Edinburgh Rugby pushed European champions Leinster all the way, but the Irish side edged an end-to-end match at Murrayfield, coming out victors 36-28.
Head coach Michael Bradley said after the match: “It was a tough day at the office. Our scramble defence was excellent, but we coughed up a couple of easy tries. Leinster kept the ball better than we did and they kept the score board ticking over.”
In a match dominated by penalty infringments, it was Bradley’s side who struck first, through a penalty from captain Greig Laidlaw after just three minutes, but the visitors replied in kind, through Jonathan Sexton, only minutes later.
The Irish side then went infront thanks to another three-pointer from stand-off Sexton. However, it was to be the home side that scored the first try of the evening, following a nicely worked move between Laidlaw and Tim Visser, ending with the big Dutchman crashing over (10-6).
Unfortunately the visitor’s reply was almost immediate, as Sexton landed another penalty to reduce the deficit, before a hole in the Edinburgh defence allowed Isaac Boss to go over, and give the Irishmen a six-point lead (10-16)
Laidlaw and Sexton then traded a penalties, as Leinster went in ahead at the break.
HALF-TIME: EDINBURGH RUGBY 13-19 LEINSTER
Early into the second-half, the home crowd were treated to a piece of individual brilliance from that man Visser, as he beat both Kearney brothers, Dave and Rob, to round off a superb individual score.
Laidlaw’s conversion gave the hosts the most slender of leads.
The two kickers again exchanged penalties, before the moment that turned the match on the hour mark, as Leinster capitalised on a run from replacement, Nathan White, which allowed number eight Leo Auva’a to score at the corner.
Sexton, and following his departure, Fergus McFadden contributed a further nine points for the visitors with the boot, before a late try from centre Matt Scott gave Bradley’s men hope.
It was not to be, though, as Leinster ran out victors.
FULL TIME: EDINBURGH RUGBY 28-36 LEINSTER
Edinburgh Rugby: 15 Chris Paterson, 14 Simon Webster, 13 Nick De Luca, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Harry Leonard, 9 Greig Laidlaw (captain); 1 Allan Jacobsen, 2 Ross Ford, 3 Geoff Cross, 4 Esteban Lozada, 6 David Denton, 7 Roddy Grant, 8 Stuart McInally
Replacements: 16 Steven Lawrie (for Ford), 17 Kyle Traynor, 18 Lewis Niven (for Cross), 19 Grant Gilchrist (for Turnbull), 20 Netani Talei (for McInally), 21 Mike Blair, 22 Jim Thompson (for Paterson), 23 Tom Brown (for Webster)
Leinster: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Dave Kearney, 13 Eoin O’Malley, 12 Fergus McFadden, 11 Luke Fitzgerald, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Isaac Boss; 1 Heinke Van Der Merwe, 2 Sean Cronin, 3 Mike Ross, 4 Leo Cullen (captain), 5 Devin Toner, 6 Kevin McLaughlin, 7 Dominic Ryan, 8 Leo Auva’a
Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss (for Cronin), 17 Jack McGrath, 18 Nathan White (for Ross), 19 Steven Sykes, 20 Rhys Ruddock (for McLaughlin, 21 John Cooney, 22 Ian Madigan (for Sexton), 23 Fionn Carr
RaboDirectPro12 Man of the match: Tim Visser
Attendance: 3580
