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Overview
Season so far
Tournament record
Edinburgh Rugby will face off against CA Brive for the first time in European competition when they host the French club in the EPCR Challenge Cup on Friday night.
The Scottish region will be seeking to bounce back from their last-gasp defeat to London Irish in Round 3 with a victory at DAM Health Stadium β a result which would see them overhaul Brive in Pool C.
Edinburgh’s opponents recorded a convincing 33-25 win over Section Paloise last weekend, leaving them second in the pool.
The match gets under way at 20:00 (UK & Irish time) and will be aired on beIN SPORTS.
Other key facts
- Brive are one of only three teams currently in the TOP 14 that Edinburgh have never faced in Europe (also ASM Clermont Auvergne and Section Paloise).
- Edinburgh are unbeaten in their last 16 home games in the pool stage of the Challenge Cup (W15 D1), a run that includes nine games against teams from France (W8 D1).
- Brive have won only four of their last 16 away games in the pool stage of the Challenge Cup (L12, excl. cancelled fixtures), losing the last three by an average margin of 25 points.
- Edinburgh have won nine scrum penalties in the ECPR Challenge Cup in 2021/22, more than any other club, while Brive have won five despite playing just once this season – their tally of five scrum penalties against Pau in Round 3 was the joint most by any team in a match this season.
- Edinburgh second-row Grant Gilchrist recorded more successful tackles than any other player in Round 3 of this seasonβs EPCR Challenge Cup, making 19 without missing a single attempt.
Top try of Round 3? π€#ChallengeCupRugby pic.twitter.com/y2WsSNWfQ1
— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) January 18, 2022
Key quote
Edinburgh head coach Mike Blair: βThe thing that has probably changed these two games a little bit has been the cancellation or postponement of the two Glasgow games. Guys who potentially would have played in those Glasgow games we could have given them a bit of a rest at this stage, but we feel we have international players available and we need them to get game time.β
Edinburgh ran in 10 tries as they cruised to a 66-3 win against CA Brive in the EPCR Challenge Cup on Friday night.
Edinburgh dominated the encounter at DAM Health Stadium and showed they had suffered no ill effects from Round 3βs last-ditch loss at the hands of London Irish.
Tries from Glen Young, Jamie Ritchie, Darcy Graham, Ben Muncaster, Hamish Watson, Mark Bennett and Henry Pyrgos, in addition to braces from Freddie Owsley and Glen Young β six of which were converted by Emiliano Boffelli – helped the Scottish region climb above their opponents in Pool C.
In at the corner π @EdinburghRugby finishing in style in-front of the home crowd π
Watch the full game on https://t.co/cI5BzX1Nyq πΊ #ChallengeCupRugby pic.twitter.com/t2bMn2JByQ
— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) January 21, 2022
The French side could only muster only a third-minute Thomas Laranjeira penalty in response.
Edinburgh are now unbeaten in their last 17 home games in the pool stage of the Challenge Cup, a run that includes ten games against teams from France.
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