Edinburgh show heart to hold off Bulls fightback

EDINBURGH survived a late Bulls onslaught to earn a raucously received victory and maintain their place in the top six of the URC.

Henry Immelman’s early try and three Jaco van der Walt penalties earned the Scots a 14-3 interval lead, but a try from Marcel Coetzee with ten minutes left gave the visitors hope.

The Bulls, who overturned a 16-3 deficit to win in Cardiff last week, could not repeat their rescue act here as a second score for wing Madosh Tambwe was ruled out by the TMO to keep Mike Blair’s side unbeaten in three games at their new home.

“This was our fourth game of the season and each one has come down to the last play,” Blair said. “I loved the heart we showed – delighted we found a way to win.”

Edinburgh were quickly into their rhythm and had a try in the seventh minute, Damien Hoyland’s deft chip allowing full-back Immelman to out-pace the cover for his first try for the club.

But the hosts failed to press home their superiority, twice kicking penalties to touch only to see their lineouts stolen by the Bulls, who got on the board via a Chris Smith penalty.

James Lang and Van der Walt combined to almost create a second try for Immelman in the right corner, but an earlier infringement allowed Van der Walt to slot three points. Two more penalties from the flyhalf punished further Bulls indiscretions at the ruck as Edinburgh moved 14-3 clear. But Van der Walt suffer-ed a shoulder injury in the final play of the first half, Lang moving to 10 with James Johnstone coming on at centre. The replacement’s superb break might have brought another try on 46 minutes, but Immelman fell offside after Johnstone’s kick ahead.

Edinburgh won a scrum penalty but Lang’s attempt struck an upright, while the Bulls also failed to capitalise from their own award.

The Bulls sent on Morne Steyn and a punishing series of one-out charges eventually saw Coetzee crash over. Steyn converted for 14-10. Mark Bennett, taking over the kicking duties after Lang’s departure, landed a superb penalty in the 73rd minute to give Edinburgh some respite.

Steyn appeared to have conjured a second Bulls try with a cross-kick to Tambwe only for the TMO to rule it out for a double movement.