Technically it represents a crucial imbalance in the fixture list in the sequence of matches that are deciding who wins the 1872 Challenge Cup this season, but the terrain is as familiar to most of the visitors as to their hosts.
Edinburgh have, after all, spent much of this season using Myreside as their playing base, across the capital, while Glasgow Warriors have supplied the bulk of the Scotland team in recent years.
Yet ahead of the second encounter at the national stadium in this season’s trio of derbies, the previous two having seen Edinburgh sneak an 18-17 victory before Glasgow won the return 17-0 a week later, one of the visitors’ most experienced players admits that it is different from playing Test rugby there.
“I never thought I would be in a position to get booed at Murrayfield but it has happened a few times,” laughed Stuart Hogg.
“We have played there before and the atmosphere is a bit strange when there are 10,000 people there or whatever, so [but] it is a cracking pitch to play on and the boys know it like the back of their hand now. This is not an away fixture by any means.”
Edinburgh officials are hoping around twice as many will attend on a day which will see the decisive derby follow several domestic tournament finals, but even if they achieve that it will be rather less atmospheric than Scotstoun will be on Friday May 18, which was yesterday confirmed as the date for Glasgow’s PRO14 semi-final, when additional seating will take the crowd to the 10,000 mark.
Not that Hogg can afford to pay too much attention to that on Saturday as he seeks to focus on what is in front of him, which may include the pretender to his Scotland No.15 jersey, Blair Kinghorn, whose emergence has helped generate renewed competition for places, which he welcomes.
“Blair is a great boy who works incredibly hard on his game. You have seen over the last few years he has got better and better,” said Hogg.
“I have to work incredibly hard to make sure I am still involved in Scotland stuff. I even have a battle here with Jacko [Ruaridh Jackson], so it has been a tough old season trying to get consistency in my game, but I have boys keeping me on my toes and competition for places is huge.
“That is making me a better player and driving Blair on to become better as well.”
Collectively there is, meanwhile, an awareness of needing to make a statement ahead of the play-offs after successive poor showings on the road at the Scarlets and Ulster. “It is hugely important for us,” said Hogg.
“It is not just the results but the performances have not been good enough either.
“It is always more difficult to go away from home and win. You have to do the basics right time and time again but we have not been doing that of late.”
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