AS a development exercise, this was possibly valuable for Edinburgh, but Glasgow were the big winners on both the scoreboard and the pitch, with four of their injured internationalists returning to action and coming through unscathed.

All of them say they are available for selection for the first team on Friday.

"If the coach asks me, will I knock it back? Of course not. But it is entirely up to him," said Al Kellock, the captain, who has been out of action in the early season games with a shoulder injury.

He was joined in the comeback stakes by wing Sean Maitland, who has been out with an Achilles problem but demonstrated his fitness with a 70-yard run-in for a try; fly-half Finn Russell, who has been out with a shoulder problem picked up on Scotland's summer tour; and Tom Ryder, who has had operations on both his knees.

To add further to the glittering line-up, Lee Jones, Connor Braid, James Downey, Jerry Yanuyanutawa and Adam Ashe - all full caps - were also deemed to need the match practice Edinburgh could only offer Greig Tonks as an internationalist.

It was therefore no surprise that Glasgow ran out easy winners, with Murray McConnell, Tommy Spinks and Braid producing tries before Maitland added his contribution and Russell kicked 10 points.

Edinburgh did manage a late consolation as Austin Lockington, one of the many replacements, went over, but with so many development players on the field from both sides the match had long since lost any sense of pattern or organisation.

Despite that, Kellock thought the biggest gain had gone to those youngsters who had tested themselves against full-time professionals, and in many cases come through with flying colours.

"Look at somebody like Zander Fargerson, at prop," he said. "He is playing for Glasgow Hawks seconds at the moment. I said to him before the game that this was an opportunity for him to show what he has got. He is 18 years old and I thought he did really well. There are umpteen others in the same position. For those guys to step in and not just survive but do really well is fantastic."

For most of the leading players, though, the important thing was to come through the match and prove that they are fit. "It was great to get back out there playing again," said Russell. "It has been too long, but it is a long season ahead, so there should be plenty of games coming."