Edinburgh blew Pool Three of the Challenge Cup wide open as they held on to secure a five-points-to-nil victory against Castres. The win should perhaps have come more easily than it did against opponents who had a man sent off after just ten minutes, but on balance it was a more than satisfactory showing, especially in the wake of last week’s defeat at Clermont in the opening round of the tournament.
With two rounds of pool games still to play next month, those two teams along with Clermont and Black Lion are level on five points, three behind leaders Gloucester and five ahead of back-markers Scarlets. The top four will go through to the last 16, so the French team’s failure to pick up points for tries or a narrow loss could prove crucial, as Edinburgh forwards coach Stevie Lawrie suggested.
“The pleasing bit for me was probably the last minute in terms of the importance of the pool stage, because given results it's been blown wide open and it was important they didn’t get one or two bonus points at the end,” he said. “The boys managed it well and came away with the five points.
“Every point counts, so that was pleasing. There were elements of the second half we need to have a really good look at to make sure we stick to what we’re about, because it’s about managing it. But the positive is it’s five points and there were some nice tries as well.”
The first try of the game was not so nice from a home point of view as winger Antoine Bouzerand scooped up a loose pass by Grant Gilchrist and ran in unopposed from the edge of his own 22, with Pierre Popelin converting. But Edinburgh soon recovered from that setback, with Wes Goosen touching down in the right corner for an unconverted score.
On Edinburgh’s next attack, Castres centre Andrea Cocagi saw red for a head-on-head tackle on Harry Paterson, who had to go off with concussion. Darcy Graham came on for an earlier than expected return to action following a long injury absence, with Goosen moving to full-back.
After some patient pressure, Duhan van der Merwe put his team ahead for the first time after Healy found him in acres of space in the left corner. The stand-off again failed to convert, but was then on target with a penalty from halfway.
After half an hour the French club were reduced to 13 men when their tighthead prop, Aurelien Azar, was yellow-carded for a repeated scrum offence. Edinburgh made full use of their two-man advantage with two full scores: first Ali Price touched down off the back of an advancing scrum, and then Matt Currie scored the bonus-point try, slicing through a spaced-out defence. Healy’s two conversions made it 27-7 at the break.
Restored to 14 men and with a new loosehead and hooker on, Castres began the second half strongly, and twice in quick succession were held up over the home line.
But Edinburgh bounced back from that period on the back foot, and got the clinching score just shy of the hour mark, Van der Merwe powering through from midfield to touch down on the right. Healy’s conversion made it 34-7.
To their credit, Castres refused to give up, and got a score back after a prolonged assault when Wayan de Benedittis finished off from close range and Geoffrey Palis converted. Then inside the closing ten minutes they got another after Graham lost possession in an attempt to attack from deep. The home defence scrambled back well at first, but after a few phases Leone Nakarawa, the former Glasgow Warriors lock, finished off from close to the line.
There was still time for Castres to attempt to score again, but Edinburgh ran down the clock in confident fashion, much to Lawrie’s delight.
Scorers -
Edinburgh: Tries: Goosen (7mins), Van der Merwe (18, 59), Price (35), Currie (38) Pen: Healy (22). Cons: Healy 3.
Castres: Tries: Bouzerand (2), De Benedittis (66), Nakarawa (71). Cons Popelin, Palis, Fernandez.
Edinburgh: H Paterson (D Graham 10); W Goosen, M Currie (M Bennett 67), J Lang, D van der Merwe; B Healy, A Price (B Vellacott 61); P Schoeman (R Hislop 63), E Ashman (D Cherry 50), J Sebastian (D Rae 42), G Young, G Gilchrist (captain, M Sykes 61), J Ritchie (L Crosbie 57), H Watson, V Mata.
Castres: G Palis (T Chabouni 70); N Hulleu, A Seguret, A Cocagi, A Bouzerand; P Popelin (V Botitu 57), G Doubrere (J Fernandez 57); L Guerois (W de Benedittis 41), P Colonna (L Zarantello 41), A Azar (W Hounkpatin 41), G Maravat, F Vanverberghe (L Nakarawa 53), M Babillot, B Cope, A Papali’i (W Hounkpatin temp rep 34, B Delaporte 57)).
Yellow card: Castres: Azar (31)
Red card: Castres: Cocagi (10).
Referee A Jones (Wales).
Attendance 6,206.
