Edinburgh storm back to bring that losing run to an end in fine style
EDINBURGH 53 BENETTON 8
Edinburgh brought a run of three defeats to an end in some style last night, cutting loose in the second half after only just managing to get their noses in front late in the first.
Benetton had won three of their first four games in this season’s URC, and are clearly a far more competitive team now than they were a few years ago. But once they fell behind late in the first half they had little to offer by way of a fightback.
A Tomas Albornoz penalty from the edge of the 22 gave Benetton an early lead after the home scrum had offended – and that was as good as it was to get for the Italians.
Edinburgh soon got into their stride after that minor setback, with a powerful midfield carry from homecoming hero Duhan
van der Merwe being their first real threat of the evening.
The midway point in the half came and went without further scoring in what was becoming a frustratingly stop-start game for both teams.
A kick and chase by
homecoming hero Van der Merwe briefly promised to give the home support some satisfaction after it forced Benetton into conceding a scrum inside their own 22, but, try as they might, the Edinburgh attack could not find a way through.
That changed at last, though, after half an hour, thanks in large part to Darcy Graham, who twice came inside to force half-breaks.
From the second breakdown the ball was recycled right, and lock Sam Skinner was there on the touchline – Graham’s usual berth – to score his first try for the team.
Emiliano Boffelli failed to add the conversion, but the score breathed new life into the match, and in the final minute before the break Luke Crosbie touched down from close range after heavy pressure. This time the full-back was on target, giving his team a 12-3 advantage with the last kick of the half.
Edinburgh went for the jugular straight from the restart, and got their reward when Pierre Schoeman finished off from a couple of metres out.
Boffelli’s kick crashed back off a post, but Edinburgh were still two full scores up and on track for the bonus point.
That duly arrived just three minutes later when Van der Merwe shrugged off one would-be tackler and sidestepped a second to touch down close to the posts.
The conversion was good this time, and the game was in the bag.
Just to make sure, though, Graham added a fifth minutes later, running in unopposed on the right after an excellent break by Mark Bennett was taken on by Blair Kinghorn and Boffelli.
The Italians had little or nothing to offer by way of response, and they soon fell further behind when WP Nel forced his way over from less than a metre out.
Boffelli converted Nel’s try after missing Graham’s, but then failed to convert his own – Edinburgh’s seventh, finished off by the Argentine international with almost embarrassing ease.
Van der Merwe got his second 10 minutes from time after getting up in support of an Adam McBurney break. Boffelli’s two points took the tally to 48.
Toa Halafihi got a late consolation try – unconverted – for the visitors. But Edinburgh had the last word when Graham kicked ahead up the right, gathered and touched down.
That unconverted try took the score past the half-century.