Glasgow Warriors take early 1872 Cup lead with 24-12 win over Edinburgh

Glasgow Warriors took the early advantage in the 1872 Cup with a 24-12 win over Edinburgh at Hampden Park, earning a bonus point and a 12-point lead ahead of the return leg. Franco Smith’s side were efficient in the second half, crossing four times, three after the interval, to seal a comfortable victory.

Glasgow began with intent as a clever pass from Sione Tuipulotu sent Kyle Steyn bursting through a gap and setting the tone for the afternoon. After opting to attack from the corner on an early penalty, the home side struck when Matt Fagerson powered over from close range to give Glasgow a 7-0 lead. Edinburgh defended stoutly at the breakdown but could not curb Glasgow’s momentum. The visitors finally replied just before the half-hour as Dylan Richardson found space and darted through a split in the Glasgow defense, and Cammy Scott’s conversion attempt went wide, leaving the scores at 7-5 at half-time.

The second half opened with Glasgow extending their lead when Rory Darge crossed from close range to make it 14-5 after Hastings converted. Five minutes later Gregor Hiddleston added a fourth try for the Warriors, with Hastings striking the upright on the conversion to keep it at 19-5. Edinburgh then belatedly sparked into life, as Grant Gilchrist finished off a driven lineout and Ross Thomson converted to reduce the deficit to 19-12 with nine minutes remaining.

Glasgow finished strongly, with replacement hooker Seb Stephen grounding the ball to seal the bonus point and a 24-12 final score. Hastings did not add the extras on that late score, but the result gave Glasgow the edge in the tie, which will be decided by aggregate score in next week’s return fixture.

The victory builds on Glasgow’s recent momentum, coming on the heels of their stunning Champions Cup performance last weekend, when they recovered from 21-0 down to defeat Toulon—the greatest-ever result for a Scottish club side, according to the club’s narrative. Edinburgh, by contrast, have shown both resilience and inconsistency this season, and will need to sharpen their attacking threat if they are to overturn the deficit in the second leg.

Attendance at Hampden was 21,093, a solid turnout for a mid-season derby and a reminder of the Cup’s staying power in Scottish rugby. Glasgow have won the 1872 Cup in each of the past three seasons, and they will head into the second leg with confidence of lifting the trophy again, while Edinburgh will seek a decisive response in front of their own supporters.

Edinburgh will host the second leg, with the Cup decided on aggregate. The match will serve as a barometer for both sides ahead of the URC’s second half of the season and as a measure of whether Glasgow can translate domestic form into the two-leg format.