Edinburgh ended a run of six successive defeats by two-time European Cup winners Munster in style on Saturday with a 29-23 victory over the Irish province in their opening Heineken Cup Pool 5 clash.
There was more joy for Leinster, though, as the three-time Cup winners battled to a 19-9 victory over Welsh side Ospreys, while French champions Castres also recorded a close win in the same Pool 1 with their 19-13 victory over Northampton.
A try from Ireland flanker Sean O’Brien converted by Kiwi flyhalf Jimmy Gopperth, who also kicked four penalties, was enough for Leinster to scrape past perennial under-achievers Ospreys, for whom Dan Biggar notched up three penalties.
Photo: AFP
Leinster captain Jamie Heaslip admitted his side had “won the war of attrition.”
“That game could have gone either way,” the No. 8 told Sky Sports. “We’ve got a lot to work on for next week.”
At Murrayfield, Scotland scrumhalf Greig Laidlaw was the driving force, kicking 19 points including converting the two Edinburgh tries as they made an impressive start to their campaign.
Photo: AFP
Munster, who also lost their opening pool match last term, took the consolation of a defensive bonus point in a Pool 6 that saw Gloucester notch up a 27-22 home win over Perpignan.
Edinburgh burst out of the blocks against Munster, opening up a 10-0 lead after just 12 minutes thanks to a try by Matt Scott converted by Laidlaw, who also nailed a penalty.
However, the European heavyweights hit back to level at 10-10 in the 20th minute as Kiwi center Casey Laulala scored and it was converted by Ian Keatley, who had got them off the mark with a penalty.
Laidlaw booted the hosts back into a 13-10 lead, only for Munster to reply with a close-range try through Mike Sherry, Keatley converting.
However, more ill discipline by Munster saw Laidlaw knock over another two penalties to give the hosts the lead once again at 19-17.
Keatley slotted over a penalty from wide out on the left in the 53rd minute to give the visitors a one point lead, 20-19, and the 26-year-old added another just over 10 minutes later.
However, the hosts went back in front with a fine try by Scotland’s Dutch-born wing Tim Visser, whose electric pace proved too much for the two covering Munster defenders.
Laidlaw continued his faultless day as he converted for 26-23. He then made it seven kicks from seven attempts with just over four minutes remaining to wrap up the victory.
Elsewhere, Scarlets recorded their first win in their last six trips to England with a thrilling 33-26 victory over Harlequins.
Scarlets, who endured a torrid Heineken Cup last season with six defeats in pool play, enjoyed a terrific first half at The Stoop, rounded off in brilliant fashion by an individual try by Scott Williams, who took the ball inside his own half, broke two tackles, dummied Danny Care and touched down.
Rhys Priestland, who had created the first try, converted to send the Welsh side in leading 20-10 at halftime.
Nick Evans reduced the deficit with a drop-goal four minutes into the second half just after Scarlets’ Samson Lee was sin-binned.
However, Priestland landed two penalties during Lee’s 10-minute absence to give the visitors a 26-13 advantage, only for Evans to score two of his own.
The Scarlets’ more enterprising play was deservedly rewarded with another sparkling try in the 63rd minute. Scott Williams turned the ball over and when it was fed to Jordan Williams, the winger darted down the left touchline, breaking two tackles and then cut inside breaking another to touch down. Priestland, faultless throughout the game, converted for 33-19.
However, Harlequins got right back into it with just over 11 minutes remaining as England fullback Mike Brown scored his second try of the game, Evans converting to bag the invaluable bonus point.
Montpellier put Treviso to the sword, 27-10, in the remaining Pool 5 encounter.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set