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Edinburgh damage Sharks play-off hopes, Welsh bragging rights claimed
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Edinburgh dealt the Hollywoodbets Sharks’ URC play-off hopes a significant blow with a rousing 33-28 win at the Hive Stadium.
The hosts stayed in the fight after conceding early scores to the Durbanites with tries from Scotland international Ewan Ashman and Glen Young keeping them in touch going into the break.
The Sharks scored first after the interval through Vincent Koch but it was Edinburgh who surged after that, crossing through Mosese Tuipulotu, Hector Patterson, and the superb Darcy Graham.
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The Scotland winger finished off a remarkable long-range effort that he had started in Edinburgh’s half of the field, before crossing under the sticks after an inside pass from Piers O’Conor.
The Sharks threatened late on with a try from Vincent Tshituka, but missed opportunities proved costly as Edinburgh held their nerve to secure a hard-fought win.
Meanwhile, Cardiff survived a late fightback by Welsh derby rivals Ospreys as they held on to win 24-21 and boost their United Rugby Championship play-off chances.
Both sides went into the match in contention for a top-eight finish and they shared six converted tries each at at Cardiff Arms Park, but home fly-half Callum Sheedy’s first-half penalty ultimately proved decisive.
Ospreys hit back after falling behind to Sheedy’s penalty and flanker Rory Thornton’s 24th-minute try, with visiting centre Kieran Williams backing up Dan Edwards’ fine break to go over under the posts.
Edwards converted to reduce Cardiff’s lead to 10-7 at half-time before Liam Belcher powered over from close range for the home side early in the second period, with Sheedy converting again to put them 17-7 ahead.
Flanker Dan Thomas dived over for Cardiff’s third converted score in the 56th minute to increase their advantage to 24-7 before Ospreys responded again as replacement prop Cam Jones burst clear to send full-back Jack Walsh over.
Edwards added the extras to pull it back to 24-14 and with three minutes left the Ospreys number 10 converted his own try to make it 24-21 and set up a grandstand finish, but Cardiff held on.
additional reporting RugbyPass
