Edinburgh pick up Leinster scalp

Editor

Edinburgh claimed an impressive win against RaboDirect PRO12 champions Leinster on Friday, prevailing 11-6 at a wet Murrayfield.

Edinburgh claimed an impressive win against RaboDirect PRO12 champions Leinster on Friday, prevailing 11-6.

Weather conditions made handling difficult, which led to a series of penalties for both sides.

Ian Madigan was first to convert a penalty from Edinburgh's 22 metre line 21 minutes in.

But Edinburgh scored the only try of the first-half, as winger Dougie Fife took advantage of recycled ball after great work from Greig Laidlaw, who failed to add the conversion attempt.

The home side went in at the break 8-3 ahead, thanks to a successful Laidlaw penalty shortly before the whistle.

Early second-half penalties for either side kept the advantage Edinburgh's way, and they pushed on for another try, camping themselves in Leinster's half as the game entered the final passage of play.

Laidlaw missed a penalty goal attempt with six minutes left and that spurred the visitors to push onwards. But it was in vain, as Edinburgh held on for the win.

The scorers:

For Edinburgh:
Try: Fife
Pen: Laidlaw 2

For Leinster:
Pen: Madigan 2

Edinburgh: 15 Jack Cuthbert, 14 Dougie Fife, 13 Nick De Luca, 12 Ben Atiga, 11 Tom Brown, 10 Greig Tonks, 9 Greig Laidlaw (c), 8 Dave Denton, 7 Roddy Grant, 6 Cornell du Preez, 5 Ollie Atkins, 4 Grant Gilchrist, 3 WP Nel, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Al Dickinson
Replacements: 16 Aleki Lutui, 17 Wicus Blaauw, 18 Geoff Cross, 19 Sean Cox, 20 Mike Coman, 21 Grayson Hart, 22 Tony Fenner, 23 Sam Beard

Leinster: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Darragh Fanning, 13 Brian O'Driscoll, 12 Noel Reid, 11 Luke Fitzgerald, 10 Ian Madigan, 9 Isaac Boss, 8 Jordi Murphy, 7 Shane Jennings, 6 Kevin McLaughlin, 5 Tom Denton, 4 Leo Cullen (c), 3 Martin Moore, 2 Aaron Dundon, 1 Michael Bent
Replacments: 16 James Tracy, 17 Jack O'Connell, 18 Tadhg Furlong, 19 Quinn Roux, 20 Dominic Ryan, 21 John Cooney, 22 Jimmy Gopperth, 23 Brendan Macken

Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Andrew McMenemy, TBC (both SRU)
Citing Commissioner: Iain Goodall (SRU)
TMO: Iain Ramage (SRU)