WRAP: Schoeman helps Edinburgh smash Bath
CHALLENGE CUP SATURDAY WRAP: Emiliano Boffelli’s try double helped Edinburgh reach the Challenge Cup quarterfinals with a 41-19 victory over Bath at DAM Health Stadium on Saturday.
Edinburgh, who produced a strong second-half display, will now host Wasps in the last eight.
Bath led 19-15 at half-time but could not add to their tally after that.
England flank Sam Underhill (2) and Ben Spencer both went over for tries, with Orlando Bailey and Spencer kicking one conversion apiece.
Boffelli and Blair Kinghorn ran in Edinburgh’s first-half tries, with the former kicking a conversion and a penalty.
Pierre Schoeman, Mark Bennett and Connor Boyle all went over in the second half, with Boffelli adding his second and kicking a further six points.
Boyle’s try came while Edinburgh had Cammy Hutchison in the sin bin, further highlighting the Scottish region’s dominance after the break.
Meanwhile, Gloucester also reached the Challenge Cup quarterfinals after defeating Northampton Saints 31-21 in a feisty encounter at Kingsholm Stadium on Saturday.
They will now host either Saracens or Cardiff, who play on Sunday, in the last eight.
With seven tries and two red cards, this was a game not lacking in drama, although it looked as if Gloucester might cruise through after racing into a 21-0 lead in the first half.
However, Saints showed great commitment to battle their way back into the match.
Northampton had flyhalf Dan Biggar red-carded for a dangerous tackle on 53 minutes, while Gloucester’s Alex Craig was sent off for violent play in the final minute.
Biggar hit the post with a second-minute penalty, and his side were soon under real pressure.
Gloucester surged ahead with tries from Ollie Thorley, Val Rapava-Ruskin and Matías Alemanno, all converted by Adam Hastings.
Northampton had Alex Coles sin-binned for repeat team offending on 21 minutes, but they were right in it at the break, having hit back with tries from Juarno Augustus and Rory Hutchinson, Biggar converting both for 21-14.
A textbook driving maul saw Gloucester hooker Santiago Socino finish off their fourth try and Hastings converted.
Hastings then added a penalty after Biggar’s red card, but a try from Mike Haywood, converted by George Furbank, gave Saints hope.
However, Gloucester held firm and Craig’s late dismissal had no effect on the scoreline.
In France, Toulon finished strongly to defeat Benetton Rugby 36-17 at Stade Félix Mayol on Saturday and set up a home quarterfinal against London Irish in the EPCR Challenge Cup.
Toulon led for all but brief periods of the Round of 16 tie and made the most of their chances as fly-half Louis Carbonel kicked 19 points.
Benetton briefly levelled at 17-17 in the second half, but they were well beaten in the end.
Tries from Gabin Villiere and Charles Ollivon, plus seven points from the boot of Carbonel, were the rewards for Toulon’s first-half efforts.
Benetton had opened the scoring with a Rhyno Smith penalty and began the second half well, despite having had prop Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro sin-binned.
Tommaso Menoncello and Monty Ioane went over, with Smith converting both, however, Carbonel kicked Toulon 20-17 in front almost immediately.
Three more Carbonel penalties put Toulon in the ascendancy, before their victory was confirmed by Jules Coulon’s late try, which Carbonel converted for good measure.
Saturday’s scores and scorers:
Edinburgh 41-19 Bath
The scorers:
For Edinburgh:
Tries: Boffelli 2, Kinghorn, Schoeman, Bennett, Boyle
Cons: Boffelli 3
Pen: Boffelli
For Bath:
Tries: Underhill 2, Spencer
Cons: Bailey, Spencer
Gloucester 31-21 Northampton
The scorers:
For Gloucester:
Tries: Thorley, Rapava Ruskin, Alemanno, Socino
Cons: Hastings 4
Pen: Hastings
For Northampton:
Tries: Augustus, Hutchinson, Haywood
Cons: Biggar 2, Furbank
Toulon 36-17 Benetton
The scorers:
For Toulon:
Tries: Villière, Ollivon, Coulon
Cons: Carbonel 3
Pens: Carbonel 5
For Benetton:
Tries: Menoncello, Ioane
Cons: Smith 2
Pen: Smith
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