cup, while the men from the capital finish the year as the top Scottish side in this season's Magners League.

They looked like doing so almost throughout, not least during a first half in which Lineen admitted they were much the better side, showing greater urgency throughout that period so allowing their half-backs Mike Blair, who continued his exceptional run of form, and the improving Phil Godman to dictate where the game was played.

They led 21-9 at the break courtesy of two tries. First, Dave Callam was adjudged by the replay official to have squeezed the ball down before being bundled into the left corner after Blair had stolen the ball from Chris O'Young and scampered some 40 metres to be stopped just short of the line.

There was then one from the scrum-half himself, after he took a high ball with aplomb on halfway then worked a one-two with Simon Webster before going in under the posts.

That second score, deep in injury time, extended because of lengthy treatment to Thom Evans, following an accidental clash with team-mate Bernie Stortoni, was sandwiched by Parks' second and third penalties, but it was vital for the Warriors that they were first on the points board in the second half.

Looking far more lively as they came back out, they did just that with, almost inevitably, Johhny Barclay instigating the move by stealing the ball on halfway. The ball was worked right before Moray Low charged on to it and battered his way over.

It looked as if Edinburgh had sealed the win when, after a long period of pressure as their forwards tried to pummel their way over from close range, the ball was eventually released to the backs and Webster spotted space and danced his way through it to score.

Yet the Warriors responded instantly, with Blair making a rare error in allowing Sam Pinder to charge down his attempted clearance following the restart before the Warriors claimed possession and Kelly Brown forced his way into the left corner.

For once Parks goal-kicking let him down as he missed the conversion, but with 10 minutes left he reduced the deficit with his fourth penalty and with the game in injury time it looked as if the stand-off would be his side's hero once more when he switched play at a ruck close to the Edinburgh line, to sneak down the blindside and into the corner. This time he converted to put his team three points clear and all they had to do was hold out.

Robinson said afterwards that the key thing he is trying to instil in his men is never to give up, however, and he was full of praise for how De Luca crafted the match-winning chance as he released the ball from a tackle on the 22 to find Cairns roaring up on a perfectly selected line.

"I'm not sure I would have given that off-load if it had been 20 minutes to go, but it was do or die," the centre said afterwards.

It most certainly was and the full five points Edinburgh claimed should give their youthful side enormous confidence as they more into the New Year.

Edinburgh B Cairns; A Turnbull, N De Luca, J Houston (H Southwell 62), S Webster; P Godman, M Blair; A Jacobsen, R Ford (A Kelly 74), G Kerr, M Mustchin (C Hamilton 74), B Gissing, A Hogg, R Rennie, D Callam.

Glasgow B Stortoni; T Evans (S Barrow 37), G Morrison, D Gibson, H O'Hare; D Parks, C O'Young (S Pinder 40); J Va'a (E Kalman 64), F Thomson, M Low, A Newman (J Eddie 63), A Kellock (D Turner 55), K Brown, J Barclay, J Beattie

This article was originally posted on 29-Dec-2007, 09:36 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 29-Dec-2007, 09:37.