Defence strands strong as Edinburgh belief continues to build
Defence strands strong as Edinburgh belief continues to build
Sandy Smith - Fan writerTue, October 6, 2026 at 10:20 AM UTC
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Seventeen penalties conceded. It's a huge number and live in the stadium it felt like the referee was cross in more than just name.
On review though it's hard to argue with the majority of his decisions.
What is even harder is the Edinburgh defence which pretty much neutralised Stormers as an attacking force. Entries into the Edinburgh 22 were minimal and most of them came directly as a result of that aforementioned indiscipline.
I mention the penalty count as a testament to the fortitude of this young Edinburgh team because the total surpasses that of any league game we played last year and yet we ground out a victory that would normally be unthinkable in the face of such adversity.
As the Stormers lined up their first shot at goal a fellow supporter asked: "Do you think he knows about the Hive wind?"
We got our answer a few seconds later as the shot went well wide. The first half ended with Edinburgh only three points ahead and having to play into that wind in the second half it could have been a worry but the hosts quite literally weathered the storm.
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Our lineout, which was impressive both in attack and defence, provided a foothold in the game and that seems like a good place to point out that the two hookers we had in the 23 were both outstanding. Remember we are down three hookers at the moment who probably sit higher in terms of selection if fit.
Harri Morris put in some huge tackles and despite being subbed for Jerry Blyth-Lafferty on 51 minutes still made the top 10 tacklers in the whole match.
Blyth-Lafferty had a strong 29 minutes, was instrumental in Edinburgh's first try and was on the list for the player of the match award which unfortunately has become a test of size of fanbase as opposed to one of contribution.
It probably should have gone to Liam McConnell, who shone the brightest of all the back-row players on display, including Siya Kolisi, but I'll happily take the win and let the losing team have a consolation prize.
It's been a decade since we won our opening three games so we get another chance to update the history books this weekend against Zebre.
A tougher task than you might believe but belief is something this team seems to be building.
Sandy Smith can be found at the Burgh Watch
Source: “AOL Sports”
