Edinburgh ‘get what they deserve’ as Cockerill rues missing Euro spot
IF there was consolation in this defeat, it simplified what threatened to be a fiendishly complicated end to the season for Edinburgh.
Defeat here and a narrow Scarlets win at home to Connacht means Edinburgh now cannot finish in the top four of Conference B, so there will be nothing on that Benetton game even if it does get played, with uncertainty over the Rainbow Cup adding to the confusion.
Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill admitted missing out of Champions Cup next season is a disappointment. “You get what you deserve and we have not been good enough over the season,” he said.
“We have been missing our international players for a good chunk of it and we are a small squad with a small budget. There have been as many test matches as league games so you just have to deal with the reality of that.
“We were in the game at half time and it is disappointing to fall away like that. We don’t have the calibre of the guys ready to step up at the moment, but you know me – I am always up for a battle.”
The Blues started the game above Edinburgh so all those hopes of a third or fourth place finish also applied to the home side, there were even permutations which could see these two sides finish in those two places.
As often seems to happen with the firm footing of an artificial pitch, there was plenty of early endeavour but few missed tackles and so the occasional half break but little concrete.
After Cardiff outside half Jarrod Evans hit the post with a straightforward penalty attempt, former rugby league player Charlie Savala put Edinburgh ahead from another ruck penalty.
Evans atoned for his earlier mistake by levelling and Edinburgh started to target the corners rather than the posts with their own penalties in the Blues half. It was a tactic which paid off on the half hour mark as inside centre George Taylor sliced through after the forwards had sucked the defence in with their
drives. Savala added the conversion. Edinburgh had dominated the first half possession and territory but only had a seven point lead to show for it.
Soon that meant they were behind, with the Blues copying the corner kick and drive tactic with hook Liam Belcher driving over for their try. Evans converted to add to an earlier penalty. Then a gam which had flattered to deceive burst into the life as an
Edinburgh knock on gave Cardiff a free run with full back Matthew Morgan bursting free out of defence. He handed on to left wing Aled Summerhill and when he was caught just short of the line he was able to offload to centre Ray Lee-Lo for the try. Evans converted.
Savala’s departure injured meant Blair Kinghorn moving from wing to outside half, the reorganisation making the comeback a little tougher.
However full back Dmien Hoyland sparked an attack which was finished off by Taylor for his second try. Kinghorn missed the extras.
A kick through by scrum half Lloyd Williams was regathered by Evans for another Blues try which sealed the victory.
Replacement second row James Ratti put the final nail in the coffin
It was funny how such a sterile first half led to such an exciting second with a series of excellent tries. In the end that was of scant consolation for Edinburgh as they return to South Wales next weekend with nothing at stake other than the chance to help out Glasgow.