Fightback wins it for Edinburgh
MATCH REPORT: Debutant Ben Healy proved to be the match-winner by kicking 17 points as Edinburgh opened their United Rugby Championship account with a 22-17 comeback victory at Dragons.
The hosts looked in control when they led 17-6 but they faded to allow former Munster man Healy to make them pay for their ill-discipline by kicking five penalties.
Sio Tomkinson and Corey Baldwin scored Dragons’ tries with Cai Evans converting both and adding a penalty.
Dragons took the lead in the second minute with a superbly created try. From a line-out in the opposition 22, a pre-planned move saw Jarred Rosser burst through the defence before sending Tomkinson in under the posts.
Evans converted before having the chance to extend the lead with a kickable penalty but Dragons opted for an attacking line-out and it paid dividends when a cross-field kick from Steff Hughes was collected by Baldwin to score.
A penalty from Healy put Edinburgh on the scoreboard but they suffered a blow when their flank Cameron Neild left the field with an injury.
However the Scots were firmly in the ascendancy in the second quarter with their pack taking control to win a number of penalties to put the opposition under pressure but they could not capitalise and trailed 14-3 at the interval.
Within two minutes of the restart, Healy had reduced the arrears with his second penalty after home number eight Ollie Griffiths had been penalised for a high tackle but this was soon nullified with a penalty from Evans.
The third quarter was a stop-start affair with neither side able to provide any fluency to their game and it came as no surprise that the next score came via a penalty – a third from Healy for Hughes not releasing.
With 15 minutes remaining, Edinburgh set up a grandstand finish by scoring a converted try to bring them to within one point of the hosts.
Healy made a clean break to provide Vellacott with an easy run-in and it was he who proved the match-winner by firing over two late penalties.
Man of the Match: Debutant Healy was a clear winner of the award by scoring 17 points and creating his side’s only try. Without him Edinburgh would have struggled as his immaculate goal-kicking and judgement were vital in getting their season off to a successful start.
Scorers:
For Edinburgh:
Try: Vellacott
Cons: Healy
Pens: Healy 5
For Dragons:
Tries: Rosser, Baldwin
Cons: Evans 2
Pen: Evans
Dragons: 15 Cai Evans, 14 Corey Baldwin, 13 Sio Tomkinson, 12 Steff Hughes (captain), 11 Jared Rosser, 10 Angus O’Brien, 9 Rhodri Williams; 8 Ollie Griffiths, 7 Harri Keddie, 6 George Nott, 5 Ben Carter, 4 Matthew Screech, 3 Lloyd Fairbrother, 2 Bradley Roberts, 1 Rodrigo Martinez,
Replacements: 16 James Benjamin, 17 Rhodri Jones, 18 Luke Yendle, 19 Joe Davies, 20 Sean Lonsdale, 21 Dane Blacker, 22 Will Reed, 23 Jack Dixon
Edinburgh: 15 Cammy Scott, 14 Ross McCann, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 Matt Currie, 11. Wes Goosen, 10 Ben Healy, 9 Ben Vellacott (captain), 8 Tom Dodd, 7 Cameron Neild, 6 Sam Skinner, 5 Jamie Hodgson, 4 Glen Young, 3 Javan Sebastian, 2 Dave Cherry, 1 Boan Venter
Replacements: 16 Adam McBurney, 17 Robin Hislop, 18 Angus Williams, 19 Marshall Sykes, 20 Luke Crosbie, 21 Charlie Shiel, 22 Chris Dean, 23 Jordan Edmunds
Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Gareth Newman (Wales) & Simon Rees (Wales)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
