Top Performers: Edinburgh v Connacht, Round Three
- 1976
Edinburgh finally grabbed their first win of the Guinness Pro14 season after seeing off the Irish challenge of Connacht at Murrayfield.
The pre game headlines were dominated by the withdrawal of New Zealander Simon Hickey, however, his absence was offset by the positive contribution of South African stand-off Jaco van der Walt, who controlled the game well and attacked the line with intent.
The home side burst into a 17-point lead before Andy Friend's charges ensured the game remained competitive until the whistle with a late revival through Niyi Adeolokun and the right peg of Jack Carty.
Duhan van der Merwe dotted down for his first try of the season and rather calamitously failed to convert for a second, with the try line at his mercy. Pierre Schoeman grabbed a five pointer and put in another monstrous shift in the loose.
Connacht finally gained some territory and possession in the final third of the contest but they left their revival too late despite the valiant efforts of Tiernan O' Halloran and the impact of Irish international Bundee Aki.
Richard Cockerill will be a relieved man tonight having secured his first victory of the season following two narrow defeats away to Ospreys and Ulster in the opening two rounds of play.
Top Performers from Murrayfield
Grant Gilchrist
