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Edinburgh remain in the running for a Guinness PRO14 play-off spot after posting a comfortable 28-11 win over defending champions Leinster at BT Murrayfield.<\/p>\nEdinburgh remain in the running for a Guinness PRO14 play-off spot after posting a comfortable 28-11 win over defending champions Leinster at BT Murrayfield.<\/p>\n
The Scots went into the game with little or no wriggle room in the race for a top-four finish and they produced a workmanlike effort to see off a Leinster outfit that already has top spot in Conference B sewn up. It was the visitors first loss of 2019.<\/p>\n
Edinburgh reached the break with a 14-11 lead through a penalty try and a WP Nel touchdown, which was converted by Jaco Van Der Walt. Further scores by Ross Ford and Viliame Mata ensured a maximum five-point haul for the home side.<\/p>\n
Leinster’s points came in the first half through a Sean Cronin try and two penalties from Ciaran Frawley.<\/p>\n
The visitors made the better start and crossed the whitewash after five minutes. However, the referee judged that Mick Kearney had been held up.<\/p>\n
The score was only delayed and an offense at the ensuing scrum presented Frawley with a straightforward three points.<\/p>\n
The hosts had an immediate opportunity to square matters but Van Der Walt struck a post with a close-range penalty attempt.<\/p>\n
Edinburgh lost Fraser McKenzie to the sin bin, but the lock could consider himself fortunate not to have seen red for a dangerous tackle on Noel Reid who took no further part in the match.<\/p>\n
Leinster wasted no time in capitalizing on their numerical advantage. A penalty was banged into touch five meters from the home line. Josh Murphy gathered at the line out and a powerful drive created the opportunity for Cronin to rumble over.<\/p>\n
Edinburgh were struggling to gain a foothold in the game. There was an opportunity to open their account after 22 minutes with a penalty booted into touch.<\/p>\n
However, the attempt to drive over following the line out ended when the ball squirted out of the side of the ruck, allowing Leinster to clear.<\/p>\n
The hosts finally made the breakthrough after 30 minutes. Another penalty was kicked into touch and a multi-phase assault on the Leinster line ended with Nel forcing his way over and Van Der Walt adding the extras to cut the deficit to a point.<\/p>\n
Frawley booted another penalty for the visitors but, by the interval, Edinburgh had seized the lead. A series of penalties came to nothing before the final play of the game – a scrum five meters from the line – yielded a penalty try.<\/p>\n
The home side maintained the momentum at the start of the second period and – with Leinster flanker Dan Leavy in the sin bin – extended their lead when Ford blasted his way over from close range and Van Der Walt hammered over the touchline conversion.<\/p>\n
The focus then switched to securing a try bonus point and, after more than 15 minutes spent battering relentlessly at a resolute Leinster defense, Mata plunged over to clinch the key score. Simon Hickey added the extra two points to establish a 17-point lead.<\/p>\n
Leinster never looked capable of overturning that gap, although they did finish with a flourish.<\/p>\n
They thought they had added to their tally with the final play, only for it to be chalked off after referring to the television match official.<\/p>\n