Five-try Edinburgh sweep aside Black Lion

European Challenge Cup: Edinburgh v Black Lion

Edinburgh (24) 36

class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″>Tries: Skinner, Goosen, Crosbie, Currie, Harrison class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″>Cons: Healy 4 class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″>Pen: Healy

Black Lion (3) 15

Edinburgh fought off Black Lion with five tries to seal a home draw in the final 16 of the European Challenge Cup.

First-half tries from Sam Skinner, Wes Goosen and Luke Crosbie put Edinburgh in control, though they lost Magnus Bradbury to a red card before the break.

In the second half, Matt Currie and Patrick Harrison scored consolation tries for Sean Everitt’s side, while Shalva Aptsiauri and Irakli Kvatadze added two more.

Before the game was out of reach, the Georgian side, led by former Edinburgh coach Richard Cockerill, had little physicality but little attacking threat.

Edinburgh were over the Black Lion line within 90 seconds. After being fed by Dicky Graham, Skinner was escorted over his shoulder by Graham.

After making a sharp outside break to break through the defense of the Georgian side, Goosen was then named on the score sheet.

After Bradbury was sent off for a high shot on Bachuki Tchumbadze, Crosbie fired over from close range to give Edinburgh the lead in the scoreboard. The home side were then reduced to 14 men at the time of Bradbury’s red card.

Currie went over for the fourth tie early in the second half to keep Edinburgh’s momentum and earn the bonus point. However, that did not present too much of a challenge.

As the hosts appeared to be ready to break free and accumulate a significant score, Harrison completed a commanding move with a fantastic finish in the corner.

To their credit, Black Lion persevered and Kvatadze slipped through a defence gap to give them a chance to show their work.

And when Aptsiauri brilliantly collected a cross-field kick in one hand, the Georgians gave the scoreline a respectable look.

Replacements: Ashman, Venter, Sebastian, Young, Watson, Price, Thompson, Tuipulotu.

Black Lion: Tsirekidze, Tabutsadze, Kakhoidze, Metreveli, Aptsiauri, Matkava, Peranidze, Kakovini, Mamukashvili, Tchumbadze, Babunashvili, Ghaniashvili, Mamamtavrishvili, Gachechiladze, Ivanishvili (c).

Replacements: Kvatadze, Khatiashvili, Ghkhartishvili, Chachanidze, Epremidze, Khuroshvili, Shvangiradze, Todua.