Exiles stay strong as Edinburgh run in nine

EDINBURGH Rugby ran in nine tries to see off English Championship outfit London Scottish in their first pre-season fixture at BT Murrayfield.

With 30 players given a run out over the 80 minutes this was a useful outing with the start of the Guinness PRO14 season four weeks away.

Edinburgh backs coach Duncan Hodge said: “It was good to get a proper hit out. We have had more low key warm-ups with the Scotland squad and Boroughmuir (the Bears Super6 squad), but this now gives us a reference point as coaches to see what has worked well and what perhaps needs work on.”

The home side took the lead in the 14th minute when some good hands from forwards and backs created space on the right and last season’s Scotland Sevens co-captain Jamie Farndale went over in the corner.

In the 22nd minute new boy No.8 Nick Haining showed good composure to bag Edinburgh’s second try.

London Scottish winger Rob Stevenson’s converted effort made it 12-7 before winger Dougie Fife and captain-for-the-day Chris Dean made it 26-7 to the home side at half-time.

Edinburgh did not take their foot off the pedal after the break and replacements Ewan Ashman and Nic Groom, both on debut, made it 38-7.

In the 54th minute fullback Damien Hoyland and replacement centre Matt Scott teamed up well to break from their own half with Holand eventually scoring a try converted by sub Simon Hickey.

London Scottish got their second converted try through hooker James Malcolm, a former Glasgow Warriors player, before Scotland U20 winger Blain showed good pace to score Edinburgh’s eighth.

The visitors never gave up and bagged a third converted score through centre Dan Barnes, but Edinburgh rounded things off with a ninth try from replacement full-back Tom Brown.