Family ties won't hinder Pinder in inter-city clash

SAM PINDER has warned there will be no place for sentiment when he lines up for Glasgow against Edinburgh in the second leg of the David Lloyd 1872 Cup at Firhill on Friday.

The 29-year-old New Zealand-born scrum half owes the eligibility that has brought him two Scotland caps so far to a grandmother from Port Seton.

But Pinder insists: "Obviously my family are supporting me. Definitely, they have turned into Glasgow supporters."

Despite having family backing, Pinder knows it will still be a tough ask to reverse a 6-39 defeat in a match where Celtic League points are also at stake.

But he insists: "Not a lot has had to be said for the (Glasgow] boys to be up for this one."

Adds the man who is one of four new faces from the first leg in being promoted from the bench along with Moray Low, Fergus Thomson and James Eddie: "We didn't play well in a lot of areas and it is down to individual guys to step up a level."

Where Pinder can give his own prospects of adding to two caps gained on tour in South Africa in 2006 a boost is by his performance in opposition to the man whom he shared the scrum half duties with on that trip – Mike Blair.

But, while hailing the qualities that have made Blair "one of the leading scrum halves in the world", Pinder is first and foremost a team man.

"You always look to up your own performance but in a way that goes towards helping the team."

If Pinder rules out using the fixture as a personal springboard – even if it is inevitable any good performance against a quality rival would cause powers-that-be to take note – he is wary of records such as the one where the home side has come out on top for the past six years knowing that the mould has to be broken sometime.

However, he insisted: "The home crowd support adds an extra element and we were fortunate to have a lot of fans travel to see us when we didn't do them proud so much so that we are going out to right the wrongs."

Edinburgh have made four changes for Friday's game. Returning after injury are Mark Robertson and Geoff Cross while Alan MacDonald takes over from Ross Rennie, who has undergone knee surgery. The other change is a second row call-up for Matt Mustchin. Dropping out are John Houston, Gavin Kerr and Craig Hamilton.

Edinburgh: Southwell, Robertson, Cairns, De Luca, Webster, Godman, M Blair, captain, Jacobsen, Ford, G Cross, Mustchin, J Hamilton, Newlands, Hogg, MacDonald. Subs: Kelly, Kerr, Gissing, S Cross, Laidlaw, D Blair, Houston.

Glasgow: Stortoni, O'Hare, M Evans, Morrison, T Evans, Parks, Pinder, Va'a, Thomson, Low, Barker, Kellock, captain, Eddie, Brown, Barclay. Subs: Hall, Tkachuk, Turner, Vernon, Gregor, Henderson, Jackson.