Edinburgh Rugby come back from brink to claim priceless Champions Cup victory over Gloucester

This 26-24 bonus-point win moves them on to ten points and provisionally second in Pool 2 after three matches. They take on heavyweights and leaders Bath at the Rec next Friday but would need a cruel set of results to deny them progress even in defeat regardless of what happens on Sunday between Munster and Toulon to complete this gameweek.

Trailing 18-5 to Gloucester at the break, Edinburgh deserve credit for recovering from a wretched first 40 minutes, where they were disjointed and error-strewn. Their pack flexed its muscle after the break to overpower a visiting team that showed why it is in the nether reaches of the Gallagher PREM.

This was the first time that Edinburgh had beaten Gloucester on Scottish soil and it was only their second win against a club that denied them Challenge Cup silverware in 2015. The Cherry and Whites aren't the force of old but did push Edinburgh all the way

Former Edinburgh Rugby, Gloucester and Scotland centre Matt Scott - labelled a "true legend" by the club's enthusiastic tannoy man - delivered the match ball, before a minute's silence was held for the victims of the Crans-Montana nightclub fire that claimed 40 lives at New Year.

Edinburgh coughed up possession right at the beginning and Gloucester took full advantage, landing the first try inside two minutes. The home back line was broken through too easily and the ball was spun wide to winger Josh Hathaway, who sped over in the corner. Full-back George Barton missed the conversion from a difficult spot.

Gloucester put up a fight

Many had written Gloucester off pre-match given their woeful domestic form, sitting second bottom in the Gallagher PREM with just one win to their name. But backed by a vocal travelling support, they were tigerish in the opening exchanges. Edinburgh's first attack of note was repelled on seven minutes as Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe were snuffed out, before the Cherry and Whites earned a penalty for holding on.

Edinburgh believed they had landed their first try on 12 minutes but Van der Merwe's effort was ruled out for a forward pass. Gloucester then extended their lead to eight points when Barton booted over a penalty from a central position.

Edinburgh needed a response and they got it on 18 minutes. A sweeping move ended with scrum-half Ben Vellacott, playing against his former club, crossing at the second attempt after Gloucester failed to keep him grounded. Ross Thompson was unsuccessful in landing the extras and the scoreboard moved to 8-5 in the visitors' favour.

A frustrated Graham coughed up two knock-ons in quick succession as Edinburgh went searching for more points. The diminutive winger kicked a hole in the advertising hoarding after the second occasion. It was not the Scotland star's night - so far.

The same could be said for centre Matt Currie, who pulled up with what looked like a hamstring complaint. The player has suffered a similar injury in the past and recently returned from vertigo. The luckless 24-year-old was instantly replaced on 26 minutes by Piers O'Conor.

Edinburgh were pinged again on the half-hour mark and Barton nudged another penalty over the sticks and Everitt instantly responded by changing his entire front row, bringing on Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman and Paul Hill for the infinitely less experienced trio of James Whitcombe, Harri Morris and Ollie Blyth-Lafferty. It seemed an earlier than usual decision to call for the bomb squad.

Edinburgh desperately wanted another score but were shoddy in their work. A knock-on in a promising position ended an attack, then Wes Goosen uncharacteristically spilled a Gloucester clearance. And they were made to pay.

Gloucester broke clear and an inventive chip from Mikey Austin was expertly grounded under pressure by Charlie Atkinson, who crashed into the barriers for his troubles. Barton converted and Gloucester took an 18-5 lead into the sheds.

Edinburgh recover after the break

A stodgy start to the second half was ended by Ashman, now a serial try scorer from hooker, barrelling over after successive phases of pressure on the Gloucester defence. Thompson's conversion on 54 minutes reduced the arrears to six points.

Any momentum, however, was swiftly kicked back over the Edinburgh posts three minutes later when the hosts were wheeled at a scrum and Barton made no mistake from the penalty to make it 21-12.

Edinburgh set about putting pressure on a Gloucester defence that was starting to cave. The joy was coming from the Edinburgh pack and Liam McConnell was next to score a try, crashing over to put Edinburgh within touching distance of Gloucester after Thompson landed the conversion.

Graham took a challenging high ball to spark Edinburgh's next wave of attack. Thompson forced a lineout close to the Gloucester tryline with a sublime dink and from the lineout, replacement flanker Ben Muncaster was driven over. A try was not immediately given; instead referee Luc Ramos and TMO got involved. The verdict was a penalty try and a yellow card for Charlie Atkinson for collapsing the maul and for the first time in the match, Edinburgh were ahead with a 26-21 lead.

Gloucester kept battling and Barton maintained his good form from the boot with a kick from distance and Edinburgh led 26-24 going into the last five minutes. Lock Euan McVie was brought on for his debut - quite the time to make it.

Even with Charlie Atkinson's return from the bin, Gloucester had run out of petrol and Edinburgh celebrated what could well turn out to be a crucial European victory.