Five things we learned from Edinburgh's win over Cardiff

Tries from Scotland quartet Duhan van der Merwe, Pierre Schoeman, Darcy Graham and Ewan Ashman, plus seven points from the boot of Ross Thompson, sealed a 27-8 win. 

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• Sean Everitt praises Edinburgh's patience in Cardiff win

Everitt's side made a bristling start, their first attack starting from a lineout steal by captain Grant Gilchrist on his own 22 before they broke up field. Two penalties emanated from it, and after Ali Price opted to tap quickly from the first, Ross Thompson took the more pragmatic approach from the tee to give the hosts a deserved seventh-minute lead.  

From a dominant scrum a couple of minutes later, Edinburgh again broke from their 22 with Duhan van der Merwe bursting clear after interplay between Thompson and Matt Currie. However, the Scotland wing couldn’t find a team-mate with his offload and Cardiff survived.  

Just into the second quarter, a sparkling break from Darcy Graham took the home side into the Cardiff 22 but they were again stopped by resolute defence from the Welsh side.  

Edinburgh were made to rue their wasted opportunities when Cardiff hit the front on the half-hour. A cheap penalty allowed the visitors the field position, from which Rory Jennings found Thomas Young on the wing, and the flanker beat Darcy Graham to score.  

And things got worse for the hosts moments later when they lost skipper Gilchrist to the sin-bin, the lock penalised for a tackle adjudged to be high on Mason Grady. 

As Cardiff pressed home their numerical advantage, Young was denied a second try, deemed offside as he picked and crossed from close range.  

The Cardiff openside then found himself joining Gilchrist in the sin-bin after diving off his feet at a breakdown after a break by Paddy Harrison.  

But, as was the tale of the half, Edinburgh wasted another chance with the clock in the red and Cardiff turned around in front.  

Edinburgh started the second half as they had the first, but this time capitalised to take the lead. After several phases of bludgeon on the line, Ali Price whipped the ball wide to van der Merwe and the Scotland wing powered over Cam Winnett’s tackle to score. Thompson’s touchline conversion made it 10-5. 

The home side tightened their grip on the game when Schoeman drove over from a maul on the hour, then Graham scored their third as he finished a break by Ali Price.  

And they sealed the bonus point when Ewan Ashman gathered a wayward lineout to dive over.

Here are five things we learned from Hive Stadium 

Edinburgh wasteful in dominant first quarter 

The hosts were the dominant side in the opening 20 minutes, with Graham, van der Merwe and Matt Currie all looking sharp.

But they were not able to record anything more than Thompson’s early penalty from their numerous entries into the Cardiff 22.  

But more accurate in second half  

If Edinburgh were profligate in the first half, whatever Everitt and his coaching staff said at the break clearly had the desired effect.  

Whereas in the first half Edinburgh had contrived to waste their chances inside the Cardiff 22, they were clinical in the second 40 minutes and showed great patience in the build-up to van der Merwe’s try, while they were ruthless once they got in behind the Cardiff defence for the others.  

Improved showing from Scotland wingers 

After a quiet outing against the Stormers a week ago, Edinburgh’s Scotland wingers were busy from the off here.  

Duhan van der Merwe went looking for work (Image: SNS)

Duhan van der Merwe, who can too often be found waiting for the ball on his touchline, was off his wing twice early on to get involved – and steamrollered a couple of Cardiff defenders with his first carries.  

His compatriot Darcy Graham looked back to his elusive best, beating Cardiff defenders seemingly at will. He showcased that ability to finish his try.  

Ali Price excellent 

The Scotland scrum-half has been some way off his best for a while now, but over the last couple of weeks has looked like he’s rediscovered the form that saw him picked for the 2021 British and Irish Lions.  

Ali Price was named Player of the Match (Image: SNS) Price’s improved form might just come too late to have forced himself into Gregor Townsend’s squad for the autumn, but if Price keeps this up he could well be back in contention for the six Nations.  

Cardiff’s brave defence couldn’t last all night 

The visitors were struggling to contain Edinburgh early on, but they scrambled well in defence to deny the hosts . They remain a real threat at the breakdown – Thomas Young the main protagonist - while Grady and James Botham were excellent 

But they were unable to hold out all game and fell away in the second half as Edinburgh took control.  

Edinburgh: Wes Goosen, Darcy Graham, Matt Currie, Mosese Tuipulotu (Scott 66), Duhan van der Merwe, Ross Thompson (Scott 79), Ali Price (Vellacott 66); Boan Venter (Schoeman 47), Paddy Harrison (Ashman 47), D'arcy Rae (Hill 47), Marshall Sykes (Hodgson 66), Grant Gilchrist (captain), Luke Crosbie, Ben Muncaster, Magnus Bradbury (Watson 56)

Tries: van der Merwe (46), Schoeman (60), Graham (65), Ashman (79)

Conversions: Thompson (47, 80)

Penalty: Thompson (7) 

Yellow card: Gilchrist (30) 

Cardiff: Cameron Winnett, Gabe Hamer-Webb, Mason Grady (Thomas 30-40), Rory Jennings (Thomas 56), Iwan Stephens, Callum Sheedy (captain), Aled Davies (Mulder 69); Ed Byrne (Southworth 66), Dafydd Hughes (Lloyd 49), Rhys Litterick (Assiratti 48), Josh McNally, Teddy Williams, James Botham, Thomas Young (Mann 60), Alun Lawrence (Martin 63) 

Try: Young (28) 

Penalty: Sheedy (56) 

Yellow cards: Young (39), McNally (71) 

Referee: Morne Ferreira (SARU) 

Attendance: 6,507 

Player of the Match:  Ali Price