View Article
AN HOUR'S WORK ENOUGH TO PUT SCARLETS AWAY. JUST
Gunners: 33 (26) Llanelli: 32 (13)
With the bonus point for four tries wrapped up before half time, and a comfortable 33-13 lead on the hour, Edinburgh should have won their final home game in this year's Heineken at a canter. Yet they proceeded to troop mentally into the dressingroom at that point, allowing Llanelli to score three tries in the final quarter that nearly took the Welshmen to a victory that would have been as spectacular as it was undeserved.
With the exception of a twenty minute spell in the first half, when the game was becalmed by frequent injuries, Edinburgh were on top throughout this game. With the veteran, Duncan Hodge, expertly running the show from stand off, at times they played their best attacking rugby of the season. Alan MacDonald, starting his first game at openside, Craig Smith, and the returning Matt Mustchin shone in a pack that were all over their opposite numbers.
A confident start saw the Gunners punch a driving maul over for a Mustchin try after only two minutes had elapsed. Already, Llanelli's pack were under pressure as the Edinburgh mauling game got going early. Meanwhile, at the other end, Edinburgh's defence held firm as the Scarlets tried to return the favour from an attacking lineout with ten minutes gone.
The Scarlets were running any penalties they won in an effort to gain the bonus pint win they needed to keep their slim hopes of qualification alive. And they notched their first try as the quarter came to an end, a cute kick and catch by fullback Davies, converted by Hercus.
And the full back gave the visitors their only lead of the game immediately after, when Hewett was penalised at a scrum on half way; a monster kick sailing through the uprights - 7 - 10.
Then Edinburgh exploded. First, fantastic interpassing between backs and forwards took them from halfway to just outside the 22. Then Andy Kelly surged on to the ball and streaked over, untouched, from distance, looking every bit the winger he isn't. It was a try as soon as he caught the ball, and Paterson's fine conversion recovered the lead.
With Llanelli giving away a series of penalties under pressure at the breakdown, it was all Edinburgh. From a lineout following another penalty, again the enemy pack couldn't cope with the maul. Despite most of the llanelli forwards trying to take it down, the Edinburgh maul sailed over the line for Blair to touch down for an unlikely try with five minutes of the half to go. 19-10.
The bonus point was secured just before injury time. With Welsh journalists in the press box discussing whether a bonus point win this evening would be enough to keep the Scarlets in the hunt for qualification, a fantastic Hodge end around saw the veteran give to Dey, who put Hugo away in space outside the 22. The international superstar cruised down the wing and barged through a couple of tackles to touch down in the corner, another brilliant Paterson conversion stretching the lead to 26-10.
Perhaps slightly miffed by being beaten for the score, visiting left wing Byrne executed what looked suspiciously like a spear tackle on the Edinburgh full back as the half entered into injury time. He was lucky to receive only a yellow card for a tackle that could easily have caused a serious injury.
Hercus' penalty on the stroke of half time took the visitors to within two converted tries, but really the game was - or should have been - over.
But the Gunners took twenty minutes in the second half to score again. There was plenty of nice stuff in that time, with Mustchin impressing all and sundry with his handling. The big Kiwi's scintillating solo break into the enemy 22 almost set up Andy Kelly for his second try, chalked off for crossing.
Then Taylor was carded on 52 minutes for obstructing a player chasing a hopeful high ball. The Gunners kept the pressure on llanelli, though, with a superb bit of hounding by Smith pinning them in their 22. And they really should have scored shortly after, when Leonelli surged up his wing and kicked beyond his man into the danger area. James clearly barged him to the ground as he passed, but the referee saw nothing wrong - did he think Frank had "made the most of it"? - and allowed llanelli to touch down for the drop out.
Justice was done on 63 minutes, with Frank grabbing an interception and cruising over from half way for the converted try that gave Edinburgh a handsome 33-13 lead, the cue for wholesale substitutions. Mustchin and Paterson both rightly received huge ovations for their contributions.
Things then became very loose as a result both of the substitutions and the binnings. First, Byrne showed that crime sometimes does pay, with a try in the corner. Hercus' missed conversion proved crucial in the end.
Four minutes into injury time, and with the Gunners unwisely not playing the whistle after a clear llanelli knock on in the build up, Popham crossed for a try. Before then, Hugo had been rightly carded for obstruction in the 22. Finally, on the stroke of no-side, hit man Tal Selley crossed for a smart score in the corner, converted to give the Scarlets an unlikely two bonus points for their 33-32 loss.
If the sign of a good team is that it wins despite playing badly, Llanelli have certainly got the second half of the equation right. At times their handling and decision-making tonight was abject. Yet they took their tries well and coach Gareth Jenkins summed up the game perfectly from the visitors' point of view: "I have to salute the guys for sticking to the task - and we could have sneaked it in the end." They have quietly climbed up the Celtic League table and, if they get their act together in the run-in, could be dark horses for the title.
Edinburgh, meanwhile, are still very much in the hunt for the Celtic title themselves. Tonight's game showed that they undoubtedly have the firepower throughout the squad to do it. But failing to put away the Scarlets when the floor was begging to be wiped with them suggests that a lack of ruthlessness remains the Gunners' Achilles heel. They will not be successful this year unless they can overcome it; there is work for Messrs Mustchin and Hewett to do with the squad on that front.
The Gunners round off their Heineken campaign next weekend in High Wycombe, looking for the win against basement side Wasps that would give them a respectable 3 - 3 record for the season.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Duncan Hodge. He's back.
Edinburgh: Hugo; Chris Paterson (capt), Marcus Di Rollo, Matt Dey, Francisco Leonelli; Phil Godman, Mike Blair; Dave Hewett, Andrew Kelly, Craig Smith; Matt Mustchin, Alastair Kellock; Allister Hogg, Simon Taylor, Alan MacDonald. Replacements: Dougie Hall, Alasdair Dickinson, Scott Murray, Alasdair Strokosch, Rory Lawson, Duncan Hodge, Michael Pyke
Scarlets: Barry Davies; Lee Byrne, Matthew Watkins, Regan King, Dafydd James (capt); Mike Hercus, Dwayne Peel; Martyn Madden, Matthew Rees, John Davies; Inoke Afeaki, Adam Jones; Dafydd Jones, Gavin Thomas, Alix Popham. Replacements: Dorian Williams, Craig Hawkins, Chris Wyatt, Jon Mills, Clive Stuart-Smith, Gareth Bowen, Tal Selley.
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France).
Martin Bell
