A rare bit of Welsh glory for Edinburgh

Published on Saturday 5 January 2008 10:10

Cardiff Blues 10 Edinburgh 11

AN OVERUSED phrase it might be, but Edinburgh's "top drawer performance" against the Blues in last night's Magners League clash at Cardiff Arms Park, was exactly that.

A late drop goal from the outstanding Phil Godman, provided Edinburgh with the perfect start to 2008 and, understandably, left coach Andy Robinson purring with satisfaction.

On a night that would have been better suited to a spot of bog-snorkling, Edinburgh produced a measured performance to not only secure a morale-boosting victory away from Murrayfield, but to further improve their chances of lifting the Magners League silverware.

Robinson warned that idle talk of championships and title silverware would not be wise in the coming weeks despite his side's recent rejuvenation in the competition.

However, there is little doubt that, behind closed doors, the coaching staff and players too, will have grand designs on the Celtic title. After all, if Edinburgh can reproduce this level of performance in the remaining months of the campaign, they will not be too far short of achieving their domestic ambition for this season.

Robinson said: "Cardiff is never a easy place to come and play, but I thought we came and showed tremendous character tonight.

"We have said all along that we have got to win our home games. However, it's about winning away from home too. We have done that on this occasion and that shows class."

The Blues have an envious record on home soil – in fact, prior to last night's rain-sodden meeting with Edinburgh , they had lost on home soil only once in the best part of two seasons. However, their defeat at the Ospreys earlier this week, a scrambled win over the struggling Dragons on Boxing Day and injuries to key players in recent weeks, have left them looking a little jaded.

In contrast, Edinburgh looked anything but worried and tired.

Robinson said: "I thought our determination and defence was top drawer and I was very pleased with the way our half-backs Mike Blair and Phil Godman controlled things.

"Phil's drop goal at the end was outstanding. The conditions were tough and trying to drop a goal off a surface like that, takes some doing. I was delighted when it went through."

Robinson was also delighted by the manner in which the whole side coped with the conditions which got gradually worse during the evening.

He said, "There is a way to play in conditions like these and we showed the way to do it. In fact, considering how wet it was, it wasn't a bad spectacle. Both sides had a go and all credit to the players for that.

"We had to show intelligence, patience and composure and I thought we did that.

"We are on a nice little run but I'm certainly not going to start talking about championships yet."

The conditions, which left the pitch close to unplayable, meant the crowd of 6125 was never likely to be treated to anything vintage.

However, whilst the Blues lacked any zip, Edinburgh splashed around in the mud and puddles to great effect.

And, as Robinson said, the individual performances of Godman and half back partner Mike Blair deserved special mention.

They controlled the encounter with streetwise intelligence and made the Blues look somewhat naive in terms of their approach.

Understandable then that former British and Irish Lions colleagues Robinson and Dai Young (Blues coach) left the Arms Park in contrasting moods.

Edinburgh's determination, desire and organisation made them look so unlike many of the travelling Scottish sides who have perished in Wales over the past few seasons. What's more, those qualities made for a good advert for a competition which has suffered so often in the past from away teams throwing in the towel.

Of course, the Blues will argue that, on another night, it could have been they who won this game by a solitary point.

But it says it all that mistakes and disjointedness in the final third was their primary failing against the Scots. It was against the Ospreys and will be again unless they show greater care with ball in hand.

Edinburgh made best use of the conditions early on as Godman turned the Blues and kept them penned back in their own half.

Edinburgh opened the scoring in the seventh minute when they created a glaring overlap with their first attack of the game. Blues' scrum half Jason Spice made a hash of his clearance kick from inside his own 22 and that provided full back Ben Cairns to counter from deep. Blair and Godman worked quickly to create the space out wide and right wing Andrew Turnbull bagged the simplest of tries as he crossed unopposed for a score that went unconverted.

After that it all got predictably sloppy and attritional in the boggy conditions.

The Blues had the Lion's share of territory and possession, but got little change out of the Edinburgh rearguard by trying to bash their way forward around the fringes.

They laid siege to the Edinburgh line for long periods but their naivety in attack played right into the hands Alistair Hogg and David Callam, who were outstanding in the back row.

Ben Gissing played a significant role at the set piece where Edinburgh managed to rise above the Blues' mediocrity to control scrum and line out.

Dropped passess at crucial times proved the Blues' undoing, whilst poor discipline from Edinburgh enabled the hosts to grab a lifeline shortly before half time.

They had looked incapable of scoring in the opening 37 minutes, but when first centre Nick De Luca and then second row Matt Mustchin had been yellow carded for spoiling offences, they struck with a try from skipper and No.8 Xavier Rush.

One short in the scrum, Edinburgh failed to spoil the Blues' put in and, when Rush picked up from the base, there was only ever one outcome.

Ben Blair's conversion made it 7-5 at the interval but there was very little to set the pulses racing. And, although there was plenty of endeavour from the Blues after the interval, things didn't open up in the second period.

A Godman penalty nudged Edinburgh back in front just before the hour mark, but, when a trademark burst by John Yapp resulted in Edinburgh overstepping once again, Blair put the Blues back in front for a second time in the contest. Craig Hamilton and Hugo Southwell were among those to come off the bench at that stage, but even their fresh legs and ideas looked unlikely to rescue the game for Edinburgh.

They promised much with de Luca and Simon Webster providing a real threat when Blair and Godman managed to work the ball away the mire.

Hogg, as ever, led by example from the blindside flank and, with Roland Reid coming on to replace the injured Callam with 11 minutes remaining, Robinson had played his last trump card.

Unfortunately, a rare away win in Wales for the Gunners still looked unlikely as the Blues, appeared to have rediscovered their poise just in time.

Well, that was the case until Godman's intervention from 30 yards in the 76th minute swung the pendulum decisively Edinburgh's way.

The cheers from the away bench when referee George Clancy blew for no side betrayed the fact that Edinburgh – who have now won five of their last six league matches – viewed this as a genuine scalp.

Next week it's Leicester Tigers in the Heineken Cup and another significant challenge for Robinson's rejuvenated side. Victory against last season's European runners up would certainly lead to a few tongues wagging.

However, don't expect Robinson to get too carried away with that either. It's time for cool heads and feet on the ground. Well, that's the plan anyway.

Cardiff: B Blair; Roberts, Shanklin, Hewitt, Thomas; Macleod, Spice; Yapp (Filise 73), Williams, Powell; Jones, Morgan (Tito 60); Molitika, Sowden-Taylor, Rush (c).

Scorers

Edinburgh: Cairns (Southwell 60); Turnbull, De Luca, Houston, Webster; Godman, M Blair; Jacobsen, Ford, Cross (Allori 40); Mustchin (Hamilton 62), Gissing; Hogg (c), Rennie, Callam (Reid 69).

Scorers:

Cardiff: Try: Rush; Conversion: B Blair; Penalty: B Blair.

Edinburgh: Try: Turnbull; Pen: Godman; Drop goal: Godman.