MURRAYFIELD OF DREAMS
Edinburgh march into quarter-finals after historic win over French giants
DARCY GRAHAM grabbed the crucial touchdown but the entire Edinburgh team turned in heroic efforts on an historic night for Scottish rugby.
The victory over Vern Cotter’s star-studded Montpellier took Richard Cockerill’s men through to the knock-out stages of the Heineken Champions Cup as winners of Pool Five.
It also had the knock-on effect of ensuring Glasgow Warriors will qualify in Pool Three, as either group winners or one of the best runnersup. Either way, it takes the pressure off them ahead of their final group game against Saracens today.
In a nail-biting match, it was the try from the young man from Hawick on the hour-mark that gave Edinburgh a nine-point cushion they never relinquished.
The home side provided an early confidence boost for the fans and head coach Richard Cockerill when they forced the Montpellier pack into an infringement at the scrum by pushing them backwards with five minutes gone.
If that grabbed the Murrayfield crowd’s attention, then they were soon on their feet again as the backs looked to get in on the act, with winger Duhan van der Merwe setting off down the left before being stopped illegally. Rather than take the penalty attempt, Blair Kinghorn put the ball into the corner near the opposition line as they looked to turn the screw on their visitors straight away.
From the line-out, they went through eight attacking phases before Montpellier broke the line too early and were penalised for offside. This time, Edinburgh opted to put points on the board with fly-half Jaco van der Walt making it 3-0.
All eyes were on Bill Mata after that sensational offload last week and he made his first run, linking with Chris Dean, and pushing the French side back again. Soon after, the pressure told again as the French were caught offside and fly-half Van der Walt put over his second penalty of the match.
It took Vern Cotter’s side 20 minutes to gain a foothold with winger Henry Immelman involved. The South African half-back pairing of Ruan Pienaar and Johan Goosen were also getting their hands on the ball as they looked to stem the Edinburgh tide.
The duo made their influence felt as first Nico Janse van Rensburg came close to getting over the line before Immelman had a go but Edinburgh stood firm.
Cockerill — and possibly watching Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend, too — suffered a major blow after 28 minutes when influential openside flanker Hamish Watson had to go off with a hand injury. Luke Crosbie took his place in the back row.
Two minutes later, Montpellier conceded yet another penalty but Van der Walt pulled his long-range effort wide. Jacques du Plessis was lucky not to get a yellow card for a high tackle on WP Nel after 34 minutes which resulted in a penalty from 37 metres that Van der Walt put over this time.
Bismarck Du Plessis was lucky not to be yellow-carded after bizarrely barging the Edinburgh physio aside as he ran off the pitch to retrieve the ball, although the big South African did apologise.
Despite Edinburgh’s good work in the first half, in the final minute before the break second-row Du Plessis barged over for a try to reduce the deficit.
It was by no means clear-cut and referee JP Doyle consulted the TMO before awarding it. Pienaar then had the easiest conversion from in front of the posts.
The home side went in at the break only 9-7 up — with the game firmly in the balance.
The crowd would’ve been hoping Edinburgh would again try to put the foot down after the break but it was a nervy start to the half, with Dean making a mess of trying to go round Goosen and knocking on when he had two players over.
Shortly after, Edinburgh infringed on the edge of their own 22, Pienaar knocking over the penalty to put the French outfit ahead for the first time.
Edinburgh needed to re-group and find some of the same fortitude they displayed last week against Toulon, and they did just that.
A clever grubber kick from Van der Walt nearly led to a try, with Pienaar just beating Kinghorn to the touchdown, but that provided a much-needed spark.
Montpellier were soon back under pressure and gave away a penalty near their own line, Van der Walt managing to squeeze the kick just in between the posts. It gave Edinburgh a two-point advantage in what was turning into a real open game.
It seemed the entire Edinburgh side had been inspired by Mata and offload after offload followed, with Nel — who had produced an outrageous pass through his legs in the first half — displaying some wonderful hands for a prop. The home side were firing now and on the hour-mark they finally broke the French resistance.
Winger Graham. Stuart McInally and then Mata were held up after a series of pick-and-go moves. Scrum-half Henry Pyrgos kept the move going and it was his pass that played in Graham for the five points. Van der Walt put over a wonderful conversion to give his side a nine-point lead.
It was up to Montpellier to chase the game and, in a last throw of the dice, they took the risk of replacing Pienaar with Benoit Paillaugue.
There was more urgency to the French side with him on the park but the Edinburgh defence was still holding up well. Their discipline and work rate remained top-notch as they frustrated the French.
Cotter, back on his old stomping ground, was prowling the line, barking instructions at his team as the game started to drift away from the visitors.
Montpellier were throwing everything at Edinburgh but they kept making mistakes at crucial junctures.
The final whistle led to wild celebrations as their side’s accomplishment sank in, with Cockerill, who deserves massive credit for the job he has done at the club, down on the touchline, enjoying the moment.
Heady days, indeed, for Scottish rugby.