Edinburgh Rugby delivered a commanding performance at Hive Stadium this evening, dispatching Dragons RFC 38-5 in a crucial United Rugby Championship clash.
The six-try victory propelled the capital side back into the playoff positions, securing a vital bonus point and lifting them to 6th place in the table.
Despite an early intent, Edinburgh initially struggled to break down a resolute Dragons defence, with the midfield battle proving particularly fierce.
Early setbacks saw Marshall Sykes and Duhan van der Merwe forced off with knocks, disrupting the home side’s rhythm. However, Edinburgh’s persistence eventually paid off.
A penalty kicked to the corner set the stage for the first try, with hooker Paddy Harrison powering over from a well-executed lineout drive.
James Lang was impressed throughout the bonus-point win
Harrison soon doubled his tally, showcasing his pace after Darcy Graham chipped over the top, allowing the hooker to gather and race away.
Graham, who ultimately earned the BKT Player of the Match award, then turned scorer, collecting his own clever chip over the Dragons’ defence to add a third try.
The visitors’ woes deepened when Ashton Hewitt was sent to the sin bin, and Edinburgh capitalised immediately. Pierre Schoeman crashed over from close range, securing the bonus point before the interval and giving Edinburgh a commanding 26-0 lead at half-time.
Matt Currie grabbed the last score of the night
Dragons emerged from the break with renewed vigour, and Aaron Wainwright managed to breach the Edinburgh defence to put the visitors on the scoreboard. The second half, however, became a scrappy affair, with both sides struggling to maintain possession and create clear-cut opportunities.
Edinburgh eventually regained their composure, with replacement prop Boan Venter driving over in the 65th minute to extend the lead to 33-5.
The home side then wrapped up the scoring with a well-executed backline move, culminating in Matt Currie diving over in the corner to seal a 38-5 victory.
The bonus-point win was a significant boost for Edinburgh, propelling them back into the top eight and playoff contention.
Scorers:
Edinburgh Rugby: Tries: Paddy Harrison, Darcy Graham, Pierre Schoeman, Boan Venter, Matt Currie. Conversions: Ross Thompson (3), Cammy Scott.
Dragons RFC: Tries: Aaron Wainwright.
Teams:
Edinburgh Rugby: 15 Wes Goosen, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Matt Currie, 12 James Lang, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Ross Thompson, 9 Ben Vellacott (cc), 8 Magnus Bradbury, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Jamie Ritchie, 5 Grant Gilchrist (cc), 4 Marshall Sykes, 3 D’arcy Rae, 2 Paddy Harrison, 1 Pierre Schoeman. Replacements: 16 Dave Cherry, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Glen Young, 20 Freddy Douglas, 21 Ali Price, 22 Cammy Scott, 23 Ross McCann.
Dragons RFC: 15 Huw Anderson, 14 Rio Dyer, 13 Joe Westwood, 12 Aneurin Owen (c), 11 Ashton Hewitt, 10 Will Reed, 9 Rhodri Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Harrison Keddie, 6 Shane Lewis-Hughes, 5 Cummins, 4 Joe Davies, Steve, 3 Paula Latu, 2 Elliot Dee, 1 Rodrigo Martinez. Replacements: 16 Brodie Coghlan, 17 Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths, 18 Nathan Evans, 19 Barny Langton-Cryer, 20 Taine Basham, 21 Dane Blacker, 22 Josh Thomas, 23 Jared Rosser.