Pro Rugby
Edinburgh opened their 2014-15 Guinness PRO12 campaign with a win against Munster in Ireland, the Irish side’s first first-round defeat since 2009.
It wasn’t all plain sailing however, as, despite an early six point lead and domination of large parts of the first half, a yellow card for Tomas Leonardi with less than 10 minutes left, led to Munster’s first try. The kick was missed, so Edinburgh led 6-5, but another penalty on the whistle gave Tom Heathcote a shot at goal and so Edinburgh led 9-5 at the break.
Munster started the second half well, with Simon Zebo almost going over in the first few minutes, but a second yellow for Edinburgh – Hamish Watson – just before Leonardi returned upped the pressure. They held on, though and a reversed penalty decision, which saw a Munster player off the field, led to Edinburgh’s only try. Attacking up the right, a kick through the defence from Sam Beard saw Jack Cuthbert turning the Munster defence and going over for the try. The missed kick left the score at 14-5 and, at this point Munster turned up the gas a bit. Another try and a penalty brought the score to 14-13, but the visitors held on and took the attack upfield. An infringement just after 80 minutes was taken as a tap penalty and Munster battled upfield once more. What then went through Willem Nel’s mind as he thought it would be a good idea to scoop the ball from a ruck under the ref’s nose, is anyone’s guess, but the 82nd minute penalty award gave Munster the chance to snatch the win. For the home side fans, though, the kick slid agonisingly past the upright to bring the match to an end, with the visitors taking, ultimately, the deserved win.
(Image from last season’s match at Murrayfield)
Club Rugby
With the BT Premiership doing indulging in a bit of hop catching, and starting a week before everyone else, the race for the title got underway last weekend. The only winner from the four Edinburgh sides involved was Currie, as Heriots, Edinburgh Academy and, returnees, Boroughmuir all lost their opening matches.
This weekend saw the second round and Heriots won away from home, at Hawick, 16-12, Currie were put away the tune of 60-122 at Gala and, in the first derby match, Boroughmuir defeated last season’s 9th place play-off side, Edinburgh Accies, 33-15 at Raeburn Place. This leaves the league placings with ‘Muir in fourth with 6 points, Heriots in seventh with 5, Currie one place behind with 4 and Accies at the foot of the table with 0.
In the BT National League, Division 1, Watsonians and Stewarts-Melville form the local presence this year. ‘Sonians were playing at home, but were beaten 40-30 by GHA and Stew-Mel fought out a 26-26 draw with Aberdeen Grammar. This leaves Stew-Mel in sixth, and Watsonians in eighth places in their table with 2 and one point respectively.
