When Mosese Tuipulotu was pictured enjoying Christmas dinner with older brother Sione, Tom Jordan, Josh McKay, Jack Dempsey and others the other day, it occurred to us that the Edinburgh player may have been the closest thing to his Glasgow counterpart all week. It occurred to me.
Mosese was a very welcome interloper at the Warriors’ annual gathering of southern hemisphere ‘orphans’. These players spend the festive season thousands of miles away from their close friends and family.
It was another sign of the warm bonds that have formed in Scotstoun over the years. Manager Franco Smith fostered a happy dressing room and the result was a win.
With the Warriors chasing a second successive URC title while also aiming to go all the way in the Champions Cup, it is no surprise that most of their overseas talent has been willing to commit their long-term future to the project.
This afternoon’s second leg of the 1872 Cup is a chance to add more winning sides to the cabinet, but in truth it is the thought of accumulating an extra four or five URC points to their tally that is most appealing to Smith and his players. .
When the Warriors lost that game at Murrayfield 12 months ago but still won the Cup on aggregate, their subsequent trophy lifting was one of the most disappointing we have ever seen.
Edinburgh’s Mosese Tuipulotu joined several Glasgow stars and friends for a festive meal.
Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu is delighted his brother is in enemy territory.
The Tuipulotu brothers greeted each other at Hampden and will now meet again at Murrayfield.
In that case, securing local bragging rights definitely felt like a second prize.
History could repeat itself if Edinburgh win by under 18 points this afternoon. But you get the sense that this Glasgow machine has no intention of making the same mistake twice.
The fact that Smith, traditionally used to making major changes to matchday line-ups, made just two changes from the side that won the first leg so convincingly at Hampden last weekend shows how seriously the Warriors are taking their final game. This is another sign that shows. Shining sun.
‘I don’t think it’s necessary to mention it to the boys (avoiding complacency),’ said Smith, looking hurt by the mere suggestion. ‘The 14 points we gave away late in the game were enough motivation for us this week. We know how easily that can happen.
‘That’s one thing. The second is our goal. This goes beyond the Edinburgh game.
‘We obviously have high expectations of ourselves and hopefully we’ll see that this weekend.
‘We expect Edinburgh to be better than last time. ‘They will stand in front of their home crowd and be determined to put things right.’
Asked in 1872 whether he preferred winning the Cup or the League, Smith was greedy but naturally saw no need to settle for either.
Glasgow’s Tom Jordan watches Matt Fagerson catch Tuipulotu in Glasgow’s win.
‘Well, both would be very good!’ He added: ‘So now the focus is on being the best version of myself and continuing to improve.
‘It’s been a long year for us and a good year, but you’re only as good as the last game you play.
‘We’re going to have to fully engage with what we can bring. Our mission is the URC trophy. It’s not just about winning against certain teams.’
Smith comes across as a difficult taskmaster, but he also shows a softer side at times, especially around this time of year.
It was also highlighted that Warriors players were given time off to enjoy Christmas.
‘I know boys from the Southern Hemisphere had Christmas lunch together,’ he added. ‘I think it’s a step forward from a Christmas Day perspective as it seems to be mainly organized by boys.
‘Rugby is important. It definitely pays off. There is a lot of fun and enjoyment that comes from it. But family is most important to us. This week’s message is that we must keep our hearts and heads in sync.’
Warriors coach Franco Smith wants his side to maintain their derby advantage.
Edinburgh manager Sean Everitt is confident the large home crowd will stay behind his side.
At the other end of the M8, the build-up was slightly less serene as Edinburgh headed into what felt like a potentially season-defining game against their rivals.
Sean Everitt, who admitted his team had a ‘scrape battle’, ‘aerial battle’ and ‘I think Glasgow are better than us at the breakdown too’, had his work cut out for him to produce a significant upset in front of around 37,000. Supporters expected this afternoon.
‘The players are optimistic,’ the coach insisted. ‘In sport you get a second chance to make right what happened last week. Any mistakes we made on the pitch on Sunday can be corrected.
‘Playing at Murrayfield in front of the fans brought energy to the team and allowed us to work really hard to get over what had let us down against Glasgow on Sunday. We need to look at how we gifted them that attempt.
‘They are putting pressure on you with their attacks. However, there is no excuse from a personal point of view to concede a line break around the ruck.’
Marshall Sykes and Pierre Schoeman were dropped to the bench partly as a result of first-half yellow cards at Hampden, while Ewan Ashman was injured.
‘I am confident that the Edinburgh faithful will remain behind us,’ insisted Everitt. ‘They weren’t streaming from our stadium on time when things got bad. I’m sure they’ll have something to cheer about by the 80th minute.’
And what secret did Moses discover at Christmas dinner?
Everitt added, ‘You won’t hear too much about it because I’m very ethical in that regard.’ ‘And I’m sure if they were having an intelligence conversation it would be nonsense anyway!’
Edinburgh v Glasgow, Saturday 3pm, Murrayfield. Premier Sports 1 Live Stream
