Edinburgh Rugby fail to make history as season ends sharply amid emotional farewells on Highveld

Sean Everitt’s side had taken the game to the Bulls in their own backyard, starting with energy and confidence at Loftus Versfeld. They led 21-8 after 29 minutes through three converted tries but conceded 31 unanswered points thereafter to lose their grip on this quarter-final.

Edinburgh had never won a knockout tie in the URC and they will have to wait another year for their next crack at it. The Bulls proved too strong in the end, winning an 11-try thriller 42-33 to secure a home semi next weekend.

The match brought the curtain down on a number of illustrious Edinburgh careers as Jamie Ritchie, Ali Price, Mark Bennett and Javan Sebastian played their final game for the club. All played a significant part as the visitors made sure they left it all out there on the Highveld. To score five tries at altitude is no mean feat but the Bulls went one better and were ultimately too strong for the enterprising visitors.

Reaching the play-offs feels like progress for Edinburgh and they also made it to the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup, a big improvement on last season when they laboured to 10th place in the URC.

Ross Thompson has proved to be a key signing and the former Glasgow Warriors stand-off really stepped up in Pretoria, scoring two tries and landing four conversions before a yellow card stymied him. Wes Goosen also bagged a double and there was a try from Ewan Ashman as Edinburgh tried to claw their way back in the second half.

Early flashpoint

It was compulsive viewing and the first flashpoint came after only three minutes. As Darcy Graham chased his own chip up the right wing he was taken out by Sebastian de Klerk who turned his shoulder into the Edinburgh winger’s face. Play continued but referee Adam Jones went back for another look and sent the Bulls man to the sin-bin.

Edinburgh plundered 14 points while he was off the field, scoring two excellent converted tries through Goosen and Thompson. The first came in the fifth minute as the visitors built the phases then worked it wide, with Hamish Watson finding Goosen.

The second score was even better. After a big carry by D’arcy Rae, Edinburgh slipped the ball out to Thompson who sold the Bulls a dummy before darting over. In between, Keagan Johannes landed a penalty for the hosts.

The return of de Klerk sparked the Bulls into life and Cameron Hanekom got them back into the game, powering between Ashman and Harry Paterson to score their first try after a lineout maul was halted on the Edinburgh line.

It was hot at Loftus Versfeld and tempers began to boil over. Ritchie was involved in a scuffle on the floor and referee Jones had a word with both captains. The Bulls were awarded a penalty but Ritchie made amends immediately with a trademark turnover.

The altitude, weather and backing were all in the home side’s favour but it was Edinburgh who were full of vigour and they scored a delightful third try. It was an intricate lineout move which saw the ball skilfully worked out to Thompson was spun away from his would-be tackler to notch his second.

Edinburgh brittle lead

With half an hour on the clock, Edinburgh were 21-8 ahead and it seemed too good to be true. Two Bulls tries in the final eight minutes of the half was therefore something of a reality check. Willie le Roux created the first for David Kriel and then Harold Vorster finished off a devastating Bulls break after a well executed chip and chase from de Klerk. Both conversions were missed - Johannes the first and Kriel the second - and it meant Edinburgh preserved a fragile 21-18 lead at the turn.

It wasn’t to last. The Bulls moved ahead for the first time in the match and scored three quickfire tries at the start of the second half to all but kill off Edinburgh.

Le Roux is a wily operator and he drew Graham out of the line before delaying his pass to Moodie to score. Johannes, back on kicking duties, converted and suddenly everything was coming up roses for the fly-half who then scored a try of his own, dancing his way through a tired Edinburgh defence.

Their superiority was confirmed when Ruan Nortje bulldozed his way over as the Bulls moved 39-21 ahead.

Edinburgh, to their credit, found a second wind and they scored two more tries to drag themselves back into contention. Ashman piled over from close range and Thompson converted to reduce the lead to 39-28 and there was the added bonus of a yellow card for Bulls lock J F Van Heerden for persistent offending.

Unfortunately, Edinburgh then butchered the restart and Thompson deliberately knocked on in an attempt to stop the Bulls scoring a seventh try. He too was sent to the sin-bin and Johannes kicked the penalty to make it 42-28.

Edinburgh responded with a brilliant, freewheeling try, chucking the ball around before Bradbury popped it up for Goosen to score his second.

Scorers: Bulls: Tries: Hanekom, Kriel, Vorster, Moodie, Johannes, Nortje. Cons: Johannes 3. Pens: Johannes 2. Edinburgh: Tries: Goosen 2, Thompson 2, Ashman. Cons: Thompson 4.

Yellow cards: De Klerk (Bulls, 3min), JF Van Heerden (Bulls, 59min), Thompson (Edinburgh, 60min)

Bulls: W le Roux; C Moodie (D Williams 14-23, 50-64), D Kriel, H Vorster (S Gans 64), S De Klerk; K Johannes, E Papier (Z Burger 62); J-H Wessels (S Matanzima 64), J Grobbelaar (A van der Merwe 48), W Louw (M Smith 64), C Wiese (J Kirsten 69), JF Van Heerden, M Coetzee (M Van Staden 48), R Nortje, C Hanekom (M van Staden 34-42).

Edinburgh: W Goosen; D Graham (M Bennett 5-14), M Currie, J Lang (Bennett 52), H Paterson; R Thompson (B Healy 71), A Price; P Schoeman (B Venter 50), E Ashman (P Harrison 59), D Rae (J Sebastian 20-30, 50), M Sykes, S Skinner, J Ritchie (B Muncaster 52), H Watson, M Bradbury (L McConnell 73). Replacement: C McAlpine.

Referee: Adam Jones (WRU).