MY NAME’S MIKE FLAIR
Another win but coach wants to wow fans more
MIKE BLAIR has challenged his Edinburgh side to become crowd pleasers as they power towards the play-offs.
Blair’s men moved into second spot after a fourth straight victory left them in great nick to qualify for the end-of-season showdowns.
Yet the Gunners coach said: “It is a bonus point win over a good Benetton side so we have to be happy with that but I don’t think we entertained the crowd tonight.
“They won’t be going home saying they loved that.
“That sort of thing matters to me. It is a big part of it to entertain.
“The crowds have been coming and there is an expectation now.
“I am not saying we are going to throw the ball around Harlem Globetrotters-style but it means we are accurate and play an attacking game that is not easy to defend and is good to watch as well. I just
EDINBURGH ............. 24 BENETTON ................ 10
thought it was a little bit flat tonight.”
Benetton drew first blood, with Leonardo Marin kicking three points after Hamish Watson was penalised for not rolling away.
Edinburgh bounced right back with Watson galloping into space.
Emiliano Boffelli, Dave Cherry and Ben Vellacott kept the move going before visiting skipper Dewaldt Duvange earned a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on.
Edinburgh took advantage of the extra man by kicking to the corner then rolling the maul infield, before Vellacott and Blair Kinghorn sent Darcy Graham in for the opening try.
Blair’s side pushed further ahead before that man advantage was up when Kinghorn collected a clearance on his own 22 and went through three tackles.
He released Graham and the winger evaded two more defenders.
When he was brought down, the ball was recycled and quick hands sent Boffelli over on the left.
Edinburgh lost No.8 Viliame Mata to injury before the break but they didn’t let that hold them back.
Magnus Bradbury showed that he can carry just as destructively as his Fijian back-row partner when he barged his way to the line early in the second half but couldn’t touch down.
Vellacott then broke clear a few minutes later and it was one-way traffic at this point. Benetton did well to steal possession after that attack but they shot themselves in the foot by trying to run their way out and a loose pass from Toa Halafihi was latched onto by Kinghorn, who claimed try No.3.
Edinburgh then began to struggle with Benetton’s aggressive spoiling.
The visitors worked their way to the line and after kicking two penalties to the corner, they got their reward when Manuel Zuliani rumbled over, to set up a conversion for Marin.
The hosts held their nerve and Henry Pyrgos made a clever break to create the position for Stuart McInally to claim the final try, following a powerful line-out maul.
Blair added: “There are lot of things we can improve on but as I said to the guys, it is a hell of a lot easier learning when you are winning.”