Edinburgh returned to the top of Heineken Cup Pool 2 at a chilly Murrayfield tonight, which enabled them to share the top spot in their qualifying pool.
But, having played with vim and vigour for an hour, the loss of that shape and purpose in the final quarter enabled a Cardiff to snatch a 79th minute losing bonus point..
Both teams are now tied at the top of Pool 2 on 13 points, Edinburgh ahead on tries scored, a mark which London Irish, currently in third place cannot equal when they welcome Racing Metro to Reading tomorrow.
Greig Laidlaw gave Edinburgh a captain’s lead again with 14 points from the boot but the Capital will feel they ought to have added to Tim Visser’s early try.
Head coach Michael Bradley said: "I was very pleased with the performance, we started a lot better than we did last week – I felt if Cardiff were to get anything they’d have to work very hard.
"It was a good day at the office for us. The key point for us is that we’ve learnt how to win tight matches on the basis of this performance.
Edinburgh were seeking to atone for last week’s loss in the Welsh capital and leapfrog their visitors at the top of Heineken Cup Pool 2.
And they made an encouraging start as well with some sparky continuity in which all three front-row forwards figured on the drive, Cardiff eventually conceding a penalty as they loitered after a tackle. Captain, Greig Laidlaw, stepped forward and marked his 100th appearance with his first points of the evening and a 3-0 lead for the hosts.
Edinburgh continued to menace and there was a promising combination from David Denton and Chris Paterson off turnover ball but Tim Visser failed to hold Mossy’s inside pass.
Visser was involved anew booting on a stray ball and re-gathering a kindly bounce only for Leigh Halfpenny to make a crucial saving tackle inside the Cardiff 22.
Ten minutes had not yet elapsed and another breakdown offence inside the Cardiff 22 was punished with Laidlaw’s second penalty.
Better followed as from more purposeful grunt from the Edinburgh forwards, Laidlaw unleashed Nick De Luca on a lovely half-break.
His pass was timed immaculately and Tim Visser stormed in for his third Heineken try of the season. We did have to wait for the score to be verified by the TMO but, once completed, Laidlaw potted a glorious touchline conversion and Edinburgh led 13-0 after 14 minutes.
Dan Parks posted Cardiff’s first points of the night with a rather tame scrum offence penalty in the 17th minute but Edinburgh continued to wax strong, Laidlaw just miscuing with a longe-range penalty as the game crackled into the second quarter.
Visser, victim of a body-check rather than a tackle from Casey Laulala, just missed out on a secondcarefully crafted cross kick, this time to the other wing.
Laulala got a wigging from the referee and was lucky not to have been sin binned.
Nevertheless Edinburgh did make their territory count when Laidlaw landed a snap drop-goal for a 16-3 lead on the half hour, extended five minutes later as Cardiff infringed again, this time offside in their own 22.
Half-time: Edinburgh 19-13 Cardiff Blues
Laidlaw endured his second penalty miss of the night – from the ten metre line close to the left touchline but there was still pleasing snarl from Edinburgh at the breakdown – no bullying from the Welsh team tonight!
Cardiff eschewed two kickable penalties, on each occasion going for the touchline, and from the second, a forward rumble was held up over the Edinburgh try line.
It seemed the visitors might profit from such enterprise until Halfpenny lost the ball forward but Edinburgh had lost their way at this juncture and when they infringed at a ruck on the ten metre line, Cardiff captain Paul Tito instructed Parks to go for goal and the kick was successful (19-6, 59 minutes).
Ten minutes later Parks – after a show and go which caused alarm – landed his third penalty so an anxious final ten minutes loomed.
Sure enough as the clock ticked on Halfpenny brought Cardiff within losing bonus point range with a penalty from the ten metre line.
Full-time: Edinburgh 19-12 Cardiff Blues
Edinburgh Rugby: Chris Paterson; Lee Jones, Nick De Luca, James King, Tim Visser; Greig Laidlaw captain, Mike Blair; Allan Jacobsen, Ross Ford, Geoff Cross, Grant Gilchrist, Sean Cox, David Denton, Roddy Grant and Netani Talei.
Substitutes: Steven Lawrie for Ford (73 mins), Kyle Traynor for Jacobsen (78 mins), Jack Gilding for Cross (63 mins), Esteban Lozada for Gilchrist (78 mins), Ross Rennie for Talei (69 mins), Phil Godman, Matt Scott for King (73 mins) and Tom Brown for Visser (74 mins)
Cardiff Blues: Leigh Halfpenny; Gavin Evans, Casey Laulala, Jamie Roberts, Chris Czekaj; Dan Parks, Lloyd Williams; Gethin Jenkins, Rhys Thomas, Taufaao Filise, Bradley Davies, Paul Tito captain, Michael Paterson, Sam Warburton, Xavier Rush.
Substitutes: Ryan Tyrell, John Yapp, Scott Andrews for Filise (69 mins), Josh Navidi, Maama Molitika for Paterson (48 mins), Richie Rees for Williams (66 mins), Ceri Sweeney, Dafydd Hewitt for Czekaj (40 mins).
Referee: Pascal Gauzerre (France)
Attendance: 4384
