First win for Edinburgh
Edinburgh staged a fightback in the second half to beat Leinster 32-24 and earn their first Magners League win of the season on Friday.
Last Updated: 24/09/10 10:22pm
Edinburgh staged a fightback in the second half to beat Leinster 32-24 and earn their first Magners League win of the season on Friday.
The Scottish side scored four tries against a Leinster side whose vaunted back division were given a torrid time, while the Blair brothers gave a half-back masterclass.
However, the win was tainted by an injury suffered by Chris Paterson, who limped off after sustaining a heavy leg knock in the second half.
Rob Moffat's team got the best of starts when Paterson kicked a 40-yard penalty in the first minute, although Isa Nacewa pulled Leinster level with a penalty three minutes later.
The visitors spent the next few minutes leading Edinburgh this way and that across the park as they probed for an opening. The home defence eventually gave in to indiscipline and Nacewa kicked his second penalty from 42 metres out.
Two minutes later, Paterson kicked dead from the halfway line, Edinburgh offended at the scrum and from inside his own half, Leinster full-back Rob Kearney pulled the visitors further ahead.
Edinburgh had to wait until the second quarter to get into the opposing 22 but came close to scoring on their first foray when Scott MacLeod went clear.
The lock was just short and from the scrum Tim Visser also failed to reach the line. However, he then passed to Mike Blair and from MacLeod's offload, Geoff Cross touched down under the posts.
Paterson converted and although Nacewa then kicked his third penalty, it was Edinburgh who appeared the most likely to score in the last 10 minutes of the half, with Kearney producing a try-saving tackle to deny Visser.
Indeed, Edinburgh ended the half camped on the Leinster line but still went in 12-10 down.
Although Paterson missed a penalty early in the second half, Edinburgh got their second try just as soon as Ben Cairns had broken from the scrum and they had worked the ball from right to left.
Allan Jacobsen's surge was halted but Paterson was on hand and his offload put Visser spinning out of Shane Horgan's tackle for the try.
Struggle
Edinburgh really took the game to Leinster for the next five minutes and the latter's defence struggled to cope.
Having pulled the defence out of line, David Blair's long pass saw Mark Robertson cross for try number three with Paterson's conversion giving Edinburgh a 10-point lead.
The visitors remained on the back foot for the next 10 minutes and from a quick tap penalty, Mike Blair put brother David over for the bonus-clinching score.
Mike Blair also converted from wide out, Paterson by this time having departed.
Blair added a penalty with 12 minutes left but with Jamie Heaslip now on as a replacement, Leinster roused themselves.
The big number eight immediately began to impose himself, to the extent that he crossed for a try in the 70th minute.
Nacewa converted and Leinster then threw all they could at Edinburgh in an attempt to gain at least the losing bonus point.
Kearney gave them hope with a last-minute try, but a missed conversion meant they missed out - the hosts celebrating a much-needed five-point win.
