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Edinburgh will play their 100th Heineken Cup tie against Gloucester at Murrayfield on Sunday. - 07/12/2013 18:45
Just one point separates Edinburgh and Bordeaux-Begles at the top of Pool 4 as they prepare for a crucial showdown on Friday night.
Edinburgh lead the way with 17 points despite their defeat away in Lyon in round five, with Bordeaux a point behind on 16.
The Scots will be favourites to progress as pool winners having won their last three games at home in the competition and they boast an impressive record of not having lost at Murrayfield in the Challenge Cup since 1997.
But despite their tag as favourites for the pool, Edinburgh assistant coach Steve Scott says they will be looking to keep it tight against the French club.
Scott said: “We do not want an open game against them because that is what they will want and they will come here to play that way.
“If we have a chance to kick for touch then we must find it because Bordeaux can attack from anywhere. They will try and take quick lineout throws and they will play a high tempo game.
“We have to continue the good work that our scrum put in against Lyon while we did well at stopping their maul and we will need to do the same against Bordeaux. We have standards in those areas and we have to maintain them and build on them to get a victory.”
Edinburgh head coach Alan Solomons said his players were physically and mentally drained after their defeat in Lyon but his assistant Scott believes they will be able to lift themselves for Friday’s all-important clash.
“The boys were off on Monday and they will have Wednesday off too, so they will be raring to go come Friday night,” he said.
“We are starting to get our big players back though and some of the younger guys have come in and done really well. We can make changes when required, but at the moment this team is still building and we need a settled side.”
Match Facts
- Edinburgh have won their last three home games in the Challenge Cup, their last defeat at home in the competition coming back in 1997.
- This will be Bordeaux’s first ever away game in Scotland in any European competition.
- The last time Bordeaux reached the knock-out stage of European rugby was back in 1996/97 when they lost in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals to Agen.
- Darly Domvo was the top ball carrier (14) and metre maker (84) when these sides met in round 1.
L'UBB s'incline lourdement sur la pelouse d'Edimbourg (xxxx)
Sam Hidalgo-Clyne claimed a club Challenge Cup record 28 points as Edinburgh advanced to their third European quarter-final with a 38-20 triumph over Bordeaux-Begles in their Pool 4 decider.
The home side were always in control at BT Murrayfield as Hidalgo-Clyne scored two tries in addition to kicking three conversions and four penalties.
Centre Matt Scott and prop WP Nel also got over the whitewash for Edinburgh as they eased into the last eight.
Baptiste Serin and replacement Pierre Bernard scored Bordeaux’s tries, with the latter converting both, while France international Lionel Beauxis kicked two penalties as their campaign came to an end.
Bordeaux were playing their first game in Scotland, and they were facing a stiff test against an Edinburgh side unbeaten in six games at home. Alan Solomons’ men started positively, looking lively with ball in hand and enjoying an early edge in the forward exchanges.
Scotland squad member Hidalgo-Clyne knocked over an early penalty for Edinburgh but the hosts then wasted a gilt-edge chance to register an early try.Wing Dougie Fife burst through on the right flank and found David Denton in support, but the No8’s final pass to Hidalgo-Clyne was a poor one and the scrum-half could not gather.
Beauxis made the most of the let-off by putting the French side on the board with a penalty. However, there was no reprieve for the visitors a few minutes later. A menacing rolling maul rumbled towards the line and Hidalgo-Clyne sniped down the blind side to fly over the line, before adding his second penalty for an 11-3 lead.
Beauxis and Hidalgo-Clyne exchanged penalties as the first half drew to a close, with the latter kicking another three-pointer upon the resumption to extend the Edinburgh lead to 11 points.
Bordeaux needed the next score to keep themselves in the game, but it went to the hosts. Prop Alasdair Dickinson set off for the line, and centre Scott got the ball down under a pile of bodies on the line, with Hidalgo-Clyne converting.
The French side hit back as Serin raced onto Bernard’s clever grubber through to score and briefly reignite their hopes, but the Edinburgh response was emphatic.
Prop Nel slid over from close range for the hosts’ third try and Hidalgo-Clyne rounded off his stellar night by taking advantage of some powerful forward carrying to slide over and become Edinburgh’s highest scorer in a Challenge Cup match as he usurped Duncan Hodge’s previous mark of 24.
Bernard got a consolation for Bordeaux as he profited from his own kick ahead, but it was far too late to have an impact on the outcome.
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