“Proud of the fight”: Everitt lauds Edinburgh spirit

In an 11-try thriller that showcased Edinburgh’s resilience and attacking prowess, Everitt lauded his side’s fight while acknowledging the moments that ultimately cost them a semi-final berth.

“We knew that the first 20 minutes were going to be vital,” Everitt said, reflecting on Edinburgh’s blistering start which saw Wes Goosen touch down and Ross Thompson grab a brace of scores.

“We wanted a fast start to counteract what the Bulls do to the opposition when they come to Loftus, and we certainly got the start that we wanted.

“But then there were a couple of loose kicks, which does happen in rugby, and the Bulls were outstanding in how they cut us there on counter-attack.”

The Bulls’ clinical exploitation of these inaccuracies proved decisive with the Bulls starting the second-half in blistering form, putting up 21 points in just over 10 minutes of action.

“They blitzed us in the second half and we conceded three tries in 13 minutes,” said Everitt.

“But the boys fought until the end and did well to come back to within nine points.

“I think if you look at the penalty near the end, we went for the corner and maybe, if we had got three points there, then the pressure turns on the opposition because you’re then within a score.

“Not many URC sides come to Loftus and finish stronger than the Bulls in terms of the altitude,” he remarked.

Looking at the overall performance, Edinburgh’s attacking efficiency within the Bulls’ 22 was a definite positive.

“I thought the guys were really good when we got into the Bulls 22. In the first 40 minutes, we were in there four times and we scored three. So, that’s what we needed to do.

“But fair play, the Bulls put us under pressure and didn’t allow us as many entries as we would have liked. it was a really close game and I’m proud of the boys.”

The emotional weight of the quarter-final defeat was amplified by the fact that it marked the final game for several key Edinburgh players.

“It’s a very emotional changing room at the moment. We’ve got five leavers that are sitting in the changing room absolutely gutted.”

Everitt spoke passionately about the impact of these departing players who were involved in South Africa: Jamie Ritchie, Ali Price, Mark Bennett, Javan Sebastian and Robin Hislop.

“Ali Price has come to work every day since he’s joined Edinburgh with a smile on his face, which is really contagious amongst the team and it certainly brought a lot to the table.

“You look at a guy like Jamie Ritchie that’s been at the club for 11 seasons. He’s been really outstanding since I’ve been there for the last two years. One of the standout players, Player of the Year last year and was also a nominee for Player of the Year this year. We will miss him. His competitive edge and leadership is something that we will miss and we wish him well going forward.”