EPCR Champions Cup Edinburgh V Newcastle

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Edinburgh Rugby v Newcastle Falcons

Friday 7 December 2018 19:45 (GMT)  Champions Cup  Round 3  Pool 5  BT Murrayfield Stadium  Ref: Marius Mitrea (Italy)  Assis Ref 1: Andrea Piardi (Italy) Assis Ref 2: Matteo Liperini (Italy)  TMO: Stefano Penne (Italy)


I can't imagine many people thought at the start of the season that this would be the crunch game in the group, but that is very much the case - two wins for either team here will put them in the driving seat for the pool. One win each will be good enough to keep both teams' hopes alive going into the final round.

Newcastle are certainly coming into this on much better form. Edinburgh have basically lost all momentum from the first 2 rounds, hit badly by the international window where they have slumped to defeats against Zebre and the Dragons only winning 1 game in the last 4 since the first Euro rounds. Newcastle on the other hand have completely recovered from a terrible start to the season, and in the last 6 games since the first Euro rounds have won 4, drawn 1 and lost 1.

Newcastle are the form team but the big question is how seriously will they be taking this given they are still in trouble near the bottom of the table? I suspect they will be taking it seriously to see how they get on - if they lose the next two games they can concentrate on the league, if they win them then they stand a great chance of topping the group.

Conversion missed 5-0 Falcons

Edinburgh penalty VDW goes for the posts

5-3 Falcons

Newcastle penalty

8-3 Falcons

Chris Harris goes off injured as well, this game taking some toll on Falcons

Doddie Weir and Gary Armstrong in the stand get a great cheer when the camera pans to them

Harris is actually staying on, but hardly looks like he can move

Gilchrist drops another great chance but Edinburgh go back to the penalty

5m line out coming up, Cockers is going to explode soon

Another penalty for Edinburgh and this time they take the points

8-6 Falcons

Sounds like a close game!

That's it for the first half. Lots of endeavour from both sides but not a lot of quality

Still anyone's game

This is a winnable game for Edinburgh with just a tad more composure. Not sure where that is coming from though, mainly headless chicken stuff going on

maybe Hickey can be the man to slow things down and play a bit

Given results elsewhere this weekend chances are there is only going to be one team coming out this group so vital that Edinburgh take their chances here.

Montpellier currently beating Toulon, if that score sticks, then they are out

Meatball isn't in the 23. There goes your last minute winning drop goal.

VDM makes his first charge of the game and makes 60m

Edinburgh finally make one stick, Johnson takes a chip ahead and scores under the post

13-8 Edinburgh

The Shoe comes on to replace Dell

Edinburgh really cranking it up now, another 5m lin out

Another penalty to Edinburgh, Falcons really flirting with a card now

Into the corner again

and they spoon it again, send it wide when not on, a silly miss pass from VDW

Just caught a bit on the tube on my phone - why did we force that!!

Edinburgh destroy a Falcons scrum just outside 22

VDW goes for goal

16-8 Edinburgh, suddenly a bit of daylight

Sounds like I'm missing a good half of rugby - I switched over to watch Rangers spam about 40 corners into the box and get nothing from it.

Eejit wrote:Sounds like I'm missing a good half of rugby - I switched over to watch Rangers spam about 40 corners into the box and get nothing from it.

It is certainly exciting but good might be stretching it a bit!

5m penalty Falcons, they go for corner

They make a mess of it and Edinburgh clear

Finally VDM gets away on the wing and scores, that must be the game

Conversion missed 21-8 Edinburgh

What a try by the big man!

VDM!!!! Absolutely smoked the covering defence.

Kinghorn gets done for a bodycheck, a yellow at most surely

Poite has changed his mind, good call. Just a line out

Good decision ref.

Well done Edinburgh, still very much a work in progress but you can't fault their endeavour

That was a hard fought win

Well done Edinburgh - hard fought and fully deserved win.

Some good performances though, Watson was good as were the whole back row

Nel looks like he is getting back to his old form as well

Edinburgh still look very short of ideas in midfield though, Scott and Bennett can't get back soon enough.

The home game against Montpellier could be the decider for the group, it will be hard to see Pelly losing at home to Newcastle now.

One more win will take Edinburgh through, as a runner up if not a winner. You wonder if they might have a better shout away to Toulon, who may not be that bothered now. Neither game is going to be a gimme though, they could play well and lose both of them still.

You wonder about the squad depth for Edimburgh as well. If those same players kep getting flogged over xmas and into the next rounds, they may well struggle. Probably the SRU will step in and make sure the international players all get a rest somewhere along the way.

Brilliant win for Edinburgh, and lovely to see the level of travelling support at KP!

Falcons were just too undisciplined in attack, while Edinburgh had a plan and stuck to it.

Cracking result, looking forward to catching the highlights. Sounds like Watson v Hardie lived up to the billing?

Big push now to finish the job and qualify from the group. Jimbo's obituary for our season may have landed a little early!

TheMildlyFranticLlama wrote:Cracking result, looking forward to catching the highlights. Sounds like Watson v Hardie lived up to the billing?

Big push now to finish the job and qualify from the group. Jimbo's obituary for our season may have landed a little early!

Especially with our annual slaughter of the great unwashed to come next!

RDW_Scotland wrote:

TheMildlyFranticLlama wrote:Cracking result, looking forward to catching the highlights. Sounds like Watson v Hardie lived up to the billing?

Big push now to finish the job and qualify from the group. Jimbo's obituary for our season may have landed a little early!

Especially with our annual slaughter of the great unwashed to come next!

Lol, good one. You crack me up, you do.

Eejit wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:

TheMildlyFranticLlama wrote:Cracking result, looking forward to catching the highlights. Sounds like Watson v Hardie lived up to the billing?

Big push now to finish the job and qualify from the group. Jimbo's obituary for our season may have landed a little early!

Especially with our annual slaughter of the great unwashed to come next!

Lol, good one. You crack me up, you do.

Recent history would suggest I'm correct!

RDW_Scotland wrote:

TheMildlyFranticLlama wrote:Cracking result, looking forward to catching the highlights. Sounds like Watson v Hardie lived up to the billing?

Big push now to finish the job and qualify from the group. Jimbo's obituary for our season may have landed a little early!

Especially with our annual slaughter of the great unwashed to come next!

As you said earlier, you may have been drinking!

Well done Edinburgh, will be good to see all the Scots progress. Hope your neighbours beat the evil Saracens too.

All jokes aside it is going to be the classic story - Edinburgh on inconsistent form but with brutal power up front and limited game plan, against a much more attack minded and skillful Glasgow team.

Usuall Glasgow struggle to contain the Edinburgh pack but they've been much better up front this year.

What is guaranteed though is it will be a dull game - the Murrayfield legs always are.

I wonder how the fact that it is being played the Saturday before xmas will effect the crowd this year.

You might imagine that people will have other commitments that day and others who might have gone on boxing day, won't be up in Edinburgh for the holidays yet.

Despite it usually being a boring game, it does usually pack them in

Well done Edinburgh who would have thought this was going to happen. If two Scots make the quarters I'm going to guess it has never been done before.

Indeed not. Glasgow have only made the quarters once and Edinburgh twice in the history of the competition.

Worth remembering at this stage that neither side have qualified yet, so best not get ahead of ourselves!