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Edinburgh Rugby will take a step into the unknown when they travel to European Rugby Challenge Cup debutants Timisoara Saracens on Saturday. - 13/10/2016 10:17
Edinburgh Rugby will take a step into the unknown when they travel to European Rugby Challenge Cup debutants Timisoara Saracens on Saturday.
The 2015 finalists got back to winning ways after three defeats last weekend with a thumping 45-10 triumph over Benetton Treviso at their Murrayfield home. But they face a completely foreign challenge this weekend as they make the 2531 mile round trip to Western Romania.
But Edinburgh coach Duncan Hodge has made sure they are fully equipped to take-on Timisoara, who earned their place in this season’s Challenge Cup by winning all six of their qualifying competition fixtures.
He told the Scotsman: “It starts with a team we don’t really know very well. But, in saying that, like any team we have received quite a lot of footage of them and we have analysed them and formulated thoughts. It will be a tough game over there and you could guess what some of their traits are.
“They have a big, physical pack and, in defence, they’re certainly aggressive at getting the ball back and with their line speed, so there are things there we need to be very wary of. But we need to focus on our game and how we take it forward.
“I haven’t been to Romania before. It’s possibly the one place I haven’t. We’re playing at a great stadium as well, so it’s going to be good.”
WP Nel could miss the contest with a minor neck injury, while Kevin Bryce and Simon Berghan also out of action. Hodge could hand a start to Scotland under-20 cap Murray McCallum at the Stadionul Dan P?ltini?anu.
Timisoara top the Romanian Superliga with five wins from six matches so far this season and boast a number of foreign and domestic talents. And they are targeting two home wins from Pool 5 to equal the best performance of a Romanian side.
A statement on their website said: “Timisoara Saracens have set the target of two wins from six matches in the EPCR Challenge Cup, thus equaling the best performance of the squad Romania Bucharest Wolves.”
Match facts
- Timisoara Saracens of Romania are making their first appearance in the Challenge Cup.
- Edinburgh are competing in the Challenge Cup for the third season in a row. They just failed to make it out of the pool stage last season, but reached the final in 2014/15.
- Edinburgh will be facing Romanian opposition for the first time in the competition, and this will be the first meeting of a Romanian club and a Scottish club in Europe.
- Edinburgh need 34 points to reach 500 in the Challenge Cup.
- Edinburgh boasted the best tackle success in last season’s competition, successfully completing 90%.
En déplacement sur la pelouse des novices roumains des Timisoara Saracens
Timsoara Saracens had a baptism by fire on their Challenge Cup debut as they conceded a try in only the second minute at the Dan Paltinisanu Stadium and then leaked a further eight against a rampant Edinburgh.
The Scottish side re-wrote their Challenge Cup record books as they notched their highest points tally (59), registered their biggest win (42), scored their most tries (9) and kicked most conversions (7). There were also try hat-tricks for skipper Stuart McInally and Nasi Manu.
Interim head coach Duncan Hodge will fully realise that next week’s challenge against Harlequins will be far harder, but this game was a potential banana skin against a team packed with Romanian internationals that nobody knew much about.
It took a mere two minutes for Edinburgh, the 2015 finalists, to get the scoreboard moving. Viliame Mata made the initial break before McInally set up wing Mike Allen for his fourth try of the season.
Jason Tovey added the conversion and went on to improve a further six tries with his trusty boot. Mata’s debut got even better three minutes later when he crossed for a wonderful try to extend Edinburgh's lead.
Timisoara scrum half Valentin Calafeteanu slotted an eight minute penalty to get his side moving, but a hat-trick of tries from hooker McInally in a 20 minute period put the visitors out of sight. Manu then scored two before the break to leave the Saracens, who had a try from wing Stephen Shennan converted by Calafeteanu, trailing 45-10.
There were only two more tries from Edinburgh in the second half – Manu completing his hat-trick and a second for Manu –as the replacements flooded onto the field. Shennan got the final score of the game five minutes from time to give the home side something to smile about.
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