By
Sandy Smith
Fan writer
- Published1 minute ago
Defeat at some point was inevitable.
No team has ever gone unbeaten in an URC season. The best return was in 2024/2025 when Leinster managed 16 wins in 18 games.
Edinburgh's best was 11 wins in 2023/2024 and by this point in that season we were on 17 points. Despite that we never made the play-offs.
The point being that while last weekend against Benetton was a frustrating loss it's not, at least yet, a harbinger of doom for the whole season.
It was always going to be a tough game despite Benetton being without a few injured players and another number retained by the Italy national side.
Benetton had lost all their previous league games but the biggest margin of defeat was four points.
It didn't feel like Edinburgh started too badly despite the early try but Benetton had done their defensive homework and in attack they repeatedly came at the visitors' left where they realised there was a weakness. It certainly worked as their first two tries came in that area of the pitch.
The 10-minute period mid first half was instrumental in cementing the defeat. Magnus Bradbury and Liam McConnell both went off for HIA's with Bradbury not returning.
He had been carrying well up to that point and McConnell, who was a strong candidate for Edinburgh's best player on the day, was definitely missed.
The yellow card to Callum Hunter-Hill in this period which gave Benetton a penalty and a try was rather harsh. There was head contact but if I had to describe the body shape of the Benetton player in that moment in alphabet terms he was a C.
Overall though just too many mistakes from Edinburgh. We conceded 13 turnovers and 10 penalties.
You could see the frustration from the team. Hector Patterson smashing the ball into the ground after dropping the ball at a ruck, Alec Hepburn punching the ground after a high tackle. The team marched back 10 metres for backchat.
A week ago no one in the Edinburgh camp would have welcomed this break for the Nations Cups, but now it seems to be coming just at the right time.
Equally, the importance of our home game against Dragons at the beginning of December has grown if we are to avoid this blip becoming the slide everyone fears.
Sandy Smith can be found at the Burgh Watch,external
