For forty minutes in the Scottish wet, the Lions were right there. Two points behind at the break, after a five-metre scrum that almost put them in front. Then the second half arrived, and with it, the gap between a side that is flying and one still searching.
The Edinburgh v Lions result was a 31-10 defeat for the visitors at the Hive Stadium on Friday night. Edinburgh scored five tries to one, four of them after the break, and took a bonus point, SA Rugby magazine and The Citizen reported. The Lions go home with nothing from the trip.
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Result | Edinburgh 31-10 Lions |
| Half-time | Edinburgh 5-3 Lions |
| Edinburgh tries | Matt Currie, Mosese Tuipulotu, Hector Patterson (2), Geordie Gwynn |
| Lions points | Batho Hlekani try; Chris Smith conversion and penalty |
| Venue | Hive Stadium, Edinburgh |
| Competition | United Rugby Championship, round four |
A tight first half
The Lions had the better of the early territory and possession, SA Rugby magazine noted, but they could not turn it into a try. Edinburgh struck first instead, Matt Currie crossing in the 20th minute. Chris Smith’s penalty on 33 minutes kept the Lions within two, according to The Citizen.
They had a real chance to lead before the break. A five-metre scrum gave No 8 Francke Horn a run at the line, but he was stopped and the ball was knocked on. It was 5-3 at half-time, and those missed points would matter.
How the Edinburgh v Lions result got away
The game turned early in the second half. Mosese Tuipulotu, who had already seen one try ruled out for a knock-on, scored on 47 minutes from a lineout maul. Four minutes later Hector Patterson scored from a move that began with a scrum in Edinburgh’s own half, The Citizen and SA Rugby magazine reported.
The Lions answered. Batho Hlekani went over on 57 minutes and Smith converted. But Edinburgh had more to give. Patterson took a quick tap penalty for his second, and Geordie Gwynn finished in the corner, both in the final 20 minutes. Five tries meant a bonus point.
The set piece hurt the Lions all night. SA Rugby magazine counted six lineouts lost, and against a side as clinical as Edinburgh, every lost throw was a chance handed back. Six is a number no side can carry, least of all away to the team at the top of the table.
What it means for the Lions
The stakes were clear before kick-off. Edinburgh started the round top of the table on 14 log points, three wins from three; the Lions were seventh on nine, and a bonus-point win would have pulled them level with their hosts. Instead the gap has grown by five. Edinburgh now have four wins from four in the URC and look every inch the leaders. The Lions came into this game off a 57-15 hiding by the Bulls at Loftus in round three. Two big URC defeats in a row leave them with plenty to fix.
There is a positive or two to hold on to. The first half showed the Lions can live with the league leaders for long stretches, and Hlekani showed this defence can be broken. Follow every Lions story on our Lions page.
What comes next
Next up in the URC for the Lions is a trip to Glasgow, one of the last two rounds before November’s break. Closer to home, the Bulls host Ulster at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday at 13:45, and Scarlets visit the Stormers at 16:00. Read up on the Bulls and the Stormers, and find every kick-off in our weekend fixture guide.