Edinburgh battle away well but French side race to big win

Racing 92 became the fourth French team to reach the Heineken Champions Cup quarterfinals with a seven-try home win.

Last year’s beaten finalists dominated the first half, enjoying 76% territory and 71% possession, and crossed for two tries.

Edinburgh almost got off to the dream start, but somehow managed to blow two great tryscoring chances early on.

Having regained Blair Kinghorn’s towering kickoff, they worked space wide on the right for fullback Damien Hoyland, but Duhan van der Merwe’s pass to him on a clear overlap 20 metres out did not hit the target.

Then a slight knock-on by Jamie Ritchie, after Grant Gilchrist had won a line-out on the home 22, wrecked any hopes centre James Johnstone had of celebrating a defencesplitting run that took him clean through to the posts. The knock-on was picked up when the TMO checked the origin of the move.

Having missed the chance to take the lead, the visitors then saw Maxime Machenaud punish them with a longrange penalty for a breakdown offence in the eighth minute.

Kinghorn levelled five minutes later after Six Nations player of the tournament Hamish Watson had driven to the edge of the Racing 22 and won a penalty.

Machenaud then hit the upright from 45 metres midway through a tight first-half, and it took a magnificent tackle by Ritchie at a ruck two metres from Edinburgh’s line to save what seemed a certain try.

When the first try came it was from outstanding French hooker Camille Chat, who powered over from a metre out, a try converted by Machenaud.

Machenaud’s third penalty extended the lead to 10 points just before the break, although there was a price to pay for the home side as they lost skipper Henry Chavancy with a shoulder injury.

Machenaud then took his first-half tally to 15 points with a try in support of a great break down the right – then slotted the conversion.

Edinburgh ended the half as they had begun it, threatening the Racing line, but when the outstanding Watson was held up, Luke Pearce’s whistle meant the TOP 14 outfit went to the dressing rooms at La Defense Arena with a 20-3 interval lead.

In the second half, Antoine Gibert extended the home lead with a penalty off the 10-metre.

Jordan Joseph powered over a third try in the 62nd minute, then Georgian prop Guram Gogichashvili followed suit.

Teddy Thomas streaked clear from the half-way line and added a second minutes later and Francois Trinh-Duc then scored a seventh try to round things off as Racing made the last eight for a fourth year in a row.

Blair Kinghorn scored for Edinburgh with a penalty.