Edinburgh's thoughts turn to Europe as capital club drop down to 12th place in URC

Edinburgh’s relationship with the play-off places in the United Rugby Championship is becoming increasingly tenuous and they now find themselves seven points adrift of where they need to be with three rounds of fixtures remaining.

Emiliano Boffelli scored two tries on his return to the Edinburgh side after injury but Leinster won 47-27. (Photo by Ewan Bootman / SNS Group)

It is not surprising therefore that thoughts are already drifting towards Europe, and their last-16 tie against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road on March 31. It won’t be easy but Mike Blair’s side have reserved their best form for the Heineken Champions Cup this season. The league has been a struggle, as seven defeats in their last eight URC games attest to, and Saturday’s 47-27 home loss to Leinster saw them slip down a further rung in the ladder. Edinburgh are now 12th and any hopes they have of making the top eight now surely rest on them beating eighth-placed Connacht in Galway when the URC resumes after the Six Nations. Even that might not be enough but it would at least keep them in with a shout going into the final two matches against Ospreys at home and Ulster away.

Blair’s team matched Leinster in the first half at the DAM Health Stadium but were overwhelmed during a seven-minute period after the break during which they conceded three tries in seven minutes. There was no way back from that but they did at least salvage a bonus point with Sam Skinner’s late try, their fourth after two from the returning Emiliano Boffelli and one from Boan Venter.

Leinster ran in seven tries in total – two each for Michael Milne and Scott Penny, and one for Max Deegan, Dave Kearney and Michael Ala'alatoa – and Stuart McInally felt some of them came a little too easily for the league leaders. “It was tough,” said the Edinburgh hooker, making his first appearance since suffering a concussion against Castres in December. “I felt as the game went on Leinster showed their class. We came off second best in a lot of the collisions, especially in the second half. I felt they scored a little too easily. There were times when I was proud of the defence, but times when I was less proud of the stuff we put out there. I was pleased with a lot of our attack in the first half, getting 20 points on the board was good, but ultimately not enough against a quality team. I was disappointed with our collisions. They recycled the ball really quickly and they just sort of played on top of us. We've got a bit of work to do.”

Edinburgh's Stuart McInally on the attack against Leinster. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

Edinburgh have lost more than they’ve won in the league at home in this campaign, a far cry from last season when only Ulster won at the DAM Health in the URC. Saturday’s game was also the most points Edinburgh have conceded at their new stadium. With Blair having announced his intention to step down as head coach when the season ends, now find themselves in a period of uncertainty but McInally dismissed the suggestion that motivation could become a problem. “No, I don't think so,” he said. “We've got the Leicester match and we worked hard to get into that position. It's a huge goal for this club. We've had good times in Europe in the past and there will certainly be no lack of motivation.”

Scorers: Edinburgh: Tries: Boffelli 2, Venter, Skinner. Cons: Boffelli, Savala. Pens: Boffelli.

Leinster: Tries: Deegan, Penny 2, Milne 2, Kearney, Ala’alatoa. Cons: H Byrne 6.

Yellow card: Brian Deeny (Leinster, 77min)

Edinburgh: E Boffelli (Jaco van der Walt 70); D Hoyland, M Bennett, J Lang, W Goosen (C Dean 32); C Savala, B Vellacott (Charlie Shiel 60); B Venter (Jamie Jack 70), S McInally (D Cherry 53), L-R Atalifo (E Millar-Mills 53), M Sykes (Jamie Hodgson 59), S Skinner, L Crosbie (c), H Watson, V Mata (N Haining 17-27; 68-72).

Leinster: C Frawley (C Tector 68); J Larmour (R Russell 59), L Turner, J Osborne, D Kearney; H Byrne, L McGrath (N McCarthy 59); M Milne (J Boyle 59), J McKee (L Barron 54), M Ala’alatoa (T Clarkson 59), R Molony, J Jenkins (B Deeny 54), R Ruddock (W Connors 54), S Penny, M Deegan.

Referee: Craig Evans (WRU).

Attendance: 7,240.