First blood then to Glasgow Warriors, but Edinburgh Rugby get the chance for quick revenge. From Scotstoun to BT Murrayfield in the space of a week, the Guinness PRO14 Derbies continue at pace over the festive season with a monumental Scottish clash this afternoon. After five yellow cards in the first helping of the 1872 Cup in Round 8, the intense rivalry continues at 3pm in Edinburgh in Round 9. Key battle Glasgow prevailed in that first all-Scottish ding-dong 20-16, but in an incredibly tight encounter where the hosts only managed to pull away at the end. George Turner’s late try secured a derby win for the Warriors in a captivating game that saw more yellow cards than tries. And if ever there was a game for Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend, and his new coaches Steve Tandy and Pieter de Villiers to watch, it’s this rematch. The two sides of course make up the vast majority of the Scotland team and that can be seen in the lock department, with Edinburgh internationals Ben Toolis and Grant Gilchrist going up against Jonny Gray and Scott Cummings. Both Gray and Gilchrist were incredibly industrious last week, with the Glasgow man having the slight advantage in terms of tackles with 23 versus 18. Both men vastly out-tackled their second row teammates and are clearly the workhorses of their side, with Gray, still only 25 but with 55 caps to his name, rarely outworked. But there is a lot more going on in the engine room than just tackles and if this one is going to be tight again these two men will be key, who can dominate the lineout and who can be the most effective ‘enforcer’ for their side on the day will edge the all-important physical battle.
