Preview: Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - MAY 21: The teams walk out onto the park during a United Rugby Championship match between Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors for the 1872 Cup at BT Murrayfield, on May 21, 2022, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Edinburgh Rugby welcome the return of Scotland reinforcements Blair Kinghorn, Mark Bennett, Sam Skinner and Luke Crosbie for tomorrow night’s clash, while the home side’s selection includes a further three changes as Wes Goosen (wing), Henry Pyrgos (scrum-half) and Boan Venter (loosehead) all start.

Glasgow Warriors have made two changes to their starting XV as Scotland and British & Irish Lions scrum-half Ali Price starts, while Ollie Smith is the only other alteration.

Having earned a 16-10 victory at Scotstoun last Friday night, Franco Smith’s men travel east knowing that a second successive win over their cross-country rivals would bring the 1872 Cup back to the west of Scotland – an aggregate draw would see Edinburgh, as holders, retain the coveted cup.

BUY YOUR TICKETS TO THE DECISIVE DERBY

In all there are 24 Test capped internationalists among the 30 starting players from both sides – 12 on each side: Edinburgh’s group contain 10 Scotland stars plus Emiliano Boffelli of Argentina and Bill Mata of Fiji.

Glasgow too have 12 Test caps starters, nine from Scotland alongside Argentine duo Lucio Sordoni and Sebastián Cancelliere, and Tonga’s Sione Vailanu.

With a bumper crowd of around 25,000 expected for the festive clash, supporters are encouraged to secure their tickets today to guarantee their place at the decisive derby.

Mike Blair, Edinburgh Rugby Head Coach, said: “This is a hugely exciting fixture for all connected to the club – it’s set to be a special derby at BT Murrayfield and we hope to put in a performance that matches the significance of the 150^th anniversary fixture.

“We’re delighted to welcome back a number of experienced players from injury for this match-up and they’ll be relishing the chance to be back out there representing the city in a game that means so much to us and our supporters.

“We were obviously disappointed with the end result in the opening leg however we showed a real resilience to stay in the match. That grit and determination will be needed once again as we go up against a very strong Glasgow side.

“Our supporters will have a huge role to play on Friday night. We’ll need their backing from first minute to last in what is a huge game for the club.”

Franco Smith, Glasgow Warriors Head Coach, said: “Last weekend was an important win for us, but we know that the job is still only half done.

“We were impressed with the professionalism of our squad in getting the result at Scotstoun last Friday. We know there is more to come from this group, though, and that has been the challenge we’ve put to the players this week.

“The onus is on ourselves tomorrow night; we want to go out and deliver the performance of which we know we are capable.”

TICKETS

Tickets continue to sell fast for this massive, historic match up. The Bronze and Silver categories behind the goals reached capacity earlier in the week, however availability remains in Platinum and Gold categories.

Tickets are available to buy on the day however fans are encouraged to buy online before the game to avoid queues and delays at the ticket office. Tickets can then be added to Apple / Google wallets to allow for speedy entry to the stadium.

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