Edinburgh Beats Cardiff To Finish Second In Magners League

Cardiff 14 - 36 Edinburgh

Edinburgh put together a solid defensive performance coupled with some excellent counter-attacking rugby to snatch a record second-place finish in the Magners League with an away victory in the last match to be played at Cardiff Arms Park.

There were a few decisions from Irish ref Simon McDowell that were controversial to the home crowd, but probably helped too—notably a penalty try and sin-binning for the deliberate knock down of a pass to Phil Godman about two meters from the line.

That gave Edinburgh the space needed to keep the scoreboard operator awake and turn the match in their favor.

After a lot of loose play, several knock-ons, and turnovers by both sides in the first half, this period proved decisive.

It was also great to see a Scottish side capitalizing on their opposition's mistakes with a degree of ruthlessness often absent.

Ally Hogg put in a captain’s performance at the breakdown alongside youngster Roddy Grant and was turning over the ball almost at will against a Cardiff side shorn of much of its international talent. Ross Ford and Geoff Cross both had good games too, although Ford missed the odd lineout throw.

Godman marshaled his backs well on the counter in a loose game that suited Webster and Mossy’s style, although he didn’t always get the best service from scrum half Laidlaw in crunch situations.

Nick De Luca popped up everywhere in midfield, putting in some good defensive work and grabbing the interception try that put the result beyond doubt—regardless of the ability Cardiff had to conjure late points that scared Leicester.

To be fair, it was mostly a second string that faced Edinburgh here, the same sort of second string that the bigger clubs can afford to field.

Such second strings allowed the results to go Edinburgh’s way earlier in the weekend (Ospreys losing to Munster and Leinster losing to the Dragons). This is probably a sign that, at least until the play-off system next season, Heineken Cup Rugby is still the bigger prize for the larger clubs.

Edinburgh would have been guaranteed a play-off spot anyway if the system had been in place this year—probably facing Munster or Leinster if the usual one-versus-four, or two-versus-three model is followed.

At the end of the match, as Hugo Southwell came on for his last appearance in an Edinburgh shirt, the heavens above Cardiff opened as if to signal their displeasure not to see a home victory.

However, it was to be Edinburgh and Andy Robinson’s day.

The match was largely forgotten by the locals in a matter of minutes as the Blues and their fans prepared to mark the obsolescence of one of Rugby’s oldest icons in the shape of the Arms Park, and celebrate their current successes past and present at season’s end.

For Edinburgh though, the last trip home from Cardiff Arms Park will be a memorable and very happy one.