Leinster start the new URC season with a win

United Rugby Championship

Edinburgh (12) 31

Tries: Schoeman, Van der Merwe 2, Cherry, Scott Cons: Thompson 2, Healy

Leinster (12) 33

Tries: O'Brien, Tector, Larmour, Gibson-Park, Conan Cons: Prendergast 4

Edinburgh began their URC season with a disappointing defeat at home to an understrength, but more ruthless, Leinster at Hive Stadium.

Sean Everitt’s team secured a losing bonus point when taking advantage of a late yellow card for fly-half Ross Byrne.

Minutes later, Ben Vellacott raced away in the last play and fed Matt Scott to score under the posts. Ben Healy’s conversion ended it at 33-31.

Edinburgh also landed a four-try bonus with earlier scores from Pierre Schoeman, Dave Cherry and two from Duhan van der Merwe.

All of that wasn’t enough to see off Leinster, who scored five tries of their own.

With home advantage and playing against an opponent missing more than a dozen Irish internationals, the heat was on Edinburgh. On opening night, they just weren’t good enough.

They started well, Schoeman blasting over and new boy, Ross Thompson, making it 7-0 with the boot. And then, old failings appeared.

Leinster’s attack was slick when putting Tommy O’Brien away up the left, but the home defence wasn’t exactly rapid in response.

It was positively comatose when young centre Charlie Tector scored not long after.

Ali Price’s clearing kick from his own 22 was fielded by Tector - above Jamie Ritchie, Ben Muncaster and Van der Merwe - and the 22-year-old, playing wonderfully on his first start, ran away, dummied the last defender and scored at his leisure.

Sam Prendergast made it 12-7 to the visitors, then Matt Currie was forced off injured and replaced by Scott, back up the road again from England.

Edinburgh needed a spark and they found it when Thompson put them on the front foot with a break that took him past two defenders.

Wes Goosen took it on and when Ritchie brilliantly took contact and spun around to hit Van der Merwe, there was only going to be one outcome.

It was 12-12 at the break but only after Edinburgh survived heavy fire on their line.

When Cherry rumbled over off a driven lineout three minutes into the new half, things were looking encouraging at 19-12, but Everitt’s team were over-run from there. Same old, same old as Leinster layered on the power.

Edinburgh got sucked in deep in their own 22 and then done out wide when Jordan Larmour scored. Tector was excellent again in the build-up. Prendergast’s conversion levelled it at 19-19.

Jamison Gibson-Park, as dominant as ever on his comeback from injury, then easily swatted Price, and others, at the side of a ruck for the bonus-point try.

A routine lineout maul saw Jack Conan piling over for a fifth. Prendergast’s extras made it 33-19

Van der Merwe struck again just after the hour - a lineout on one side of pitch was finished off on the other. A nine-point game now.

Byrne took out a subdued Darcy Graham in the air and got binned. Healy had a crack from the resultant penalty from halfway, but he was short.

There was another score to come, when replacement Vellacott manufactured the Scott try.

Leinster didn’t look at all that bothered and, in truth, Edinburgh didn’t look all that pleased despite salvaging two points from the night.