New Edinburgh Rugby signing catches eye as pre-season starts with narrow defeat

A switch was flicked at half-time and Edinburgh, who fielded different teams in each half, looked more threatening in the second period but it wasn’t quite enough and Ulster ran out 28-26 winners at a very windy Hive Stadium.

Ross Thompson looked like he would salvage a draw for the home side but struck the post with a straightforward conversion attempt after Conor McAlpine’s late try.

This was Edinburgh’s first hit-out of the new season and they fielded two teams peppered with youngsters and some new signings. Geordie Gwynn, the centre recruited from Ealing Trailfinders, caught the eye and scored a first-half try and Paul Grayson was a composed presence. The new stand-off also kicked two conversions.

Under-20 internationals Jamie Stewart and Christian Lindsay did their prospects no harm and the two scrum-halves, Hector Patterson and McAlpine, also looked sharp and contributed a score apiece. The other Edinburgh try came from prop Paul Hill.

The home side were without their Scotland contingent as well as 13 injured players and while a bit of rustiness was to be expected, there was still plenty to please Sean Everitt, the head coach. Harri Morris, the Edinburgh hooker, was all action in the first half and Fin Douglas looked sharp on the wing.

It was also the first airing for Edinburgh’s new defensive system. Brad Davis replaced Michael Todd in the summer as defence coach and a faster, more aggressive approach was promised. Understandably at this early stage, it remains a work in progress and there were a few missed tackles as the home sped out the line.

These two clubs will meet in the first round of the United Rugby Championship later this month and their line-ups are likely to be very different by then. Nevertheless, Ulster will be heartened by this away win.

They enjoyed early dominance in the scrum and it led to the opening try as Edinburgh conceded a penalty at the set-piece. The visitors kicked to the corner and scored indirectly from the lineout through a James McCormick pick and go.

It took Edinburgh 15 minutes to get into the opposition 22 and they had Douglas to thank for the first incursion. The big Scotland Under-20 winger was looking lively and it led to a good period of pressure followed by Edinburgh's first try. The forwards softened up the Ulster defence with a series of pick and goes off a tap penalty before Mosese Tuipulotu flicked the ball out to Gwynn to score.

Ulster hit back, punching a hole in Edinburgh's midfield before Ben Carson found Aitzol Arenzana-King in space and the winger had the speed to finish in the corner. The third Ulster try came soon after as a slick passing move was finished off by scrum-half Matthew Devine.

A strong end to the half

Edinburgh were 21-7 down with only 25 minutes on the clock but they finished the half strongly. Harri Morris had been an aggressive presence and played a big part in his team’s second try. The hooker broke off the back of a lineout maul and blasted his way to within a yard of the line and Patterson was there to follow up and score to cut Ulster’s lead to 21-14 at the interval.

It took Eric O’Sullivan five minutes to the second half to reestablish Ulster’s 14-point advantage, the experienced prop crashing over from close range. Jamie Benson had converted all three of Ulster’s first-half tries and Jake Flannery took over from him at half-time and added the extras for O’Sullivan’s try.

Edinburgh produced an immediate response and showed impressive patience close to the Ulster line before Paul Hill found a gap to score. Thompson, on for Grayson, converted to make 28-21.

The home team should have got back on terms a couple of minutes later when a slick move and a smart offload from Tom Dodd seemed to put Kienan Higgins through for a try. But the new centre was stopped inches short and Edinburgh squandered the follow-up by throwing the ball away carelessly when they had numbers out wide.

The home pressure continued and Jack Brown looked like he would score in the corner only to be denied by a last-gasp tackle.

With seven minutes remaining Edinburgh got the try their dominance warranted and it was scrum-half McAlpine who showed his alertness after a series of pick-and-goes. Unfortunately for the home team, Thompson struck the post when he really should have converted and Ulster held on for a 28-26 victory.