Edinburgh top Pool 5 to make it a Scottish double in quarter-finals for first time

RICHARD Cockerill believes his improving Edinburgh side can topple anyone at home after they continued their unbeaten run at Murrayfield to seal a home quarter-final place for the first time in seven years.

Fly-half Jaco van der Merwe’s masterful playmaking performance off the back of their scrum dominance frustrated the French team into continued ill-discipline and Edinburgh capitalised.

Cockerill said: “Whoever comes here in the quarterfinals, Munster or Exeter, we would like to think we could give them a fright. There’s no reason why not. It’s in our own heads. We’re going to do everything we can to win.

“We have grown as a team and individually and shown that this Edinburgh team is good enough to compete at this level. But we are still developing and I think it is unrealistic for us to win this European Cup.”

Edinburgh started strongly with two early scrums showing a clear front row advantage and they got their first points after a line-break by wing Duhan van der Merwe drew a penalty which Jaco van der Merwe converted.

The Edinburgh backs were playing some champagne rugby but were unable to cross the line and for all their pressure had only two more van der Walt penalties to show for their efforts.

Against the run of play

Montpellier won a lineout in Edinburgh’s 22 and, after six phases, lock Jacques Du Plessis dotted down by the posts for 9-7 at half-time.

Montpellier looked revved up at the start of the second-half, scrum-half Ruan Piennaar marching his forwards up before he secured the lead with a penalty.

Having conceded two quick penalties, Edinburgh No.8 Viliame Mata won a crucial turnover penalty and the kick to touch put Cockerill’s side on Montpellier’s line. Another infringement saw van der Walt retake the lead with a three-pointer and Montpellier were notably rattled with hooker Bismarck Du Plessis shoving an Edinburgh physio.

Edinburgh remained composed and after 21-yearold international winger Darcy Graham dived over in the corner off the back of a powerful driving maul that gained 15 metres, the Scottish side wound out the game to top Pool 5 and join Glasgow in the quarters – the first time ever both Scottish sides are through to the last eight.

Montpellier coach Nathan Hines said: “We let 13 penalties in so you can’t really win a game against a team like Edinburgh when so many penalties go against you.”