Male Athletes
United Rugby Championship Overview
Franco Smith has issued a challenge to his Glasgow squad, urging them to demonstrate continued development by securing the 1872 Cup with a rare away victory against Edinburgh.
Glasgow’s prior two successes in the 1872 Cup have been somewhat diminished by frustrating defeats in the second leg at Murrayfield, a venue where they have only triumphed once in their last ten visits.
Following their 24-12 win over Edinburgh in the initial leg at Hampden last weekend, Smith is hopeful they can celebrate retaining the trophy with a win in the capital this Saturday.
“Our ambition is consistently to perform at a higher level,” commented the South African, whose team has matured into a formidable presence under his guidance in recent seasons.
“Over the past two years, the outcome of the second game left us feeling disheartened.”
Fixture
United Rugby Championship
Edinburgh
Glasgow
“The players will be eager to perform exceptionally against a highly motivated Edinburgh team.”
“This presents an opportunity for us to advance our strategic approaches, as that is what holds significant importance.”
“If we aim to compete in European competitions and sustain our progression in this tournament (the United Rugby Championship), then we must elevate our performance and continue to advance.”
“I am enthusiastic about facing the substantial challenge before a large audience at Murrayfield to persist in our journey of development and advancement.”
Smith has implemented six alterations to his forward lineup for the journey to Edinburgh, citing a desire for “fresh impetus for this contest,” meaning key players such as Zander Fagerson, Gregor Brown, and Rory Darge will be available from the substitutes’ bench.
With an anticipated crowd exceeding 30,000 at the national stadium, Edinburgh’s head coach, Sean Everitt, expresses optimism about his squad’s chances of defeating Glasgow and positioning themselves to claim the 1872 Cup for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
“An intensity is present whenever we face Glasgow, but we are thrilled about the chance we have this week to secure a victory at Murrayfield,” stated Everitt, who has made three personnel changes.
“The team draws considerable encouragement from the fact that last year we suffered a significant defeat at Hampden but subsequently managed to reverse our fortunes at Murrayfield.”
“We face a 13-point deficit to overcome, which we acknowledge is demanding, but the squad is certainly prepared for it.”
“Last week, our offensive play was not effective, but if we can replicate the same tenacity and defensive effort shown at Hampden, and exhibit greater precision with the ball, we can overturn that disadvantage.”
