Edinburgh boost play-off hopes with hard-fought win in Cardiff

Edinburgh picked up a valuable four points in their quest for an end of season play-off spot as Cardiff finished their Arms Park season miserably.

Cardiff have only won three competitive games all season and they produced an insipid performance on an afternoon which saw them lose Ellis Jenkins, Harri Millard and Thomas Young to injury.

Coach Matt Sherratt was also required to serve a one-match sideline ban due to “an interaction between him and Mike Adamson”, the referee of last weekend’s Ulster v Cardiff game in Belfast which the Welsh Region lost in controversial circumstances.

In total, Sherratt was given a six-match ban, five of which were suspended, together with a suspended fine of £2,500 and he was also required to attend an on-line refereeing course.

On the day Cardiff managed only a single try from Rhys Carre which Tinus de Beer converted.

In response, Edinburgh picked up three tries from Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman and Boan Venter with Ben Healy converting all three and adding a penalty.

After a scoreless first 25 minutes, the game sprung into life when Duhan van der Merwe raced onto a well-judged pass from Healy to take Edinburgh into the opposition 22. The wing was hauled down but his forwards maintained the pressure with Schoeman forcing his way over from close-range.

Healy converted before Cardiff lost flanker Jenkins, who limped off with a leg injury to end his final appearance for the club.

Edinburgh led 7-0 at the interval but two minutes after the restart, they suffered a big blow when Van der Merwe was sin-binned for a high tackle on Theo Cabango.

Cardiff took immediate advantage when Carre burst over from the resulting line-out to score his eighth try of the season and celebrate his final appearance at the Arms Park before departing for Saracens at the end of the season.

The home side lost a second player to injury when Millard, was helped off with a leg injury.

Van der Merwe returned from the sin-bin and was immediately called upon to produce a try-saving tackle as he chased back to haul Mason Grady into touch just metres short of the try-line.

Edinburgh regained the lead when Ashman finished off a driving line-out before another try from Venter and a penalty from Healy sealed a deserved victory.