Edinburgh player ratings vs Leinster | 2025/26 Investec Champions Cup

Edinburgh player ratings: Written off by almost everyone outside their own bubble before a ball had been kicked, Edinburgh arrived in Dublin with little to lose and played like it.

Leinster’s early dominance could easily have turned this into an avalanche, but a mixture of opportunism, counter-punching and some help from Leinster’s own midfield errors kept the visitors in the fight longer than many expected, even if the final 49-31 scoreline ultimately reflected the gap.

Here are our Edinburgh player ratings:

15. Piers O’Conor – 5.5
Tested early and often by Leinster’s kicking game. There were some wobbly moments that no back-three player enjoys on an afternoon like this, including a missed touch just before the hour mark. Did some decent work ball in hand but never fully settled, which is a hard place to be at fullback in the Aviva against a side that kicks as well as Leinster do.

14. Darcy Graham – 8
Bleach blonde hair and ice-cold finishing. Had precious little to work with in the first 40 and still stayed patient. When his chance finally came in the second half, he produced a moment of genuine brilliance, collecting his own chip and finishing a solo try that was worth the admission price alone. Gave away a slightly needless penalty for an elbow at a restart, but that try mattered.

13. Matt Currie – 8
Thrived on Leinster’s generosity. Picked up one spilled ball to score just before the break and generally took his opportunities ruthlessly and carried well when Edinburgh needed momentum. A real bright spot in a backline that spent long spells defending.

12. James Lang – 5.5
A miserable evening, made worse by a nasty-looking leg injury that forced him off after just half an hour. Barely had a chance to land a blow before departing and was unfortunate to see his game ended early on a big European stage.

11. Malelili Satala – 4.5
A tough European baptism. Beaten to the corner early by Tommy O’Brien and struggled badly under the high ball against Keenan. To his credit, he stayed in the fight after a slow start and did threaten Leinster’s line later on, but this was a chastening night at times.

10. Ross Thompson – 8
The heartbeat of Edinburgh’s resistance. His tactical kicking was a genuine weapon and he steered his side around the pitch as smartly as conditions allowed. Took his tries well, including a ruthlessly taken interception, though some of his goal-kicking was a little off; hitting the post with one attempt and missing a sitter on another, even if several other shots were from wide. Still a standout.

9. Charlie Shiel – 7
Started well and was central to Edinburgh’s early punch from nowhere, scoring himself after a sharp break and later providing the assist for Thompson. Guilty of a couple of miscues as the game wore on, but showed plenty of ambition and didn’t go hiding.

1. Pierre Schoeman – 5
Got the nod over Boan Venter but struggled to contain Tadhg Furlong early, conceding pressure in the scrum. Worked hard around the park and carried when he could, but his best work arguably came from the bench replacement that followed.

2. Ewan Ashman – 7
A real source of go-forward. Threw a couple of tidy offloads and consistently asked questions of Leinster’s fringe defence. Less visible once the tempo lifted further in the second half, but his physicality stood out.

3. D’arcy Rae – 6
Under sustained pressure from Porter and Furlong early on and couldn’t quite stabilise that side of the scrum. To his credit, he was part of an excellent choke tackle on van der Flier after the break and kept working despite being on the back foot.

4. Marshall Sykes – 7
Led Edinburgh’s tackle count and put in a serious defensive shift. Missed a few as well, which tends to happen when you’re asked to make that many, but his industry was notable. Grafted hard against a physically imposing Leinster pack.

5. Grant Gilchrist (c) – 7
Used like a medieval battering ram, albeit a 19-stone human version, whenever Edinburgh needed to dent the line. Very effective as a carrier, though he was penalised a couple of times, including at the lineout when greed got the better of him. Led from the front nonetheless.

6. Liam McConnell – 6.5
Did a lot of unseen work and was very decent at the lineout, both as a spoiler and as a source of Edinburgh ball. Should probably have seen yellow for a wild swinging arm that clipped Keenan’s jaw, but escaped sanction and remained influential until late on.

7. Dylan Richardson – 7
Busy and physical. Part of a superb choke tackle on van der Flier early in the second half and never shirked the contest at the breakdown. Subbed after a solid shift having emptied the tank.

8. Ben Muncaster – 7
Showed he can carry effectively when needed and fronted up well against a high-class Leinster back row. Didn’t dominate, but he was far from overawed and played with real intent when Edinburgh did get front-foot ball.

Replacements – 7
Boan Venter immediately improved the scrum after coming on, while Ashman’s replacement kept the energy up. Freddy Douglas was excellent over the ball, Mosese Tuipulotu added sturdy ballast, and Jack Brown got some valuable late minutes as Edinburgh continued to scrap right to the end.