Starting well is key to win says Michael Bradley

EDINBURGH head coach Michael Bradley has called on his side to start well and produce a full 80-minute performance in today’s 1872 Cup decider with Glasgow Warriors at Murrayfield.

Last Friday’s 23-14 loss means Edinburgh must win by ten points or more to stop Glasgow taking the 1872 Cup – awarded to the aggregate winners of the derby double header – for a fourth straight year.

Also at stake are valuable RaboDirect PRO12 points, with Bradley seeking an improved performance and, first and foremost, victory on the day after a costly first half at Scotstoun.

“You can’t give a side easy yards, especially in a derby,” Bradley said. “The main lesson for us in relation to the match last week is to start better and then continue to build from that. We started well in the second half, but we were 17 points down, so that wasn’t an ideal situation for us.

“We’ve an opportunity now to turn it around. It is very important to our fans that we don’t let Glasgow have full rights to the bragging rights. It’s a very important match for us. We need a full 80-minute performance. We did show that against the Ospreys in front of our own fans and we need to do that again.”

Edinburgh have made six changes, with an all-new front-row of hooker Andy Titterrell and props Allan Jacobsen and Geoff Cross, while Sean Cox comes in at lock and Netani Talei at number eight. Dougie Fife starts on the wing.

Glasgow have made five changes, with Stuart Hogg back at full-back, Henry Pyrgos at scrum-half, Josh Strauss at flanker, Tom Ryder at lock and Dougie Hall at hooker.

Warriors fly-half Ruaridh Jackson said: “We’re feeling very confident, the boys are in good fettle. The main priority is the league and the cup’s a nice bonus on top of that. We want to win that desperately and keep it here. We don’t want them taking it back.”