EDINBURGH slaughtered the Magners League leaders with glorious running rugby to convincingly end the search for a first league win of the season at Murrayfield last night.
Andy Robinson, the Edinburgh coach, had urged supporters not to panic after defeats to Munster and Leinster and last night his faith was rewarded with four superb tries and the kind of entertainment that should bring supporters flooding back to Murra
yfield.
The Scarlets had won their opening three games and looked a more formidable side than previous seasons, but after a bright opening few minutes they struggled to get their hands on the ball and earned only glimpses of the home try-line. After Phil Godman opened the scoring with a penalty after 18 minutes, the stand-off stepping up when Chris Paterson was down injured, Edinburgh's pack began to uncover a platform and Mike Blair and Godman opened up the home attack. Hugo Southwell, Godman and Paterson were finding their range with a much-improved kicking game, penetrating deep into space and near touch in the visitors' half, and the team showed steely resolve in making the possession count.
Paterson pulled a penalty effort just wide of the posts in the 23rd minute, but with Allister Hogg and Ross Ford leading the forward charges, the hosts moved decisively onto the front foot with two tries in the space of three minutes. Great work by Mark Robertson, the left wing, forced a turnover from the Scarlets and though Nick De Luca knocked-on a quick tap-penalty, the Scarlets were penalised at the resultant scrum and Edinburgh launched a wave of attacks at the home line.
De Luca was at the apex of the first, but he was held on the try-line, and when the ball came wide left Geoff Cross and Allan Jacobsen were driven over, Jacobsen touching down Edinburgh's first try of the league campaign. Having waited more than 180 minutes for one try, a second arrived just over two minutes later after sublime running skills. Godman released Paterson and the full-back raced with conviction at space. He sucked in defenders and timed his pass superbly to Robertson who touched down near the posts.
He should have added a second on the stroke of half-time after Matt Mustchin had punctured a solid period of Scarlets pressure on the Edinburgh 22 with a long clearance kick downfield. Ross Ford, the Edinburgh hooker, stunned the Murrayfield crowd with his blistering pace over 60 metres, outstripping Gavin Thomas and chipping the ball over the try-line. It bounced towards Robertson, but the rangy wing lost it as he dived down to the ground and, much to his horror, referee Alan Lewis and his assistant David Changleng decided he had knocked on.
However, the Murrayfield crowd need not have worried as the home side started the second half from where they left off, the pack really taking the fight to a Scarlets pack in which All Black prop Kees Meeuws was outshone by Cross and Jacobsen, and David Lyons, the Wallaby No 8, was almost invisible. Godman was revelling in dictating play behind and after he had dropped a goal eight minutes in, Robertson scored his second and Edinburgh's third try of the night. It came from slick handling and ambitious attacking play, and terrific ball retention as the Scarlets repelled a series of bursts inside their 22. Eventually, the ball was moved left and Robertson jinked his way past Nathan Brew and into the corner. Paterson converted and for a team that had been struggling this season, against one unbeaten, there was something bizarre about the 25-0 scoreline.
The Scarlets were similarly stunned, Nigel Davies, their coach, having made four changes at and just after half-time – Regan King's return from injury particularly welcome for the coach – but he threw another two on with still nearly 30 minutes left as he sought desperately to find a way back into the game. They did, briefly, King creating the space for Morgan Stoddart, the Scarlets full-back, to score, but De Luca provided the perfect home response with a stunning individual try after Paterson had created the space for him.
De Luca was left fuming just after the hour-mark, however, when Godman looked to add the icing to a fine solo display, breaking despairing tackles inside the Edinburgh 22 and streaking downfield. He had three supporting runners and brought them into play well, but instead of giving it to the flying De Luca he opted for the less predictable pass wider, which ended with Turnbull guddling the ball on the ground. The Scarlets were then reduced to 14 men when Jones was forced off with an injury with all the subs used, but they finished the stronger with Martin Roberts grabbing a late consolation, while Scott Newlands was in the sin-bin, to give the final score a flattering look for the visitors.
Scorers: Edinburgh: Tries: Jacobsen, Robertson 2, De Luca; Pen: Godman; Drop-goal: Godman; Cons: Paterson 3. Scarlets: Tries: Stoddart, Roberts; Con: C Thomas.
Edinburgh: C Paterson; A Turnbull, H Southwell, N De Luca, M Robertson; P Godman, M Blair (capt); A Jacobsen, R Ford, G Cross, C Hamilton, B Gissing, M Mustchin, A Hogg, A MacDonald. Subs: J Hamilton for C Hamilton 56mins, G Kerr for Jacobsen, A Kelly for Ford, both 59, B Meyer for Blair 64, D Blair for Godman 65, J Thompson for Paterson, S Newlands for MacDonald, both 68.
Scarlets: M Stoddart; M Jones, R Higgitt, J Davies, N Brew; S Jones (capt), S Martens; I Thomas, K Owens, K Meeuws, V Cooper, S MacLeod, J Turnbull, D Lyons, G Thomas. Subs: N Thomas for Turnbull, M Roberts for Martens, both 40mins, M Rees for Owens, R King for Higgit, both 45, P John for Meeuws, C Thomas for Brew, both 53, L Reed for MacLeod 59.
Referee: A Lewis (Ireland). Attendance: 2655.
The full article contains 997 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
