Celtic Challenge: rampant Glasgow shock Edinburgh to claim first win in competition
02/15/2025 11:50 AM
Glasgow Warriors 36
Edinburgh 17
STUART BATHGATE
@ Scotstoun
LINDSEY Smith had called for a complete performance from her Glasgow team before this game – and that is exactly what she got as the Warriors secured a comprehensive victory over their rivals. It was Glasgow’s first win in the Celtic Challenge, either this season or last, and it was thoroughly deserved against an Edinburgh side who were on the back foot right from kick-off and remained that way for most of the contest.
There was a glimmer of hope for the capital club late in the first half when they closed from 19-0 down to 19-12. But, crucially, Smith’s team resumed control early in the second 40, denying Edinburgh a further score until the closing seconds.
"We got the 80-minute performance we were looking for,” the Glasgow head coach said. “The girls really stepped up. Defensively they were really calm and controlled when it mattered. A couple of little errors sneaked in, but we scored six tries today and we'd never scored more than three either last season or this season.
"That's massive for us. We've always known we could score points. It was how strong could we stand up defensively – and we did that today. I hope the players go out there and enjoy this and they get more of this in the weeks to come, because they've worked for it.
"We stood up, we faced them, I think we matched them up front, and some. I'm very proud of them all."
Edinburgh coach Claire Cruikshank echoed her counterpart’s views, accepting that Glasgow had been sharper and hungrier. "I think Glasgow came out with fight, I think they wanted it more than we did, and that definitely showed today,” she said.
"It's something we've got to learn. We've got to want it – we can't just turn up and expect to win fixtures."
Having won this season’s first meeting of the teams 63-15, Edinburgh might have been forgiven for expecting to win this return match with something to spare. Indeed, given the way they had fallen 10-0 behind in that home fixture, they might well not have been too concerned when Glasgow took an early lead here. But although they did get those two scores late in the first half, they were unable to push on with anythiong like the confidence they display at their best.
Gemma Bell opened the scoring for the home team after Holland Bogan had been stopped inches short of the line following a lineout drive. Player of the match Briar McNamara converted that try, ended up with a personal tally of 11 points, and was a nuisance throughout to the Edinburgh defence with her trademark combination of physicality and finesse.
When Scotland scrum-half Mairi McDonald got the Warriors’ second, unconverted try after a blindside run, we had still not played 10 minutes. And things got worse for the visitors midway through the half when Kate Yeomans scored her team’s third touchdown following a tapped penalty by McDonald.
Glasgow then came close to scoring again, only for a loose ball to be picked off by the visitors’ defence. Then, after a Natasha Logan clearance was fielded by the home defence, a pass was intercepted by MacRae, who had a clear run to the line. The centre converted her own try, but was off target after Aila Ronald got a second off a lineout maul.
Having seen their lead reduced to seven points, Glasgow knew they had to reassert themselves early in the second half, and they did exactly that as winger Abi Evans got the bonus-point try on the right after a penalty had been sent to touch on the left. McNamara’s conversion took the score to 26-12, and even at that point an Edinburgh comeback appeared improbable.
When Emily Norval marked her debut with a try 15 minutes from time thanks to a McNamara offload, the improbable became impossible. McNamara rounded off an excellent performance with a try of her own after Edinburgh replacement Lucia Scott had spilled forward in a bid to run the ball out of defence. Merryn Gunderson scored a third for the visitors with barely 20 seconds to play, but that did nothing to dampen the celebrations of the home team.
Scorers –
Glasgow: Tries: Bell, McDonald, Yeomans, Evans, Norval, McNamara. Cons: McNamara 3.
Edinburgh: Tries: MacRae, Ronald, Gunderson. Con: MacRae.
Scoring sequence (Glasgow first): 5-0; 7-0; 12-0; 17-0; 19-0; 19-5; 19-7; 19-12 ht; 24-12; 26-12; 31-12; 36-12; 36-17.
Teams –
Glasgow: P Mellanby; A Evans, O Proctor (M Warren 70), B McNamara (L Martin 73), E Norval; C Ainsworth, M McDonald (R Darroch 74); A Tucker (captain, E Fleming 79), A Sutcliffe (M Hyland 74), K Lindsay (P Fletcher 64), H Bogan, K Yeomans (E MacGilvray 72), F Walker (A Zameer 79), G Bell, E Coubrough.
Edinburgh: N Marlow; A Conchie (L Scott 53), L Brown, L MacRae, H Walker; H Ramsay, R Law (E Love 68); C Brown (T Tawake 47), A Ronald (K Craig 73), M Poolman (M Riach 73), A Ferrie, N Logan (C Russell 73), M Gunderson, A Stewart (captain, F Sutherland 73), S Taganekurukuru (C Fosbeary 56).
Referee: Jonny Perriam.
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