With Mark Robertson (2), Allan Jacobsen and Nick De Luca sharing out the tries, Edinburgh eased their way to their first win of the season as the Scarlets succumbed at Murrayfield and slipped to second in the Magners League table. The Scarlets’ best start to a league season since 2003 was ended in emphatic style by Edinburgh who were scoring their sixth win in seven meetings with the Welsh region. Murrayfield is not a happy hunting ground for the men from Llanelli – they have now lost on all six of their visits to the home of Scottish rugby and they were in trouble by the 30th minute of this latest clash. In the lead-up to this game, the Scarlets’ Scotland-capped lock Scott Macleod admitted that his side were travelling up expecting a backlash after Edinburgh’s 52-6 humbling by Leinster last week. "They’ll have targeted us as a reason to come out all guns blazing," Macleod said. Despite posting three wins in three games, Scarlets boss Nigel Davies dubbed the Murrayfield trip ‘a big ask’ for his side – particularly with pack heavyweights Deacon Manu, Mahonri Schwalger, Simon Maling and skipper Simon Easterby all injured. Winger Dafydd James, who impressed during last week’s 45-3 dismissal of Connacht, was also an injury-enforced absentee, while Edinburgh’s well-documented injury problems saw Hugo Southwell moved to centre. The Scarlets had briefly threatened, through some early attacking phases, before Phil Godman settled his side with a penalty in the 18th minute. Godman took over the place-kicking duties while Chris Paterson was down receiving treatment and the latter missed a 23rd-minute penalty chance, as Edinburgh began to purr. Godman and Mike Blair were linking well behind a hard-working pack, with Paterson and Southwell also chipping in with some punishing line-kicks. The Scarlets struggled to counter and it was no surprise when the home side burst through for their opening try, 27 minutes into the fray. Turnover ball, with Mark Robertson supplying it, and a scrum error from the Scarlets allowed Edinburgh set up camp near the visitors’ line. De Luca was stopped just short of the whitewash but the quick-thinking Scots spotted space on the left and prop Allan Jacobsen drove for the try, well-supported by Geoff Cross. Incredibly, that was Edinburgh’s first try of the league campaign and they seemed to get an immediate taste for them as just four minutes later, Robertson was on the end of a well-timed Paterson pass to dot down close to the posts. Paterson converted for a 15-0 scoreline and it almost got even better for Andy Robinson’s men before the break. The Scarlets looked to be ending the first half on the up. Nonetheless, a clearance kick from Matt Mustchin got Edinburgh on the hoof again and hooker Ross Ford showed stunning pace to beat Gavin Thomas to the ball. Ford kicked it on over the try line and Robertson was agonisingly close to scoring his second try, in injury-time, when he lost the ball forward as he dived on it. The Scarlets management, trying to keep their side at the league’s summit, made four substitutions within the first six minutes of the second half. They brought on Nathan Thomas, Martin Roberts, Matthew Rees and the fit-again Regan King to try and spark the Welshmen into life. This was a decidedly flat effort from the Scarlets, as evidenced by Edinburgh’s continued dominance in the forwards. Robinson’s charges were beginning to open up and through caution to the wind. a Godman drop goal was quickly followed by a third Edinburgh try, scored against by Robertson. Some great handling and continuity propelled Edinburgh forward and in spite of some stout defending, Robertson found enough space to dance past Nathan Brew’s challenge and make the corner. Paterson’s conversion put more than three converted tries between the sides, at 25-0. Five minutes later, the Scarlets finally looked like they might grasp something from the game. Elusive full-back Morgan Stoddart notched his third try of the season after being set up by King. Fittingly rewarded for the amount of work he got through, inside centre Nick De Luca then responded for Edinburgh with a terrific individual try, which Paterson had helped create. The successful conversion made it 32-5 and it was game over for the Llanelli outfit, whose endeavour late on was rewarded by a consolation seven-pointer from replacement Roberts, while Edinburgh’s Scott Newlands was in the sin-bin. Currently the top try scorers in the league, the Scarlets are now down to second place in the table. They are a point behind marginal leaders the Ospreys. Edinburgh have moved up to seventh, ahead of next weekend’s trip to the Newport Gwent Dragons.
