When Mosese Tuipulotu was photographed enjoying a Christmas dinner the other day with his older brother Sione, Tom Jordan, Josh McKay, Jack Dempsey and others, the idea emerged that it might have been the closest an Edinburgh player had come to a Glasgow counterpart all week.
Mosese was evidently a welcome interloper at the annual gathering of the Warriors' southern hemisphere 'orphans', those players who spent the festive period thousands of miles from family and close friends.
It was another sign of the warm bonds that have been forged at Scotstoun over recent years, with head coach Franco Smith cultivating a happy dressing room which has, in turn, become a winning one.
It is no surprise that the majority of their foreign talent have been happy to commit their long-term future to the project as the Warriors chase a second consecutive URC title while also aiming to go deep in the Champions Cup.
This afternoon's 1872 Cup second leg is a chance to add more titles to the cabinet but, honestly, it's the idea of accumulating four or five more URC points to their tally that is most appealing to Smith and his players.
When the Warriors lost the corresponding match at Murrayfield 12 months ago but still won the cup overall, the subsequent lifting of the trophy was one of the most dejected ever seen.
Mosese Tuipulotu from Edinburgh joined several Glasgow stars and their friends for a festive meal
The Scottish captain, Sione Tuipulotu, was glad to welcome his brother into enemy territory.
The Tuipulotu brothers greet each other in Hampden and will now meet again in Murrayfield
Earning local bragging rights clearly felt like a clear second prize on that occasion.
History could repeat itself if Edinburgh claim a victory by 18 points or less this afternoon, but there is a sense that this Glasgow machine is unwilling to make the same mistake twice.
The fact that Smith, who is traditionally no stranger to making radical changes to his matchday lineup, has made just two changes to the team that won so convincingly at Hampden last weekend in the first leg is another sign of how seriously the Warriors are taking their latest outing of a stellar year.
“I don't think it was necessary for me to mention it (avoiding complacency) to the guys,” Smith said, looking hurt at the mere suggestion. 'The 14 points we gave away at the end of the game were enough motivation this week. We know how easy it can happen.
'That's one thing. The second thing is our objective: it goes beyond this Edinburgh game.
“We obviously have high expectations for ourselves and hopefully we can prove that this weekend.
'We hope Edinburgh is better than last time. “They will be in front of their home crowd and they will be very determined to put things right.”
Asked to prioritize between winning the 1872 Cup again or claiming another league victory, Smith eagerly but understandably saw no need to settle for one or the other.
Glasgow's Tom Jordan watches as Matt Fagerson takes on Tuipulotu in Glasgow's victory
'Well, you'll both be just fine!' he added. 'So, for now, the focus is on being the best version of ourselves and continuing to progress.
“It's been a long, quality year for us, but you're only as good as the last game you played.”
'We will have to fully commit to what we can contribute. Our mission is the URC trophy. “It's not just about winning against a specific team.”
Smith comes across as a tough taskmaster, but he also shows his softer side at times, especially this time of year.
That the Warriors players had time off to enjoy Christmas stood out a lot.
“I know the kids in the southern hemisphere ate their Christmas lunch together,” he added. “I think it's mainly organized by the kids, so I'm sure they've stepped up from a Christmas Day perspective.
'Rugby is important. Obviously it pays the bills. There is a lot of enjoyment and pleasure that comes from it. But family is the most important thing for us. This week's message is: you must align your heart with your head.'
Warriors head coach Franco Smith wants his team to maintain derby dominance
Edinburgh manager Sean Everitt is confident a strong home crowd will continue to support his team
At the other end of the M8, the build-up has been considerably less serene as Edinburgh head into what looks like a potentially season-defining match against their rivals.
After admitting his team lost the “scrap battle”, the “air battle” and “I think Glasgow beat us to the breakdown too”, Sean Everitt has his work cut out for him to bring about meaningful change in front of around 37,000 expectant supporters this afternoon.
“The boys are encouraged,” the coach insisted. 'In sport, you have a second chance to make amends for what happened last week. The mistakes we made on the field on Sunday can be corrected.
“Playing at Murrayfield in front of our fans brings energy to the team and we were able to work very hard on the things that let us down against Glasgow on Sunday. You have to see how we gave them those tries.
“They pressure you with their attack. But conceding line breaks during the ruck is inexcusable from an individual point of view.'
Marshall Sykes and Pierre Schoeman have been left on the bench partly as a result of receiving yellow cards in the first half at Hampden, while Ewan Ashman is injured.
“I'm sure the Edinburgh faithful will support us,” Everitt insisted. “They have not left our stadium at the time when things have gone wrong. “I'm sure they'll have something to cheer about in the 80th minute.”
And what secrets did Moses discover during Christmas dinner?
“I'm pretty ethical that way, so I wouldn't hear much about it,” Everitt added. 'And if they were having some intelligence conversations, I'm sure it would be a load of nonsense anyway!'
Edinburgh-Glasgow, Saturday, 3:00 p.m., Murrayfield. Live on Premier Sports 1