Solomons salutes gutsy Edinburgh for getting the job done
GUTS, sheer guts — as far as Alan Solomons, the Edinburgh coach, was concerned that was the only reason his side were able to keep their winning start to the season going as they came under the cosh but managed to find a way to hold out.
Everything seemed to have gone against them. A trouble-hit journey, searing heat and the exhaustion of the last match all left them struggling to cope with the pace and physicality of the clash.
‘We started hitting the fatigue at the end of the first half and picked up a yellow card.’ said Solomons. ‘I emptied the bench but the guts the guys showed to win the game was incredible. The courage to hang on through scrums on our line, to scrum with seven forwards and still win a penalty to kick it out, win a line out and end the game — that’s huge.’
At the end, it looked as though the visitors were about to surrender the lead they had held since the fourth minute when Phil Burleigh, the flyhalf, had been given space to force his way over after the forwards had taken the first line-out maul almost to the line. A classy offload from Nasi Manu then created space on the outside for Damien Hoyland to grab try number two and they were 14 points to the good in level time.
Treviso started to chip away at their lead with a couple of penalties from Jayden Hayward before Edinburgh managed another serious attack, going through the phases across the field and back to create the space for Sam Beard to land the third try.
However, Treviso finished the half with a flourish, Hayward putting over his third penalty before Chris Smylie found space round the side of a ruck to put Andrea Pratichetti in to smash against the post padding and force his way over.
The swing continued after the interval, with Hayward’s break from deep creating the position for Duncan Naude, the lock, to drive over from short range. With only three points between them, Edinburgh were back up against it, with Neil Cochrane, the hooker, in the sin bin.
Hayward continued to make the difference, with his running from deep to carve the Scots defence open and with the penalty that levelled the scores going into the final quarter.
When Edinburgh did get it right, they were a threat and Greig Tonks put them back into the lead, forcing Treviso to decide whether to take the draw with a series of scrum penalties at the end — but they went for the win and the Scots’ courage did the rest.