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Edinburgh herd Bulls out of Challenge Cup despite fightback
By PA
Edinburgh withstood a second-half Bulls comeback as they booked their place in the EPCR Challenge Cup semi-finals with a 34-28 win at Hive Stadium.
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Three first-half tries helped the Scottish side into a 24-7 half-time lead but Bulls hit back with three of their own, including a penalty try, after the break but it was not enough.
Beaten finalists in 2015, Edinburgh will now host Bath or Gloucester for a place in this season’s showdown at Principality Stadium on May 23.
Sean Everitt’s side made a flying start by crossing for their first try inside three minutes, James Lang diving over after a brilliant burst from Matt Currie, with Ross Thompson converting.
Bulls’ start worsened when Zak Burger was yellow-carded and Edinburgh grabbed a second try when Magnus Bradbury went over from close range in the 13th minute, Thompson again adding the extras.
The South Africans – two-time United Rugby Championship finalists – responded by halving the deficit four minutes later through David Kriel after they broke through the middle, Keagan Johannes converting.
Lang then claimed his second try of the game in fortunate circumstances in the 24th minute, going over under the posts after capitalising on his attempted kick through which ricocheted into his hands.
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It was an easy kick for Thompson, who also landed a penalty shortly before half-time to give Edinburgh a 24-7 lead at the break.
Jannes Kirsten was sinbinned for a high tackle on Ross McCann in the first minute of the second half and Edinburgh took immediate advantage, Grant Gilchrist going over from close-in and Thompson again successful from the tee.
The game swung in Bulls’ favour in the 46th minute when they were awarded a penalty try and McCann was sinbinned as result before Cameron Hanekom also went over, which Johan Goosen converted, to make it a 10-point game.
Having weathered the storm, Edinburgh extended their lead through a second Thompson penalty of the game but more relentless Bulls pressure saw Kriel cross for his second, again converted by Goosen, late on to set up a grandstand finish in which Edinburgh managed to survive.
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One person and one person alone is to blame for this awful display and that is the once-was-OK coach, Jake White. How on earth you can choose a hooker that can’t even throw the ball in straight, and a flank who still hasn’t learnt how to tackle, and also doesn’t realise that games on fake turf require some previous practise (to say nothing about his kak preparations for English winter weather as in the match against Saracens which also included the really dom lack of common sense in a back that didn’t know you had to touch the ball before passing it after a mark) I’m afraid I just don’t understand.