Visser brace inspires Edinburgh to win

EDINBURGH managed just three tries to four from their Aviva Premiership hosts last night, but more importantly came out on the right side of the score at Edgeley Park.

Tim Visser started the season as he finished the last one with two well-taken tries and Tom Brown added the third as the Scots showed their superb ability to turn the briefest of opportunities into scores. Young debutant Matt Scott, who slotted in well at inside centre, launched the counter-attack for the first with an interception in only the second minute, sprinting 70 metres from the 22 and finding the impressive Steve Lawrie who, in turn, fed Visser for the game’s opening try.

Gregor Hunter, still only 19, was a composed presence in his first outing for the club at stand-off and he converted two of the three scores, and added three penalties that crucially kept the scoreboard ticking in the visitors’ favour.

Wing Simon Webster was a lively presence throughout and even had ten minutes in the sin-bin, the unfortunate transgressor after Edinburgh had been warned for killing the ball on their own line. Hamish Watson, another young Edinburgh talent, was one of the stand-out forwards after coming off the bench for Struan Dewar, Roddy Grant shifting to No8 and the under-20 cap slipping in at openside. Watson’s break led to the second try, finished after neat footwork by Brown, and Edinburgh led 20-7 at the break, Sale full-back Joaquin Tuculet scoring the hosts’ try and their former England U20 cap Rob Miller converting.

Scrum-half Chris Leck made a fine return to his old ground, with some slick delivery off both hands keeping the Edinburgh momentum, but another Sale recruit Sean Cox made his presence felt in another way, getting embroiled in a fight with former teammate Lee Imoliek which ended with both in the sin-bin, while centre Ben Cairns was forced off with a knee injury. Sale tightened up with a more direct approach through the pack in the second half and it brought the reward of three close-range tries, Dan Hall, Tommy Taylor and Charlie Amesbury scoring, but after Brown was denied by a terrific last-ditch tackle from Amesbury Visser’s second try on the hour-mark proved enough to keep Edinburgh’s noses in front and they hung on.

Edinburgh coach Michael Bradley said: “It’s pre-season and we had a tick-list of things we’ve worked on and I was pleased.

“We showed that we are extremely dangerous with good scores, so it’s good that we’ve brought that forward from previous seasons. All in all, the game went well for us and there were a lot of positives to take into our next game with Newcastle.”

Scorers: Sale: Tries: Tuculet, Hall, Taylor, Amesbury; Con: Miller; Edinburgh: Tries: Visser 2, Brown; Pens: Hunter 3; Cons: Hunter 2

Sale: J Tuculet; T Brady, J Davies, L Burrell, W Addison; R Miller, S Mathie; L Imiolek, M Jones, V Cobilas, T Holmes, J Gaskell, D Hall, D Seymour (capt), M Easter. Subs used: J Ward, T Taylor, A Croall, H Thomas, R Harrison, N Briggs, D Peel, W Cliff, T Bell, C Amesbury, A Brown.

Edinburgh: T Brown; S Webster, B Cairns, M Scott, T Visser; G Hunter, C Leck; K Traynor, S Lawrie, L Niven, E Lozada, S Turnbull, S Cox, R Grant (capt), S Dewar. Subs used: J Gilding, A Kelly, G Gilchrist, H Watson, A Black, J Houston, P Godman, J Cox, J Fleming, D Fife, A Turnbull, S Visser.

Referee: M Fox (RFU)