Miracles don’t strike twice. There were echoes of Edinburgh’s dramatic comeback from last week as they produced another sub-standard first half but rebounded after the break. Only this time, at the home of the star-laden French side, they did not have the firepower to complete the job.
Part two of the now traditional European double header came with only five days between the games and, looking at the number of players on both sides who came off BT Murrayfield in some clear discomfort, it was no surprise that their respective coaches had taken the chance to make wholesale changes.
The question for Edinburgh was whether they could find the kind of display they produced in the second half of the first fixture, as they came from 20-3 down to win 28-23, or if they might revert to that first-half horror show. Early on there were signs of both. There were a couple of big hits and some enterprising attacking play but they were getting a doing in the scrum and it was the French who were finding the gaps when they attacked.
Cause of most grief was a string of early penalties conceded. It gave the hosts the platform for driving mauls on the Edinburgh line. The Scots held the first but not the second with Remi Bonfils, the hooker, at the centre of the drive as it went over the line. Jules Plisson, the fly half, added the conversion.
Edinburgh thought they had replied when Ben Toolis forced his way over the line but the referee ruled it had been a double movement that took him over the line. Jason Tovey eventually harvested three points from a penalty.
Advertisement
However, Josaia Raisuqe, the big Fijian wing, began to cause all sorts of problems and his drive into midfield had the visiting defence on its heels. A beautiful piece of handing skill from Sergio Parisse — he had been banned for the first game — put Hugo Bonneval in for the second try.
Match details
Stade Français: Tries: Bonfils (10), Bonneval (19), penalty (27) Doumayrou (32). Conversions: Plisson 4. Edinburgh: Tries: McKenzie (46), Mata (62), Hidalgo-Clyne (78). Conversion: Tovey. Penalty goal: Tovey (17).
Scoring sequence (Stade Français first): 7-0, 7-3, 12-3, 19-3, 26-3 (half time), 26-8, 26-15, 26-20.
Stade Français: H Bonneval; J Sinzelle (rep: J Arias, 58), G Doumayrou, J Danty (rep: A Coville, 68), J Raisuqe; J Plisson (rep: M Steyn, 623), C Daguin; E Felsina (rep: Z Zhvania, 58), R Bonfils (rep: C Burden, 65), R Slimani (rep: G Melikidze, 58), H Pyle (rep: M De Giovanni, 58), P Papé (captain), J Ross (rep: S Nicolas, 35, sin bin: 37-47), S Macalou, S Parisse.
Edinburgh Rugby: B Kinghorn; D Hoyland, M Allen (rep: G Bryce, 26), C Dean, T Brown (rep: D Weir, 48); J Tovey, S Hidalgo-Clyne; A Dickinson (rep: A Dell, 58), R Ford (captain; rep: N Cochrane, 58), S Berghan (sin bin: 27-37, rep: M McCallum, 32-37), F McKenzie (rep: L Carmichael, 59), B Toolis, C Du Preez, H Watson, N Manu (rep: V Mata, 59).
Referee: D Phillips (IRFU). Attendance: 7,347.
Then Raisuqe was put clear on his flank and, though Tom Brown did brilliantly to bring him down, a follow-up from Blair Kinghorn was ruled illegal and Stade opted for a scrum from the penalty. They had been pushing Edinburgh all round the pitch and did it again to earn a penalty try. It put them within reach of a scoring bonus point which they secured that with a magnificent try launched from the Edinburgh 22. The Scots were in control but let the ball run loose and Stade latched on to it, with Geoffrey Doumayrou, the centre, finishing the move.
It left Edinburgh with a mountain to climb in the second half, though they made a fight of it. Fraser McKenzie, the lock, finishing a patient attack early in the second half before TMO decisions chalked off a score from each side. Stade were denied by a neck roll at a ruck which led to Edinburgh being awarded a penalty after Plisson had gone over from another brilliant touch from Parisse. Edinburgh’s followed a brilliant break by Kinghorn but he had the ball knocked free as he went over.
Viliame Mata scored after another long build-up and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, who had moved to the wing, finishing the late flourish, but they could not quite achieve the impossible again.