European Challenge Cup: Five-try Edinburgh sweep aside Black Lion
2025-01-19
Category: sports

European Challenge Cup: Edinburgh v Black LionEdinburgh (24) 36Tries: Skinner, Goosen, Crosbie, Currie, Harrison Cons: Healy 4 Pen: Healy Black Lion (3) 15Tries: Kvatadze, Aptsiauri Cons: Matkava Pens: Matkava
Edinburgh ran in five tries to ease past Black Lion and secure a home tie in the last 16 of the European Challenge Cup.First-half tries from Sam Skinner, Wes Goosen and Luke Crosbie put Edinburgh in control, though they lost Magnus Bradbury to a red card before the break.Matt Currie and Patrick Harrison crossed for Sean Everitt's side in the second half, with Irakli Kvatadze and Shalva Aptsiauri notching consolation tries for the visitors.The Georgian side, led by former Edinburgh coach Richard Cockerill, offered plenty of physicality but little attacking threat until the game was out of reach.Edinburgh top Pool 3 with 16 points from their four group-stage matches, and are also guaranteed a home tie in the quarter-finals of the competition, should they get there.
Edinburgh were over the Black Lion line within 90 seconds. Darcy Graham broke through and fed Goosen, who had Skinner arriving on his shoulder to charge over.Goosen then got his name on the scoresheet after making a sharp outside break to slice through the Georgian side's defence.Crosbie powered over from close range to give Edinburgh clear daylight on the scoreboard, though the home side were reduced to 14 men following Bradbury's red card for a high shot on Bachuki Tchumbadze.That did not prove too much of an obstacle against limited opposition and Currie went over early in the second half for the fourth ty to maintain Edinburgh's momentum and secure the bonus point.Harrison rounded off a sweeping move with a terrific finish in the corner as the hosts looked ready to cut loose and rack up a big score.To their credit, Black Lion did not fold and Kvatadze sneaked through a gap in the Edinburgh defence to ensure they had a try to show for their efforts.And the Georgians gave the scoreline a more respectable look when Aptsiauri brilliantly gathered a cross-field kick one-handed to score.It was an impressive late rally from the visitors, but by then the outcome was well beyond doubt.
Line-ups
Edinburgh: Goosen, Graham, Currie, Lang, Wells; Healy, Shiel; Schoeman, Harrison, Hill, Sykes, Skinner, Dodd, Crosbie (c), Bradbury.Replacements: Ashman, Venter, Sebastian, Young, Watson, Price, Thompson, Tuipulotu.Black Lion: Tsirekidze, Tabutsadze, Kakhoidze, Metreveli, Aptsiauri; Matkava, Peranidze; Kakovini, Mamukashvili, Tchumbadze, Babunashvili, Ghaniashvili, Mamamtavrishvili, Gachechiladze, Ivanishvili (c).Replacements: Kvatadze, Khatiashvili, Ghkhartishvili, Chachanidze, Epremidze, Khuroshvili, Shvangiradze, Todua.Referee: Jeremy Rozier.