Second-half blitz beats Bayonne

• 14 Dec 2024
• News

Eight tries, six in the second period, secured Sean Everitt’s side a superb 52-12 bonus-point win over Bayonne in the Challenge Cup.

Edinburgh took a 12-point lead into half-time thanks to tries from Matt Currie and Mosese Tuipulotu, but they accelerated through the gears emphatically after the break with six further tries.

Darcy Graham – who was named EPCR Player of the Match – scored twice, as did replacement Tom Dodd, while there were also scores for Duhan van der Merwe and Jamie Ritchie.

Lucas Martin and Baptiste Germain crossed for the visitors as they tried to rally early in the second period, but Edinburgh kept Bayonne at arm’s length before taking total control to momentarily jump to the top of Pool 3.

It provides Edinburgh with real impetus before their 1872 Cup double-header against Glasgow Warriors either side of Christmas, with the deciding leg taking place at Scottish Ga Murrayfield on Saturday 28 December.

Matt Currie runs in Edinburgh’s opener

Edinburgh had a lot of early pressure in which star winger Graham figured prominently, and at first Bayonne soaked it up in relative comfort besides looking dangerous on the counter-attack themselves. Eventually, though, the visitors failed to deal properly with the winger.

A turnover just inside the home half set up the opportunity, and when the ball went wide to Graham he sped past the first two defenders, then passed inside to Matt Currie, who had no trouble in finishing off close to the right touchline. Ross Thompson’s conversion attempt went just wide.

Eventually, though, they got the second score that their pressure merited. Graham again did all the damage with a break down the right flank, and this time it was Mosese Tuipulotu who finished off. Thompson’s conversion took the score to 12-0, and that was how it remained at half-time despite some late Bayonne pressure.

As the second half began, however, it was obvious that their failure to score before the break had not unduly disheartened the French side. They pressed straight from kick-off, sent a penalty to touch, and eventually Lucas Martin, the hooker, finished off from close range. Camille Lopez, the captain, was wide with the bid to add two points, but at 12-0 the game was back in the balance.

Edinburgh responded rapidly, though, and after providing assists for the first two tries, Graham turned scorer. At first it looked like he had put Goosen through, but he followed up the full-back’s run, took the return pass, and sliced through what was left of the defence. Thompson’s conversion made it 19-7.

Still Bayonne were far from finished, and they soon pulled back to within a single score. Aurélien Callandret made all the running, and then put Baptiste Germain through for an unconverted try.

The space was really opening up now, and defences were tiring. Again, Edinburgh’s riposte came quickly. Thompson and Price carved the defence open this time, creating the space for Duhan van der Merwe to sprint through before touching down for the bonus-point try.

Thompson’s conversion took the score to 26-12. That was a more comfortable cushion, but rather than relaxing Edinburgh rammed home their advantage.

Jamie Ritchie’s celebrates after grabbing the final score of the night

Just short of the hour mark Graham got his team’s fifth try, his own second. A passing move found the winger a few metres short of the goal line, but he had the strength to ride a tackle and touch down in the corner.

That try went unconverted, but Ben Healy made no mistake after his fellow-replacement Tom Dodd had finished off from a maul for try No 6. Five minutes later another maul saw Dodd get his second, with Healy again converting.

Jamie Ritchie added an eighth try in the dying minutes from wide out on the left. Healy’s conversion completed the scoring.