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YOUNG GUNS DOG IT OUT

Edinburgh Rugby: 29 (17) Leinster: 24 (19)



'International tighthead, Murray McCallum'.  I like the sound of that. 

This was a night for the young Gunners up against an experienced Leinster squad.  As well as their tighthead, the callow Embra pack featured Luke 'Bing' Crosbie, One Man Wrecking Ball Jamie Ritchie, Cammy Fenton, and the increasingly impressive Lewis Carmichael in the boilerhouse, tonight's Man of the Match.  It was a real vote of confidence in these young men, given the firepower the Gunners boasted on the bench this evening.

And they gave as good as they got.  They were down in the final straight, but dug in, worked the ball into the Leinster red zone and converted the try scoring opportunity when it came.  This was a five try bonus point win over the form team in Europe.

More importantly, this was a victory built on composure and fierce resolution.  Absolutely fantastic to see another sign of the spirit and increasing maturity in this squad. 

The match started with Leinster on the attack in midfield, moving the ball wide.  Although the Gunners forced a handling error, they were penalised on the floor.  Leinster kicked to the corner and put in repeated phases close in, eventually driving Deegan over in the opposite corner, Byrne coverting well on five minutes.

'Deadly' Dougie Fife at 15 broke beautifully off a counter immediately afterwards.  A great chance to hit back immediately but 'Piet' van der Walt's long attempt drifted just wide.  It looked like the Gunners might regret that as Leinster put them under pressure in and around their own red zone.

But on 13 minutes, a short defensive box kick seemed to have given Leinster great field position.  But Byrne's attempted dink over the rushing defence was blocked by 'Bing' Crosbie on his own 10 metre line.  The tyro back row gathered well and outpaced the defence from distance for Edinburgh's first try, converted by van der Walt to square the match at seven.

Better was to come almost immediately afterwards.  The visitors tried to run ball from deep, only for Mark 'Gordon' Bennett to rip ball brilliantly in the tackle.  Nathan Fowles pounced around the Irish 10 and scooted along the touchline to cross in the corner.  Although the conversion was missed, the Embramen had taken their chances and stopped the visitors' momentum stone dead.  12-7 Gunners at the end of the first quarter.  The back row were getting through a power of work in defence.

But in an end to end game, the Irishmen were soon on the attack again and after a few close phases they shifted the ball against the grain to put Australian import Fardy over in the corner to edge ahead 14-12 on 25 minutes.

And Leinster stretched their lead on 33 minutes.  With the referee playing offside advantage, the ball was whipped wide for Daly to get round the narrow defence to reach over in the corner.  12 - 19 Leinster after the failed conversion from wide out.  The Gunners really needed to get some ball and field position of their own if this match were not to run away from them.

And so they did.  They probed the Leinster defence, 'Bill' Mata exploded through a ruck to win a penalty, kicked to the 22 for the Gunner maul to rumble.  Leinster took it down as it made ground, then came up offside.  van der Walt kicked the penalty to the corner with time expired.  Once again, the maul rumbled forward, Leinster infringed again.  The pack pounded the close in drives and eventually McCallum drove through for a well deserved score.  Bennett had an unsuccessful pop at the conversion from wide out, leaving the half time score Edinburgh 17 Leinster 19. 

Intriguingly balanced, this one, both both sides on course for a try bonus, at least, and the Gunners looking forward to wind advantage in the second period.

It was pretty scrappy stuff in the early stages of the second period, with Leinster milking a couple of scrum penalties to build attacking field position.   But on both occasions, the Gunners' defence held strong and forced attacking errors around their 22.  They desperately needed to use the wind to get out of their own half, though.

They eventually did so on 56 minutes, Fowles and van der Walt running ball out of defence for 'Mr Darcy' Graham to kick a massive clearance deep into enemy territory.  The young winger's sheer pace put the Leinster defence under huge pressure, coughing up a lineout on their own 22.  At last, the home team were on the attack.  With the 'finishers' on en masse now, the pressure was on. 

Mr Darcy was starting to show well in attack, but it was his wing twin Duhan van der Merwe who ran on to SHC's chip, gathered beautifully and used his strength to cross for the Embra try bonus - a narrow 22-19 Gunner advantage going into the final quarter.

Back came Leinster immediately off a classic clean break in midfield from Kiwi import Jamison-Park, setting up more phases inside the Embra 22. There was an inevitability about the ball beaing worked wide for Daly to reach over in the corner on 66 minutes, despite a great effort in defence from Mr Darcy.  22-24 the Leinster advantage and there was still all to play for.

The Gunners were forcing the game a little as the clock ticked into the final 10 minutes, the odd handling error creeping in. They were again playing the match in the wrong part of the field.  But great work at the breakdown in defence won a penalty and van der Walt knocked a massive penalty to the Leinster 22.  This was the match.

The Embramen put the phases in around the middle of the park, eventually forcing the penalty for a high tackle on Bennett.  But they whipped the ball wide left, van der Walt popped a kick over the defence, Bennett caught van der Merwe's palm backwards for Bennett to juggle and cross for a brilliant fifth try of the night for Edinburgh on 79 minutes.  SHC's conversion and a botched restart by the Irishmen saw the Gunners home and hosed 29-24.