South African heat fails to stop Mata’s Edinburgh

Olympian and Fiji Airways Flying Fijians flanker Vili Mata scored a try and helped Edinburgh walloped Southern Kings 4821 on Saturday night. Coach Richard Cockerill was able to welcome six members of the Scotland squad back into his squad for the long journey to South Africa. The South African heat might not be the ideal location for an Edinburgh side more at home with freezing nights and howling wind, but it took just three minutes to stamp their authority into the game. The first try quickly came when Fraser McKenzie was at the end of a number of passes to get the first points, Jaco van der Walt adding the two.

Mata swiftly followed McKenzie’s opener, bullying his way down the right flank to find the line, in a destructive start by Edinburgh. The Kings’ woes continued as they lost captain Schalk Ferreira to the sin-bin, all this before the clock had even gone past 11 minutes. A penalty from van der Walt took the long distance visitors to a 15 point lead, before the Kings got their first three through Kurt Coleman.

Try three came on 19 minutes, Grant Gilchrist on hand to finish off a well worked move and batter his way through challenges. The hosts hit back however, as Harlon Klaasen hit the accelerator to break through the centre and narrow the deficit, Coleman making it 10-22. Brive won the battle of the Top 14 strugglers, emerging 33-30 winners over Oyonnax, to lift them above Agen in the table.

But Fijian winger Benito Masilevu ran in their first try as Brive lifted their game.

La Rochelle 26-14 Montpellier, Pau 27-17 Bordeaux-Bègles, Toulouse 31-41 Castres, Toulon 39-11 Lyon.