Edinburgh 21 - 9 Benetton Treviso: Rain dampens Edinburgh victory as bonus point chance slips away

• Talei Natini keeps Pavanello Enrico of Treviso at arm's length as they battle for the ball at rain-swept Murrayfield last night Picture: PA

IF EVER there was a night when Edinburgh players required a rocket up the proverbial this was it, but sadly the rain that swept the capital and dampened Guy Fawkes Night for thousands also destroyed any spectacle at Murrayfield.

However, for all that a bonus point that should have been achieved was passed up by Edinburgh's failure to take control of this game, the Scots did just enough to stretch their winning league run at home to three on the trot, rising to fourth in the league table. Both teams were missing a host of international players, the Italians' without 12 caps, while Edinburgh's five rested internationalists were joined before kick-off by flanker Alan MacDonald, who went down with a stomach bug, and wing Tim Visser, who suffered a groin strain in the warm-up.

The loss of that experienced spine was arguably the reason why Edinburgh, particularly, after scoring late in the first half and then again early in the second, failed to press home their advantage and were left to rely on two late penalties to finally nail the win. They also had their slices of luck when a chance in the first half was lost by a ball bobbling off the head of Greig Laidlaw and a late try chance went a-begging by virtue of an ill-timed knock-on.

David Blair and Tobie Botes, the Treviso scrum-half whose flame-coloured boots brought momentary colour to this grey affair, opened the match with early penalties, before the Italian pack began to pick up some momentum and build up a good period in possession.

A fine burst by lock Gonzalo Padro took the visitors into the home 22 and a neat chip by Kris Burton, the tidy fly-half, then produced the first nervy moment for the relatively small band of home supporters. Winger Benjamin de Jager got to the ball over the Edinburgh line but as he grasped the ball came down on the head of home scrum-half Greig Laidlaw and bounced dead.

Edinburgh have shown this season that they need only a flash of light, however, to create something, and from one turnover outside their 22 they were swiftly attacking the Treviso 22, the ball having gone through several pairs of hands, and with the form man of the moment, Fraser McKenzie, at its apex.

However, they could not finish and the Italians came back with more determined build-up work, and their graft was rewarded with a second penalty, Edinburgh skipper Roddy Grant penalised for being offside and Botes putting Treviso 6-3 ahead with 13 minutes of the half to play.

Both packs worked hard without a lot of finesse, and there were few players who managed to rise up the wet conditions and hold onto the ball. The direct route was clearly the answer and Edinburgh finally made the breakthrough the game was crying out for, five minutes from the interval, when John Houston straightened up and broke across halfway to the Treviso 22.

Though the centre, later voted 'man-of-the-match, failed to find support for an instant score, the ball was recycled and Netani Talei did what the big Fijian No 8 does best, put the head down and battered through three tackles to get over the line. Blair converted, but taking the lead was not quite the kick-start the Edinburgh supporters might have hoped, however.

Treviso, with fly-half Burton showing David Blair how to kick tactically, while Lee Jones and Mark Robertson contrived to hand possession straight back from a moment of farce with a quick lineout. Fortunately, for the hosts, their defence again saved the day and the whistle sounded to end a disappointing first half.

It did not improve on the restart as interference in the lineout by Scott MacLeod handed Botes another penalty chance, which the scrum-half duly converted and at stage when Edinburgh might have hoped to be focusing on a bonus point, they were struggling to grip this game. Blair sending a penalty wide did not help, but, with eight minutes gone, a fine break by Jones provided the platform inside the Treviso 22 and a dent by Thompson was followed by Kyle Traynor, who picked up in the ruck and dived over the line from close range.

And then Edinburgh stepped off the pace again, the lack of international spine in the team seeming to show itself in a lack of consistency, and increasing number of mistakes, when in possession. Edinburgh made changes, sending on Stuart McInally for Newlands and Craig Hamilton for MacLeod, and McInally made an instant impression with a great break to the Treviso 22, but the ensuing turnover took the gloss of that too.

Even when they did score it was a paltry three points from a Blair penalty which was poor reward for a solid period of ten minutes on and inside the visitors' 22. The stand-off stretched the lead with another kick and despite Edinburgh going on to dominate possession, they still failed to lift the tempo and kick on to what should have been two more tries and a bonus point.

Scorers: Edinburgh: Tries - Talei, Traynor; Pen - Blair 3; Con - Blair. Treviso: Tries - Pens - Botes 3.

Edinburgh: J Thompson; M Robertson, B Cairns, J Houston, L Jones; D Blair, G Laidlaw; K Traynor, A Kelly, D Young, S MacLeod, F McKenzie, S Newlands, R Grant (capt), N Talei. Subs: A Grove for Thompson 14-26mins, G Cross for Young 45, C Hamilton for MacLeod, S McInally for Newlands, both 60, Grove for Robertson 65, L Niven for Traynor 68, F Gillies for Kelly, R Samson for Laidlaw, both 74.

Treviso: B Williams; L Nitoglia, E Galon, G Garcia, B De Jager; K Burton, T Botes; A Allori, F Sbaraglini (capt), P Di Santo, G Padro, C van Zyl, E Pavanello, B Vermaak, M Filippucci.

Subs: A Pratichetti for Galon 27, I Fernandez Rouyet for Allori, F Minto for Gonzalo, both 45, V Bernab for De Jager 50, R Barbieri for Filipucci, M Muccignat for Di Santo, both 60, Allori for Muccignat 68, E Ceccato for Sbaraglini 72.