Edinburgh Rugby booked a home Heineken Cup quarter-final with a bonus-point win over London Irish at Murrayfield tonight in front of the club’s biggest ever crowd for the competition (10,896).
The win was the club’s fifth from six in pool 2 and lines the club up with four-time champions, Toulouse, in a rematch of the club’s last and only other foray into the knockout stages of the competition in 2004 on the weekend of 6/7/8 April.
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An impeccable kicking display from captain Greig Laidlaw made the most of the first three tries from Tim Visser, Netani Talei, Jim Thompson to make the win a near certainty but, with Cardiff Blues leading Racing Metro in Wales, Edinburgh needed to press for a fourth to top the group.
Then, with three minutes to spare, winger Lee Jones, crossed at the far-side corner flag to have the crowd on the their feet for the famous finish.
Jones said: “The reaction across the team is ecstatic. There’s always a buzz in the dressing room after a win but tonight it was another level, not just to make the quarter-final but to have it at home is incredible. The Heineken Cup has been a real has been a real career highlight for me.
“The crowd were brilliant. When we ran out to see the east stand packed out top and bottom it was amazing. The drums, the crowd and the whole atmosphere was just amazing – the whole club’s on high: players, coaches and supporters.”
Edinburgh Rugby head coach, Michael Bradley, added: “The boys were very, very good today. They're delighted and they've worked hard for it.
"We now have another opportunity to make big statement about Edinburgh Rugby and we can do that at home, which is fantastic."
Despite the end result it was London Irish that opened the scoring with a penalty after less than 10 minutes, stand-off Adrian Jarvis putting the ball through the sticks.
However, in front of a vocal support, a packed east stand and standing areas, the home side mounted several phases inside the London Irish 22 to create an overlap to be brilliantly exploited by captain Greig Laidlaw.
The Borderer’s grubber kick slotted right into the path of try-machine Tim Visser who touched down for the first of four and Laidlaw added the extras from the touchline (7-3).
Edinburgh tested the Irish defence with more good play inside the Exiles' 22 and extended the lead 10 minutes later when a scrum penalty went in favour of the home team.
Laidlaw made no mistake with the kick, giving Edinburgh a 10-3 lead before trading a penalties at the half hour (13-6).
Ever present man of the match Netani Talei continued his impressive form of late with a barnstorming half to take the hosts back into the Irish danger zone, before a long passage accounted for a three-man overlap.
Spotting the advantage Laidlaw sent a big miss-pass to full-back Jim Thompson to score unchallenged before Laidlaw added the extras once more.
HALF-TIME: Edinburgh Rugby 20-6 London Irish
The beginning of the second period was a tense affair, with Irish dominating the ball but unable to get the points in face of an incredibly resilient and aggressive Edinburgh defence.
The Exiles peppered the home try line with waves of attack but Edinburgh held firm and a Thompson turnover allowed Laidlaw to relieve the pressure.
The visitors struck on the breakaway as a lovely chip from Jonathan Joseph caught out the Edinburgh defence.
The replacement winger had enough pace to outstrip the covering players to score however Jarvis missed the crucial conversion (20-11).
In typical fashion, though, the home team mounted an attack of their own and got their first points of the second-half when Talei capped an immense performance by rumbling over from close range after some sustained forward pressure.
Laidlaw, enjoying a superb day with the boot, again added the conversion (27-11).
At this point the victory (and a place in the last eight of the Heineken Cup) were all but sealed however, it was when Lee Jones capitalised on some blind-side space, was the bonus point secured to put Michael Bradley’s men on top of the pool with a home tie against the Frenchmen.
With the deal done the kick was immaterial but the consummate professional and captain, Laidlaw, settled his emotions at the kicking tee once more and added the extras.
FULL-TIME: Edinburgh Rugby 34-11 London Irish
HEINEKEN CUP QUARTER-FINALS (weekend of 6/7/8 April)
Munster Rugby v Ulster Rugby
Leinster Rugby v Cardiff Blues
Edinburgh Rugby v Toulouse
Saracens v ASM Clermont Auvergne
HEINEKEN CUP SEMI-FINALS (28/29 April)
Semi-final 1: Saracens or ASM Clermont Auvergne V Leinster Rugby or Cardiff Blues
Semi-final 2: Munster Rugby or Ulster Rugby V Edinburgh Rugby or Toulouse |
Edinburgh Rugby: 15 Jim Thompson, 14 Lee Jones, 13 Matt Scott, 12 John Houston, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN, 9 Mike Blair; 1 Allan Jacobsen, 2 Ross Ford, 3 Geoff Cross, 4 Grant Gilchrist, 5 Sean Cox, 6 Stuart McInally, 7 Roddy Grant, 8 Netani Talei
Replacements: 16 Alun Walker, 17 Kyle Traynor, 18 Jack Gilding (for Cross 46’-51’; for Cross 71’), 19 Esteban Lozada (for Gilchrist 71’), 20 Ross Rennie, 21 Phil Godman, 22 Tom Brown, 23 Gregor Hunter
London Irish: 15 Delon Armitage, 14 Topsy Ojo, 13 Jonathan Spratt, 12 Shontayne Hape, 11 Adam Thompstone, 10 Adrian Jarvis, 9 Paul Hodgson; 1 Alex Corbisiero, 2 James Buckland, 3 Leo Halavatau, 4 James Sandford, 5 Bob Casey CAPTAIN, 6 Matt Garvey, 7 David Sisi, 8 Alex Gray
Replacements: 16 Brian Blaney, 17 Max Lahiff (for Corbisero 51’), 18 Faan Rautenbach (for Halavatau 46’), 19 Nick Kennedy (for Sandford 51’), 20 Bryn Evans, 21 Jonathan Joseph (for Spratt 57’) , 22 Steven Shingler (for Ojo 57’), 23 Ross Samson (for Hodgson 51’)
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU)
Heineken man of the match: Netani Talei
Attendance: 10,892 (Heineken Cup record for the club)
