Scotland star Darcy Graham shimmers on Edinburgh return as Bayonne put to sword emphatically

A bravura performance from man of the match Darcy Graham helped Edinburgh to get their Challenge Cup campaign back on track with a convincing 52-12 bonus-point win over Bayonne.

Having only got a losing bonus in last week's opening Pool 3 game against Gloucester, the capital club needed a solid victory to re-establish themselves as contenders for a place in the last 16.And although Bayonne proved stubborn opponents, eight tries were eventually run in, with both Graham and Tom Dodd scoring two each.

Edinburgh had a lot of early pressure in which Graham figured prominently, and at first Bayonne soaked it up in relative comfort besides looking dangerous on the counter-attack themselves. Eventually, though, the visitors failed to deal properly with the winger.

A turnover just inside the home half set up the opportunity, and when the ball went wide to Graham he sped past the first two defenders, then passed inside to Matt Currie, who had no trouble in finishing off close to the right touchline. Ross Thompson’s conversion attempt went just wide.

Darcy Graham impressed as Edinburgh ran amok against Bayonne. | SNS Group

Edinburgh suffered a setback two minutes later when Magnus Bradbury was sin-binned for a high tackle on Bayonne centre Arnaud Erbinartegaray. A few minutes later, however, the Frenchmen were themselves reduced to 14 when Esteban Capilla was yellow-carded for a tip tackle on Luke Crosbie.

For a time Edinburgh persisted in playing at a high tempo and launching numerous contestable kicks into the night sky.

Eventually, though, they got the second score that their pressure merited. Graham again did all the damage with a break down the right flank, and this time it was Mosese Tuipulotu who finished off. Thompson’s conversion took the score to 12-0, and that was how it remained at half-time despite some late Bayonne pressure.

As the second half began, however, it was obvious that their failure to score before the break had not unduly disheartened the French side. They pressed straight from kick-off, sent a penalty to touch, and eventually Lucas Martin, the hooker, finished off from close range. Camille Lopez, the captain, was wide with the bid to add two points, but at 12-0 the game was back in the balance.

Edinburgh responded rapidly, though, and after providing assists for the first two tries, Graham turned scorer. At first it looked like he had put Goosen through, but he followed up the full-back’s run, took the return pass, and sliced through what was left of the defence. Thompson’s conversion made it 19-7.

Still Bayonne were far from finished, and they soon pulled back to within a single score. Aurélien Callandret made all the running, and then put Baptiste Germain through for an unconverted try.

The space was really opening up now, and defences were tiring. Again, Edinburgh’s riposte came quickly. Thompson and Price carved the defence open this time, creating the space for Duhan van der Merwe to sprint through before touching down for the bonus-point try.

Thompson’s conversion took the score to 26-12. That was a more comfortable cushion, but rather than relaxing Edinburgh rammed home their advantage.

Jamie Ritchie was among the tryscorers as Edinburgh defeated Bayonne in the Challenge Cup. | SNS Group

Just short of the hour mark Graham got his team’s fifth try, his own second. A passing move found the winger a few metres short of the goal line, but he had the strength to ride a tackle and touch down in the corner.

That try went unconverted, but Ben Healy made no mistake after his fellow-replacement Tom Dodd had finished off from a maul for try No 6. Five minutes later another maul saw Dodd get his second, with Healy again converting.

Jamie Ritchie added an eighth try in the dying minutes from wide out on the left. Healy’s conversion completed the scoring.