Pau demolition will have Edinburgh fearing nobody
Edinburgh were last night awaiting confirmation that they will be at home to Bath next weekend in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup.
But after thrashing Pau 54-5 in their last pool game on Friday night they will surely fancy their chances of beating the English club or any other opponent they are given when the draw is confirmed.
The outcome of last night’s late game in Pool B between Toulon and Biarritz was the one uncertainty for Mike Blair’s team.
As long as Toulon got at least a losing bonus point, Bath will head north to face the capital club.
The West Country club were Edinburgh’s first-ever opponents when European rugby began in the mid-1990s.
Bath were a powerhouse in those days, and won that Heineken Cup match comfortably. But they are struggling at the bottom of the English Premiership these days, while Edinburgh are in excellent form, especially at home.
Any sort of win against Pau would have been enough to take Edinburgh to the top of Pool C, but they left nothing to chance and had the bonus point wrapped up by half-time.
They eased up a bit in the second half after going into it 33-0 up, but a couple of late scores sent the crowd home happy.
Stuart Mcinally, WP Nel, Pierce Phillips and Henry Pyrgos all got a try each, while both Ramiro Moyano and Connor Boyle bagged a brace.
It was the first time that openside flanker Boyle had scored for Edinburgh, and he was named man of the match after an impressive all-round performance.
Now 22, Boyle has had to wait patiently for his chance, especially when compared to his ex-edinburgh team-mate Rory Darge, who has made massive progress since moving to Glasgow and is now a full international.
“It’s nice to see Rory doing so well as we are good friends, but I’m trying to just focus on myself and play well for this club,” Boyle said.
“They have stuck by me and I have some stuff to pay back. It’s amazing what he has done in a short period of time, but I will be just focusing on this squad and the games coming.”
Darge left Edinburgh in search of more game time, and Boyle faces a real fight for a run in the No. 7 jersey, with Hamish Watson, Jamie Ritchie and Luke Crosbie also in contention for it.
“With the competition we have in the back row with internationals left, right and centre, it is hard to get a run of games,” he added.
“But the opportunities have arisen in the last eight weeks and I’ve been able to take them.”
Both Crosbie and Ritchie are out injured just now, but Watson is available for the last16 game, so Boyle knows he may not hold on to his starting place.
“He is a great player,” he admitted when asked about his chances. “It is a tough ask.”
Glasgow are also in the Challenge Cup last 16, having dropped down from the Champions Cup after finishing just outside the qualifying places for the knockout stages of that tournament.
The Warriors will be away from home, and going into the final pool games last night, it was becoming more likely that they will face Newcastle.