Edinburgh Rugby Players Shine with Three Earning 8 in Leinster Defeat

Mo. Basuony

Published: April 6, 2026 10:14 AM ET

Edinburgh scored five tries at the Aviva Stadium but still fell to Leinster. A poor start and a late burst decided the contest.

The visitors conceded two early tries and then two scores inside three minutes in the final 15. That swing proved decisive.

Standout performers

Edinburgh Rugby had several standouts, with three players earning 8s in the Leinster defeat. Their individual efforts kept the game competitive.

Matt Currie (13) — 8. Dominant early against Rieko Ioane. Showed pace to finish his try and defended stoutly.
Ross Thompson (10) — 8. Kept Edinburgh in the contest with a solo try. Also intercepted a loose offload to race clear.
Liam McConnell (6) — 8. Massive work-rate and second only to Sykes in tackles. Finished the match at number eight after an injury.
Darcy Graham (14) — 7. Quiet first half but produced a brilliant solo try from a half-charged down kick and a chip.
Charlie Shiel (9) — 7. Earned the start and produced a key break following a loose pass from Tadhg Furlong.
Grant Gilchrist (captain, 5) — 7. Led by example with committed carries. A lineout penalty was his only major error.
Ben Muncaster (8) — 7. Strong carrying and physical work in the back-row before suffering an injury.
Dylan Richardson (7) — 7. Powerful and busy, with double-digit tackles. Transitioning from hooker ambitions into a back-row staple.

Ewan Ashman marked his 50th Edinburgh appearance. His campaign began poorly when a missed lineout led to the opening score.

James Lang suffered a worrying ankle injury and had to leave the field. His future beyond the season remains uncertain.

Ben Muncaster exited injured late. That forced Liam McConnell to move to number eight for the finish.

Pierre Schoeman struggled against Andrew Porter and had a limited attacking influence. D’arcy Rae, however, was effective at the breakdowns.

Boan Venter offered a stronger set-piece showing than Schoeman after coming on. He made seven tackles.

Marshall Sykes led the tackle count with 13. The pack showed grit despite the scoreline.

Several forwards put in heavy shifts to repel Leinster’s momentum. The team stayed competitive until late errors.

Jerry Blyth-Lafferty — N/A. Insufficient time to influence the game.
Boan Venter — 7. Solid and active around the park.
Paul Hill — 6. Held his own in the scrum.
Glen Young — 5. A steady but limited cameo on the blindside.
Freddy Douglas — 6. Frustrated at breakdown returns but continued to contest.
Ben Vellacott — 5. Could not shift the momentum and may have lost his starting spot.
Mosese Tuipulotu — 5. Worked hard off the ball but had little attacking impact.
Jack Brown — N/A. Two minutes on the clock offered no real chance to judge.

Overall, Edinburgh showed attacking promise by scoring five tries. Small errors and late scores cost them at the Aviva Stadium.

Filmogaz.com assessment: the side produced bright individual displays, but consistency remains the issue.