| Edinburgh: (7) 43 |
| Tries: Goosen, Van der Merwe, Currie, Schoeman, Bennett, Mata Cons: Healy 5 Pens: Healy |
| Scarlets: (15) 18 |
| Tries: Rogers, G Davies Cons: Costelow Pens: Costelow 2 |
A strong second-half showing helped Edinburgh run out comfortable winners over Scarlets to boost their hopes of a top-eight finish in the United Rugby Championship.
Tom Rogers’ and Gareth Davies’ tries either side of Wes Goosen’s touchdown for the hosts gave Scarlets a 15-7 lead at half-time.
Duhan van der Merwe, Matt Currie, Pierre Schoeman, Mark Bennett and Bill Mata all ran in tries as the hosts finished 43-18 up to go eighth in the table. Scarlets remain 14th.
With only three URC wins all season, Scarlets’ play-off hopes were extinguished long ago but they started the brighter, Vaea Fifita’s clever overhead basketball pass giving Rogers the space to beat the cover defence in the race for the corner.
Goosen tried to spark Edinburgh into life with a couple of searing breaks and when the first try came for the home side it was courtesy of a lovely show-and-go from the fleet-footed full-back.
Scarlets responded with a Sam Costelow penalty and were then the beneficiaries of some sloppy Edinburgh play when Ali Price had his box-kick charged down and Davies gathered the loose ball to score.
Van der Merwe had been a peripheral figure in the first half but he latched on to a lovely disguised pass from Price early in the second period to slice through the Scarlets defence untouched. Healy banged over the extras to bring the home side back to within a point.
The fly-half knocked over a penalty to put his side in front, only for opposite number Costelow to respond in kind to edge the Welsh side back ahead at 18-17.
Despite seemingly having little to play for, Scarlets defended their line heroically until eventually they ran out of numbers and Currie ran in under the posts.
One of Edinburgh’s problems this season has been their inability to secure bonus points but they fashioned a fourth try for just the second time in the league this season when Schoeman ploughed over from close range.
The home side were in the mood and Bennett sprinted home from inside his own half for try number five.
A fine move involving substitutes Chris Dean and Connor Boyle eventually ended with Mata going over for the sixth and final score to round off a positive evening for Edinburgh that keeps them in the mix for the play-offs.
Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt: “The second half was pleasing because it was everything we spoke about during the week. We chatted about our discipline and that improved tremendously. We only gave away two penalties in the first half and I think it was three in the second so that does help. When we managed to get into the 22 in the second half we managed to score and the boys were patient with ball in hand. When we get things right we can win games comfortably.”
Edinburgh: Goosen, Currie, Bennett, Lang, Van Der Merwe, Healy, Price, Venter, Cherry, Sebastian, Hodgson, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Crosbie, Mata.
Replacements: Dean for Lang (67), Steele for Van Der Merwe (73), Vellacott for Price (59), Schoeman for Venter (39), Ashman for Cherry (39), Nel for Sebastian (39), Sykes for Hodgson (56), Boyle for Crosbie (67).
Scarlets: Lloyd, Rogers, J. Williams, James, Lewis, Costelow, G. Davies, Mathias, Elias, Wainwright, Craig, Lousi, Plumtree, D. Davis, Fifita.
Replacements: Conbeer for Rogers (67), D. Jones for Costelow (73), A. Hughes for G. Davies (73), W. Jones for Mathias (53), S. Evans for Elias (67), H. O’Connor for Wainwright (53), M. Jones for Craig (69), Tuipulotu for Plumtree (65).
