New era gets off to a flyer for Blair’s men as Scarlets scalped
EDINBURGH 26 SCARLETS 22 Edinburgh coach Mike Blair praised the atmosphere at his team’s new stadium last night and said it had played a crucial role in their bonuspoint win over Scarlets.
The home side were up against it early on in their first competitive match in the URC under the new boss, but some inspired attacking play got them in front and then some defiant defence got them over the line.
“That was a brilliant atmosphere,” the head coach said.
“If this had been on the big pitch at BT Murrayfield stadium it would have been lost and we would not have had that atmosphere.
“It was harder for Scarlets trying to get back into the game when you have our crowd in the background cheering the knockons, cheering the turnovers or cheering our good play.
“It was great to have such a fantastic crowd.
“I will enjoy that game much more now that it is over. There are so many emotions. There was brilliant stuff in it and stuff we will be able to learn from for next week.
“I loved the attitude and the players like Jamie Ritchie and Connor Boyle trying to lift the crowd and bring them it. That was very important as we rose to that.”
Forwards Ritchie and Boyle played their part all right, but the standout performers were all backs – with Darcy Graham scoring two of his team’s four tries and Mark Bennett and Blair Kinghorn also touching down.
Kinghorn, always a threatening presence at stand-off, added three conversions.
The home side went behind after a dozen minutes when Scotland international Blade Thomson came into the line and laid on the scoring pass for Steff Evans. Dan Jones’s conversion was wide.
After hardly getting out of their own half in the first quarter, Edinburgh steadily began to exert more pressure, and took the lead after 25 minutes.
Solid work by Bill Mata set up the platform, and a one-two between Kinghorn and Bennett ended with the stand-off crossing by the posts.
Kinghorn converted too, putting his side in front when they might easily have been behind by a score or two.
Edinburgh soon stretched their lead, with Bennett this time touching down after good work by scrum-half Ben Vellacott. Kinghorn’s conversion made it 14-5.
A Dan Jones penalty reduced the lead by three points, but Edinburgh then claimed try No. 3 in the last minute of the half.
Vellacott snaffled the ball from the base of a ruck, Mata took it on, and then Graham seized possession and burst free of three would-be tacklers to score.
Kinghorn’s conversion attempt was off target this time, but a 19-8 half-time lead was far better than Edinburgh could have expected after their difficult opening quarter.
Scarlets hit back after 50 minutes through Kieran Hardy, and Dan Jones’ conversion made it a four-point game.
But then Graham replied with a brilliant break, giving Edinburgh a try bonus point.
Kinghorn converted to put his team 11 points clear again, but with 15 minutes to play the lead was once more cut to four points when Johnny Mcnicholl finished off on the right and substitute Sam Costelow added the conversion.
The last few minutes were nervy, but Blair’s team held on to get their season off to an excellent start.