Gunners win a stunner

Greg Laidlaw had been kicking well all night. It was Edinburgh’s second-round match against Racing Metro on 18 November, and the captain had made five kicks for each of his squad’s five tries with ease. Yet, as he prepared to take what would certainly be his final attempt that night, wing Tim Visser, who had just made his second try of the night, couldn’t look. “I walked back to my half, and I didn’t even dare turn around,” Visser said.

Though Visser added he had faith in Laidlaw’s ability to make conversions, Laidlaw’s kick from the touchline could make or break Edinburgh’s entire game. After an epic comeback from a 44-20 tilt in Racing’s favour less than twenty minutes before, the kick would give Edinburgh a one-point lead in the game’s final minutes.

“[Laidlaw] kicks them when they’re winning, he kicks them when we’re losing, he kicks them in pressure situations like this,” Visser said. True to form, Laidlaw’s kick was good, and Edinburgh finished the game with a 48-47 win.

The dramatic form in which Laidlaw and the Gunners finished the game characterized the preceding 80 minutes as well.

“We just won’t get a better game this year than that game of rugby you just saw played today,” Edinburgh coach Michael Bradley said.

Edinburgh’s dramatic last-minute comeback was just one of many peaks in the rollercoaster match. Holes in the Racing Metro defence allowed the Gunners an early 17-3 lead, with tries from Visser and Laidlaw.

But by the end of the half, Racing Metro’s explosive attack had put Edinburgh behind 31-20. “Racing are fantastic going forward,” Bradley said of Racing Metro’s quick comeback: “But defensively, you tend to see them in unusual positions.” 

Visser said the Gunners came back to the field for the second half, determined to exploit those defensive weaknesses before Racing’s offensive machine could continue on its relentless campaign. Though it was a fairly obvious strategy in theory, Edinburgh struggled with execution. Racing Metro started the half with two penalties, a try and a conversion from full back Jonathon Wisniewski, bringing the score to what looked to be an almost certain Racing victory: 44-20 with less than 20 minutes remaining.

Yet, there was a reason Laidlaw called the match, “the most daft game I’ve ever been involved in.” After about 50 minutes of Racing dominance, Edinburgh seemed reignited.

Flanker Netani Talei started the Gunners’ comeback with a try in the 64th minute, and although Racing responded with a penalty, it was the last time they would see the scoreboard for the rest of the match. Edinburgh maintained possession tenaciously, a task made easier when Juan Pablo Orlandi was sent off and Racing left a man down.

As the game rolled on, the Racing Metro defence tired, and when they were caught on their heels Roddy Grant made a try that gave Edinburgh the hope to press on. Visser’s final try came in the final five minutes.

“This was one of the worst games and the best games I’ve ever played,” Visser said. “I felt like we could score tries every time we had the ball, but to have such a good start and almost lose the game in the first half is horrible.”

Though letting the game slip away during the first half wasn’t Edinburgh’s proudest moment, Bradley seemed happy with their late comeback and overall performance:

“The smiles on the players faces, having won the match and then to go over to the crowd and have everyone give them a standing ovation…that is a memory that everyone will take from the game.”