Edinburgh win at Cardiff to return to play-off places

Edinburgh returned to the BKT United Rugby Championship play-off places after a hard-fought 24-7 win at Cardiff.

Cardiff have only won three competitive games all season and they disappointed in their final appearance of the season at the Arms Park as they lost Ellis Jenkins, Harri Millard and Thomas Young to injury.

On the day Cardiff managed only a single try from Rhys Carre which Tinus de Beer converted.

In response, Edinburgh picked up three tries from Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman and Boan Venter with Ben Healy converting all three and adding a penalty.

After a scoreless first 25 minutes, the game sprung into life when Duhan van der Merwe raced onto a well-judged pass from Healy to take Edinburgh into the opposition 22. The wing was hauled down but his forwards maintained the pressure with Schoeman forcing his way over from close-range.

Healy converted before Cardiff lost flanker Jenkins, who limped off with a leg injury to end his final appearance for the club.

Edinburgh led 7-0 at the interval but two minutes after the restart, they suffered a big blow when Van der Merwe was sin-binned for a high tackle on Theo Cabango.

Cardiff took immediate advantage when Carre burst over from the resulting line-out to score his eighth try of the season and celebrate his final appearance at the Arms Park before departing for Saracens at the end of the season.

The home side lost a second player to injury when Millard, was helped off with a leg injury.

Van der Merwe returned from the sin-bin and was immediately called upon to produce a try-saving tackle as he chased back to haul Mason Grady into touch just metres short of the try-line.

Edinburgh regained the lead when Ashman finished off a driving line-out before another try from Venter and a penalty from Healy sealed a deserved victory.

BKT United Rugby Championship Player of the Match

Scottish international flanker Jamie Ritchie shone in an impressive back row for the visitors, who won frequent penalties at the breakdown. In addition Ritchie led the close-range charges which always had Cardiff playing on the back foot.

Play of the Match

Cardiff had just drawn level and looked set to cause further problems when Mason Grady was raced away on a 45-metre dash to the line but Duhan van der Merwe, who had just returned from the sin-bin, showed exceptional speed to haul Grady down just short of the try-line.