BBC SPORT | WELSH-SCOTTISH RUGBY | Reivers battle to victory

Edinburgh Reivers 29 Cardiff 11

Cardiff's bid to retain their Welsh/Scottish Premier Division title was dented when they were out-battled by a committed Edinburgh Reivers outfit at Myreside.

Two tries from all-action flanker Andrew Dall proved the difference between the two sides in a game characterised by tough tackling and numerous handling errors.

The Reivers capitalised on the openings they created, and no one did more to that end than the sure-footed Duncan Hodge.

The Scotland stand-off kicked astutely and powerfully from hand throughout and landed four penalties and a conversion in a fine display.

The win means the Reivers have put some daylight between themselves and the bottom of the table and can realistically expect to cement a place in the top half of the league.

Cardiff coach Lynn Howells rued the absence of Neil Jenkins, who was on Barbarians' duty as his club-mates again failed to win in Scotland.

Defensive line

Howells said: "Missing Neil definitely affected our defensive line.

"However, I would not put the blame on Lee (Davies) because he played well in his first start at fly-half.

"It's a great honour for the club to have Neil in the Baa-baas' team. He's the only Welshman in the team, and it's at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. But it did weaken us.

"Our scrum was okay, but the line-out and our ball retention in contact areas was very poor."

Reivers coach Frank Hadden was full of praise for his centre partnership of Marcus di Rollo and David Officer.

David Officer starred for the Reivers
Hadden said: "I'm really pleased for both of them. That is three weeks in a row that Marcus has played - and he has played well every time.

Tremendous game

"David has had several niggling injuries but he seems to have overcome them and had a tremendous game today."

It was Cardiff who took the lead through a lengthy Lee Davies penalty on nine minutes after Reivers were penalised at a ruck.

Reivers went ahead when David Officer pounced on a loose ball midway inside the Cardiff half and passed to Marcus di Rollo who then fed flanker Dall to dive over.

Hodge kicked the first of his penalties to put the Scots 8-3 ahead, but Davies stroked over another to reduce the gap to 8-6. Di Rollo then fed centre partner Officer, who sprinted clear to move the home side further ahead, and Hodge kicked the conversion this time to make it 15-6.

Penalised

A Hodge penalty stretched Reivers' lead to 18-6 after Wales lock Craig Quinnell was penalised at a ruck.

Three minutes later Quinnell was yellow-carded for a late tackle near the Cardiff line - and from the subsequent penalty Hodge kicked Reivers to a 21-6 half-time lead.

The Welshmen reduced the deficit to 21-11 when Walne skipped over after a superb flick pass from former Springbok centre Pieter Muller.

The Reivers hit back on the hour mark when Dall grabbed his second try of the afternoon after an aggressive forward drive up the middle.

Dumfries-born Hodge could not convert to leave the score 26-11.

Cardiff mounted a spirited reply, and it took some sterling defensive work from the Scots to repel the Welsh side until a last-minute penalty from Hodge put the seal on a deserved victory.

Edinburgh Reivers:Lang, Murray, Di Rollo, Utterson, Joiner, Hodge, Fairley, Jacobsen, Scott, Stewart, Fullarton, Metcalfe, G. Dall, Mackinnon, M. Taylor.

Replacements: Robertson, Smith, Burns, Shiel, Davidson.

Cardiff: R. Williams, Walne, Robinson, Muller, C. Morgan, Davies, R. Powell, Rogers, Humphreys, G. Powell, Quinnell, Voyle, Kacala, E. Lewis, Fyvie.

Replacements: Rayer, Ashman, Newton, Howley, A. Lewis, Geraghty, Fourie.

Referee: R Dickson (Madras College)


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