Red and yellow cards can’t derail Edinburgh Rugby as they discover last 16 opponents

Sean Everitt’s side defeat Black Lion to top Pool 3 in the Challenge Cup

Edinburgh Rugby got the job done against Black Lion, defeating the Georgian visitors 36-15 to finish top of Pool 3 in the European Challenge Cup in a match littered with cards, including a red for Magnus Bradbury.

They will now face the South African-based Lions in the last 16, affording them the chance of revenge against the side who hammered them 55-21 in October in the URC. That game took place in Johannesburg and was the nadir of Edinburgh’s season. This time they will enjoy home advantage, reward for their performances in the group phase which saw them win three from four.

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As pool winners, Edinburgh will also be at home in the quarter-finals, if they make it that far, with Bayonne their possible opponents. That’s for the future. For now, head coach Sean Everitt is looking forward to locking horns again with the Lions.

Edinburgh's Patrick Harrison scores his side's fifth try during the win over Black Lion in the EPCR Challenge Cup at Hive Stadium.Edinburgh's Patrick Harrison scores his side's fifth try during the win over Black Lion in the EPCR Challenge Cup at Hive Stadium.
Edinburgh's Patrick Harrison scores his side's fifth try during the win over Black Lion in the EPCR Challenge Cup at Hive Stadium. | SNS Group

“It will be great,” he said. “They’re a team that’s on the up and every week they get better. I know they’ve struggled away from home recently but on Saturday their performance against Dragons made them look like formidable opposition [they beat the Welsh side 60-10 in Joburg].”

Edinburgh have now won three games in a row for the first time this season and they never looked like losing against Richard Cockerill’s Black Lion, despite the slew of cards. Bradbury saw red and Pierre Schoeman and Ben Healy were both sin-binned, all for high tackles. Black Lion pair Giorgi Chkhartishvili and Tornike Kakhoidze were also yellow-carded.

Everitt had no complaints about the decision to send Bradbury off. The concern now is that the No 8 is likely to be suspended over a period when Edinburgh’s resources will be stretched during the Six Nations.

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“We know what the laws are, we see it every week, a shot to the head is a red card,” said the coach. “There was no mitigation on Maggie’s one. Fortunately, they saw some mitigation on Ben’s. It’s really disappointing and it’s not about today’s game, it’s what’s coming up that concerns us.”

Edinburgh's Magnus Bradbury walks off after being shown a red card for a high tackle.Edinburgh's Magnus Bradbury walks off after being shown a red card for a high tackle.
Edinburgh's Magnus Bradbury walks off after being shown a red card for a high tackle. | SNS Group

Everitt was pleased with the way his side stuck to the task despite their numerical disadvantage and they managed to score five tries before conceding two late on.

They made a fast start, Sam Skinner crossing after two minutes following good work by Darcy Graham and Wes Goosen. Healy converted then added a penalty to make it 10-0 but Edinburgh then lost Schoeman to the sin-bin after the prop caught scrum-half Tengiz Peranidze high.

Worse was to come on the disciplinary front but not before Edinburgh had established their dominance. Luka Matkava had scored Black Lion’s first points with a penalty but Everitt’s side hit back with two tries in five minutes. Goosen got one of them, spotting a gap and darting through. The next try came from a lineout drive, with captain Luke Crosbie finishing it off.

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Edinburgh seemed in control, 24-3 ahead, but the final minutes of the first half were chaotic. Bradbury was given his marching orders for going in high on Bachuki Tchumbadze. His shoulder caught the Georgian prop’s head, forcing him off for an HIA

Edinburgh came out with renewed vigour after the break and two tries in the opening nine minutes of the half put the game beyond Cockerill’s side. Matt Currie got the first and credit must go to James Lang for his flicked assist. Paddy Harrison then got in on the act, going over in the corner.

Healy then became the fourth player to be yellow carded, again for a high tackle. Black Lion didn’t let up, scoring two tries in the final 15 minutes. Replacement hooker Irakli Kvatadze got the first off the back of a maul, before winger Shalva Aptsiauri scored the try of the match after catching a cross-kick one-handed.

Scorers: Edinburgh: Tries: Skinner, Goosen, Crosbie, Currie, Harrison. Cons: Healy 4. Pen: Healy. Black Lion: Tries: Kvatadze, Aptsiauri. Con: Matkava. Pen: Matkava.

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Red card: Bradbury (Edinburgh, 34min). Yellow cards: Schoeman (Edinburgh, 16min), Chkhartishvili (Black Lion 40min), Kakhoidze (Black Lion, 57min), Healy (Edinburgh, 60min)

Edinburgh: W Goosen; D Graham, M Currie (M Tuipulotu 52), J Lang, L Wells; B Healy (22. R Thompson 71-78), C Shiel (A Price 59); P Schoeman (B Venter 50), P Harrison (E Ashman 50), P Hill (J Sebastian 50), M Sykes, S Skinner (G Young 57), T Dodd, L Crosbie (H Watson 57), M Bradbury.

Black Lion: L Tsirekidze; A Tabutsadze, T Kakhoidze (A Shvangiradze 47), I Metreveli (S Todua 67), A Aptsiauri; L Matkava, T Peranidze (D Khuroshvili 61); V Kakovin (N Khatiashvili 50), S Mamukashvili (I Kvatadze 46), B Tchumbadze (G Chkhartishvili 34-50; 59), M Babunashvili (G Ganiashvili 61), G Ganiashvili (D Epremidze 55), S Mamamtavrishvili, M Gachechiladze (L Chachanidze 13-25), L Ivanishvili.

Referee: Jeremy Rozier (Fra).

Attendance: 6,538.

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