Glasgow stretched their unbeaten home record against rivals Edinburgh into a 12th year at Scotstoun, but it was a dour and bad-tempered first leg of the 1872 Cup.
Josh Strauss’ try just before half-time enlivened proceedings only briefly as off-the-ball scores were settled across the pitch and neither side got a foothold for long, referee George Clancy hardly helping matters with an over-fussy performance.
Edinburgh looked decent for the first 20 minutes and showed signs of coming back into the game from 13-3 down early in the second half, but they offered little threat to the Warriors’ try-line. In the end the home fans were left disgruntled when the officials called back a late Niko Matawalu score for a marginal forward pass in the build-up.
Glasgow were certainly the better side, helped by using the lineout drive to good effect in the first half, but it was far from a vintage Warriors performance, other than Strauss’ try.
Edinburgh had a brief lead from Sam Hidalgo-Clyne’s fifth minute penalty, but that was their only threat of the entire first half and they seemed to be intent on a physical battle, lock Anton Bresler involved in several conforntations and Ross Ford lashing out at old mate Al Kellock at one ruck.
Duncan Weir kicked two penalties to take Glasgow into the lead and a minute after the second, with four minutes remaining from half-time, they produced the game’s only shining moment.
Weir’s deftly judged chip found Sean Lamont at full pace, the veteran Scotland wing bashed aside Tom Brown and fed inside to Peter Horne, who had Strauss at his shoulder to take the ball in for the score.
Weir converted and Glasgow went in at the break in command, although Edinburgh made some adjustments in the second half which had an early effect.
Greig Tonks switched back to full back and almost broke through with a twisting run, but they had to settle for a penalty from replacement Tom Heathcote.
Glasgow came back strongly and Weir restored the 10-point gap with a penalty before replacement scrum-half Matawalu seemed to settle matters.
The Fijian swapped passes with DTH van der Merwe down the left touchline and stretched out for the try, but referee Clancy brought them back for a forward pass without consulting the TV match official, with the home fans howling that the pass was fine when the big screens showed the replays.
Weir missed a late penalty meaning Glasgow will take a ten-point advantage going into the second leg on Friday night at BT Murrayfield.
Att: 6945
Glasgow: S Hogg; S Lamont, A Dunbar, P Horne, DTH van der Merwe; D Weir (S Maitland 80), H Pyrgos (N Matawalu 54); R Grant (A Allan 64), P MacArthur (D Hall 64), E Murray (J Welsh 54); T Swinson, A Kellock (capt); R Wilson (T Holmes 54), R Harley (L Nakarawa 57), J Strauss.
Edinburgh: J Cuthbert (T Heathcote 42); D Fife, M Scott, A Strauss (P Burleigh 63), T Brown (G Hart 71); G Tonks, S Hidalgo-Clyne; A Dickinson, R Ford (N Cochrane 56), J Andress (W Nel 46); A Bresler (F McKenzie 54), B Toolis; M Coman (capt), R Grant, D Denton (S McInally 71).
Ref: G Clancy (IRFU)