Edinburgh give Tonga a tough test
DAVID FERGUSON AT MYRESIDE
Edinburgh 14
Tonga 26

THE Edinburgh team provided an encouraging lift to their long suffering supporters last night with a stirring performance against the World Cup-bound Tongans at Myreside.

The hope among the 1,600 fans who turned up at Myreside was that the first pre-season match would create interest once again in the action on the field after a summer feud off the field which has left supporters of the pro team bemused and disappointed. Most turned up last night unsure of what to expect, and that from their own side never mind the South Sea Islanders. They will have left heartened by a dynamic performance which, for a period in the second half, came close to toppling the far-travelled visitors.

Phil Godman, the Scotland stand-off, was sharp in the early stages and looked to be back to the slick style which first earned him international call-ups. Wings Andrew Turnbull and Andrew Maxwell, the new signing from Ulster, looked dangerous in attack, and skipper Simon Cross, along with Matt Dey, provided the kind of determined lead these fans have come to expect. Nick De Luca showed why he was unlucky to miss out on Scotland's World Cup squad when he capped a fine first-half display with Edinburgh's opening try after just 14 minutes.

Tonga were leading 7-0 from a try by Sukanaivalu Hufanga when a fine run by Turnbull took the hosts careering into the Tonga 22. Excellent ball retention in the face of the traditional big-hitting defence from Tonga kept the pressure on, and De Luca injected terrific pace, bursting in from full-back, barrelling out of one tackle and then twisting sufficiently from another to touch the ball down over his head.

The Tongans hit back in the second quarter with tries from Vungakoto Lilo, the full-back, and wing Joe Vaca, but after a radical reshuffle of the teams at the break Ben Meyer, one of Edinburgh's summer signings, lifted the home support again by burrowing under his tireless forwards to score in the right-hand corner. A good conversion from the right touchline by Ally Warnock brought Edinburgh back to just 19-14 down, and while it remained that way until the final minute, the home side could not find the finish to seal a momentous win. Tonga made sure when Lisiate Fa'aoso burst clear for a late try converted by Lilo.

There does remain much work ahead to restore belief that Edinburgh can be a force to be reckoned with. That was clear in the pre-match forum at Myreside when Nic Cartwright, the new chief executive appointed by the SRU, fielded supporters' questions.

He struggled with some and felt the heat when pushed for answers on how beholding he was to the SRU and whether the Scotland management will reduce the number of days Edinburgh players spend training with the national squad.

"That was a very good meeting," he said. "I will do it again because it is vital we get the views of supporters and work with them to take this club forward. The good thing is these people care about this club. I couldn't answer all their questions but it was positive and I told them as far as I am concerned my job is about 100 per cent improving this club. I have been given every indication by the SRU that they want the same as me - to make Edinburgh as successful as it can be."

Scorers: Edinburgh: Tries: De Luca, Meyer. Cons: Laidlaw, Warnock. Tonga: Tries: Hufanga, Lilo, Vaka, Fa'aoso. Cons: Jola 3.

Edinburgh: N De Luca; A Turnbull, B Cairns, M Dey, A Maxwell; PGodman, G Laidlaw; A Allori, S Lawrie, G Cross, A Kelly, B Giffing, SCross (captain), R Reid, R Rennie. Subs (all played): S Crombie, CSmith, B McNeil, K Traynor, A Warnock, S Newlands, A MacDonald, FPringle, D Blair, B Meyer, J Houston, J Thompson.

Tonga: V Lilo; T Tu'ifua, S Hufanga, A Taione, J Baka; P Jola, STu'upulota; S Tonga'uiha, A Lutui, T Filife, I Afeaki, P Hehea, V Baki, H T-pole, O Latu. Subs (all played): K Pulu, T Toke, S Mata'u, L Fa'aoso, E Kauhenga, L Filipine, S Havea, E Taufa, K Tupou, S Kiole, U Kailea, AHavili, F Maka, H Tonga'uiha.

Attendance: 1,654. Referee: P Allan (SRU).

This article was posted on 25-Aug-2007, 07:12 by Hugh Barrow.