Edinburgh coach Alan Solomons refused to bill his side's 20-8 victory over Glasgow at BT Murrayfield as a changing of Scottish rugby's guard, but it was clear that the capital outfit are now closer to the men from the west than at any time since Andy Robinson - in his pre-Scotland days - was running their affairs five years ago.

Yet to what extend were Gregor Townsend's Warriors conspirators in their own downfall? Glasgow started this Guinness PRO12 season at a remarkable lick, scoring three first-half tries against reigning champions Leinster in their opening game, but they have dropped a couple of cogs since. It would be overstating their tempo to say they even got into second gear for much of their clash with Edinburgh.

In fairness, Glasgow have ground out wins over Munster and Edinburgh - in the 1872 Cup's first leg last weekend - in similar fashion recently, but their lack of gas finally counted against them in the national stadium. To compound that failing, they also took a hammering in the set-piece. Is their challenge fading or is this simply another mid-season dip along the lines of the one they suffered a year ago?

"It happens to everyone," said Townsend. "Nobody plays at their highest level in every game. But that's why we have coaches and players on the field to remind everyone that standards have to be achieved every week or we will lose games.

"It will be a reminder for us all when we watch the video on Monday as a group that we have to do the fundamentals right and put the effort in to win games or we end up losing.

"We know we haven't played at our best over the past few weeks. We have managed to win a couple of big games in the league and we have come close in Europe, but this was our poorest performance of the season.

"We've got to get back on track, work hard during next week and the coming weeks to make sure that we do improve."

Townsend's astute and even courageous player-rotation policy has served Glasgow well in the past, but there was a feeling that it came unstuck on Friday. Al Kellock, man of the match a week earlier, looked jaded and was replaced at half time. Yet Townsend will have to use his squad to the fullest when he loses players to Scotland, so Glasgow will be stretched.

It is more heartening by far to consider that Edinburgh - billed as a "basket case" only 18 months ago - may finally have turned the corner. They played with muscular determination and self-belief.

"The significance of this game should not be lost," Solomons smiled.