Scottish stars prove their worth for Edinburgh

By Bryn Palmer

Edinburgh ………27pts

Tries: Van der Merwe 46, Schoeman 60, Graham 64, Ashman 79

Conversions: Thompson 47, 79

Penalties: Thompson 6

Cardiff …………….. 8pts

Tries: Young 29

Penalties: Sheedy 56

Scotland wings Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham both grabbed tries as Edinburgh earned a second successive bonus-point URC win in an entertaining encounter with Cardiff.

Thomas Young’s try had the visitors 5-3 up at the interval but the hosts dominated the second period and Ewan Ashman dived over with a minute left to make it a five-point haul.

First Half

Edinburgh started full of vigour but only had Ross Thompson’s sixth-minute penalty to show for it. Cardiff gradually gained a foothold and Edinburgh scrum-half Ali Price had to be on his toes to retrieve Callum Sheedy’s grubber through just ahead of rapid wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb.

The hosts turned down a second easy shot at goal in favour of a scrum, only for Magnus Bradbury to get his bearings wrong at the base.

Cardiff also stymied an Edinburgh lineout drive before breaking out and scoring the opening try. A barrelling carry from centre Mason Grady bumped off Thompson before

Sheedy and Rory Jennings combined to put Thomas Young, in his first outing of the season, over in the left corner.

Edinburgh were reduced to 14 men when captain Grant Gilchrist was sin-binned for a high tackle on Grady, who departed for an HIA but returned after half-time.

Young thought he had a second try when he spun out the back of a ruck and dotted down on the line, but referee Morne Ferreira deemed the flanker did not have both feet behind the ball.

The flanker’s eventful half then saw him yellow-carded for illegally halting an Edinburgh attack, but the hosts again failed to take advantage as a knock-on ended a frustrating opening 40 minutes.

Second Half

With Young still in the bin, Edinburgh’s incessant pressure paid off when Price’s cut-out pass to Van der Merwe saw the wing dive over Cam Winnett to finish spectacularly in the left corner, Thompson converting from wide out.

A stunning 60m break from replacement Cardiff hooker Evan Lloyd was only ended by Van der Merwe’s covering tackle, but Sheedy’s penalty brought the visitors to within two points.

But Edinburgh set up camp in the Cardiff 22 and from a third lineout drive, Pierre Schoeman rumbled over. Thompson’s missed conversion left it a one-score game but after Cardiff lost two lineouts in succession, Hamish Watson’s break and Price’s composed offload put Graham over for his second try in two games.

Josh McNally picked up Cardiff ’s second yellow card and as Edinburgh chased a bonus point, Ben Muncaster put a foot in touch in touching down, but another lost Cardiff lineout saw Ashman dive over.