Edinburgh started to get a grip on proceedings, and although coughing up a line-out on the edge of the Glasgow 22, they dominated the other set-piece throughout to give them easy territory.

Hannah Ramsay made the first of many breaks before an Edinburgh knock-on, only for them to win the penalty against the head. They went to touch, only for that to go wrong again.

However, when Glasgow cleared, what also happened again was Ramsay carving through their defence. They quickly shipped the ball left where captain Hannah Walker slid in despite the best efforts of Claudia McLaren to push her into touch.

From the restart, Edinburgh nearly doubled their advantage. After receiving, Marlow’s hanging kick took a fortuitous – if you’re an Edinburgh fan – bounced into Adelle Ferrie’s hands, it was swiftly moved wide and Cieron Bell went haring down the right flank. McNamara didn’t give up the chase though, and forced Bell to knock into touch just two-metres from the Glasgow line. McNamara then picked herself up, dusted the rubber crumbs off herself and hammered the ball clear after Glasgow had tidied up a messy line-out.

The pressure was all coming one way though and usually through Ramsay’s hands. Her offload put Catriona Moody through a hole and into the 22. They finished in similar fashion to the first, only difference being Bethan Mathieson being the one to touch down.

Although Edinburgh’s line-out was malfunctioning, Glasgow’s was hardly any better, referee Sam O’Neil’s whistle for a forward pass stopping a breakaway after they had thrown too long.

The exceptional Alex Stewart then had a barrel through the middle after more tidy midfield offloading, but she herself knocked on a few phases later. She had another go, showing some nifty footwork too, as the half was drawing to a close but teammate Aila Ronald was penalised for sealing off on the Glasgow line.

Having seen the scrum be pummelled, Glasgow brought on Aicha Sutcliffe and Imogen Spence at half-time, along with Millie Warren, and they seemingly made an instant impact, at least in open field.

There was more breakdown chaos, but this time it was Glasgow who profited when Sophie Murphy came up with the ball, saw a gap and ran home for a score that had looked beyond Glasgow. Replacement Warren knocked over the extras from right in front of the sticks. Despite Glasgow’s front-row change-up, the referee’s arm was still going in Edinburgh’s direction at scrum time and, vitally, Edinburgh’s touch-finders were more accurate.

A McNamara penalty had failed to find touch, bounced off the hard synthetic surface and went dead. Scrum Edinburgh. Penalty Edinburgh. Territory. Now in Glasgow’s 22, they forced another penalty, five metres out from the posts. They went for the scrum, Glasgow probably expected the shove to come on but Moody came bursting out from the base and powered over.

When Glasgow did eventually find touch and they managed to finish a line-out, the dummy round of Sutcliffe allowed McNamara to put Warren through, who converted her own try. An early tackle on Spence gave Glasgow a penalty centre-field on the Edinburgh 10m line. Warren stepped up and slammed it over. Somehow, Glasgow were level in a must-win game with 72 minutes.

A high shot from earlier try-scorer Murphy seemed to give Edinburgh one last chance to put the ball deep into Glasgow territory, which they did. Bogan got up and seemed to steal it, but the ball came back on Edinburgh’s side. They got up to the Glasgow try-line, and over the Glasgow try-line. But were held up. Relief for Glasgow.

For now. McNamara’s clearance was of reasonable length, but Lisa Brown’s running it back was nearly as long. Edinburgh were deep in the 22 and they did not fail this time. Clock in the red, replacement Kaylee Fraser won the match, and inter-city bragging rights. Which, on balance over the 80, they deserved.
 

Teams –

Glasgow Warriors: P Mellanby; C McLaren, N Flynn, B McNamara, S Phimister; C Ainsworth, R Darroch; P Fletcher, M Hyland, K Lindsay; H Bogan ©, S Murphy; G Thomson, E McGilviray, E Coubrough Subs: A Sutcliffe, F Gracie, I Spence, F Walker, S Main, M Warren, H Smyth, R Gibson.

Edinburgh Rugby: B Mathieson; C Bell, R Philipps, H Ramsay, H Walker (c); N Marlow, E Love; A Wilson, A Ronald, M Poolman; A Ferrie, N Logan, L McGrotty, A Stewart, C Moody Subs: K Fraser, T Tawake, F Sutherland, N Howat, C Russell, P Benson, L Brown, S Haddow.

Referee: Sam O’Neil

Scorers –

Glasgow: Tries: Murphy, Warren; Cons: Warren 2; Pens: Warren

Edinburgh: Tries: Walker, Mathieson, Moody, Fraser.

Scoring sequence (Glasgow first): 0-5; 0-10 (h-t) 5-10; 7-10; 7-15; 7-17; 12-17; 14-17, 17-17, 17-22
 

Player of the Match: Had Glasgow pinched it then Millie Warren would have claimed the gong for going ‘Full D-Mac’, however, the player whose name was first jotted down as a contender wins it. Hannah Ramsay beat defenders and made telling breaks, got the offloads in, defended solidly and even kicked some touch-finders. Excellent all-round performance.

Talking Point: Edinburgh really had the better of the important facets of the game. Kicking battle was won comfortably, with the exception of off the tee, and although the line-out was wobbly, the scrum was dominant. Solid foundations from which to build on.