Edinburgh score first try against Bulls
Update:
Date: 4 mins
Title: Converted try Bulls 0-7 EDINBURGH
Content: Wes Goosen
The man with family from Pretoria scores in the corner! What a homecoming!
Expansive rugby from Edinburgh, with Harry Paterson shining. They go right to left, and execute with accuracy.
Speaking off, Ross Thompson bisects the posts with an inch-perfect kick from the touchline. What a start!
Update:
Date: 3 mins
Title: Sin-bin Sebastian de Klerk (Bulls)
Content: Bulls 0-0 Edinburgh
It's a yellow card, according to referee Adam Jones.
De Klerk is trying to charge Graham down, but his shoulder catches Darcy Graham flush on the chin.
The crowd aren't happy, but it looks more clumsy than aggressive. Either way, it's contact to the head.
Update:
Date: 3 mins
Title: Post
Content: Bulls 0-0 Edinburgh
A contentious early moment. Darcy Graham takes a shoulder to the chops as he kicks ahead.
The Bulls field the ball, and aim at Edinburgh's right wing - where Graham is still strewn on the floor.
Adam Jones chooses not to stop the play, but the ball eventually leaves the field organically. They're now having a look at this.
Update:
Date: 2 mins
Title: Last time out at the Hive...
Content: Bulls 0-0 Edinburgh
It's not been too long since these two sides last met and Edinburgh sprung a surprise in the Challenge Cup quarters.
Sean Everitt's side held off a second-half fightback to secure a home semi-final, after two tries from James Lang and a Magnus Bradbury score put the hosts 24-7 up at the break.
Grant Gilchrist's try gave Edinburgh breathing space on the scoreboard before the Bulls came back strongly with a penalty try, one from Cameron Hanekom and a second from Kriel to set up a grandstand finish, but the hosts held on.
The aggregate score between these sides so far this season? 50-50.
Update:
Date: 0 mins
Title: Kick-off / First-half
Content: Bulls 0-0 Edinburgh
Adam Jones is the referee, resplendent in his purple and fluorescent green kit.
Keaghan Johannes, the stand-in stand-off due to the absence of Johan Goosen, kicks us off.
Update:
Date: 12:29 BST
Title: Statue awaiting if Everitt can scale URC mountain
Content: Bulls v Edinburgh (12:30)
Tom EnglishBBC Scotland's chief sports writer on Sportsound
Jamie asked: What is success for Edinburgh in the play-offs? Is it crazy to think Edinburgh have a better chance at the title than Glasgow?
Tom answered: I wouldn't say Edinburgh have a better chance. They have a really hard assignment away to Bulls on Saturday and if they win that then, on seeding, they'll be playing Sharks away in the semi-final and, again on seeding, Leinster away in the final.
That's a brutal run. If they win the URC then forget the chat about Sean Everitt keeping his job, the only thing up for debate at that point will be where to put his statue.
Update:
Date: 12:27 BST
Title: What happened last night?
Content: Bulls v Edinburgh (12:30)
Glasgow Warriors continued their defence of the URC title last night by putting the Stormers to the sword, thereby booking their place in the last four.
Rory Darge, Kyle Rowe and Henco Venter crossed for first-half tries for the hosts, with a Seabelo Senatla try and eight points from the boot of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu keeping the Stormers within six points at the break.
Senatla struck early in the second half for the South African side, but Glasgow responded with tries from George Horne and another from Rowe to ease home with a bit to spare.
Warriors will face either Leinster or Scarlets, who meet in Dublin on Saturday, in next weekend's semi-final.
Rory Darge dazzled after his Lions' disappointment
Update:
Date: 12:25 BST
Title: Everitt wants Edinburgh to 'stay in the fight'
Content: Bulls v Edinburgh (12:30)
Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt tells Premier Sports: "We're all excited, it's been a great week. We flew in on Wednesday and had a light couple of days. It's massive for the club, and for Scottish rugby.
"It was really good [braai]. Jake did some chops and ribs, his wife made a lovely salad. We had a good evening."
"We're always excited to play the Bulls. We played them five weeks ago and got the result, we'll take a lot of confidence out of that. It's a bigger challenge for us, but one we know we can win if we play well.
"It's about being really good in the first 20 minutes. They've scored 29 tries here in the first 20 minutes this season. It's about staying in the fight, like Glasgow did last year."
Update:
Date: 12:22 BST
Title: How did Edinburgh get here?
Content: Bulls v Edinburgh (12:30)
It's been an odd season for Edinburgh. For much of it, they flattered to deceive, struggling with the same problem that hamstrung them last year - inconsistency.
It was immensely frustrating to watch, given the talent on show. Pierre Schoeman and Duhan van der Merwe will be a touring Lions, while Jamie Ritchie and Darcy Graham will be high-up on the standby list.
Yet, they found a bit of momentum at the end of the season to defy the odds and book a place in the play-offs thanks to a triumphant win over Ulster.
Sean Everitt has been under pressure at times, but he's got his side going at the right time. Can they continue this run and do the unthinkable?
Pierre Schoeman celebrates with Darcy Graham
Update:
Date: 12:20 BST
Title: Van der Merwe out, Ritchie starts
Content: Bulls v Edinburgh (12:30 BST)
Duhan van der Merwe is the big miss for Edinburgh, as Sean Everitt makes just one change to his capital side.
Jamie Ritchie, who will join Perpignan this summer, starts at blindside flanker as Ben Muncaster drops to the bench from the team that beat Ulster to clinch a play-off spot.
Scotland wing Van der Merwe, who has been sidelined since March with ankle ligament damage, has resumed training and is with the squad in South Africa.
But Everitt said: "He's probably still a few days away from being ready to return to full match action. We're managing his return carefully to ensure he's fully prepared when he does step back onto the field."
Update:
Date: 12:18 BST
Title: TEAM NEWS from Pretoria
Content: Bulls v Edinburgh (12:30)
Bulls: Le Roux, Moodie, Kriel, Vorster, De Klerk; Johannes, Papier; Wessels, Grobbelaar, Louw, Wiese, Van Heerden, Coetzee, Nortje (c), Hanekom.
Replacements: A Van der Merwe, Matanzima, Smith, Kirsten, Van Staden, Burger, Gans, Williams.
Edinburgh: Goosen, Graham, Currie, Lang, Paterson, Thompson, Price, Schoeman, Ashman, Rae, Sykes, Skinner, Ritchie, Watson, Bradbury (c).
Replacements: Harrison, Venter, Sebastian, McConnell, Muncaster, McAlpine, Healy, Bennett.
Update:
Date: 12:15 BST
Title: Welcome to Loftus!
Content: Bulls v Edinburgh (12:30 BST)
Edinburgh's season has come down to this.
Win, and it's a place in the semi-finals. Lose, and it's all over.
It's a place that we Scottish rugby fans know well, given Glasgow's heroics last year. But can Edinburgh repeat the feat and pull off a heist at altitude?
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