Cardiff Arms Park

Cardiff 20-19 Edinburgh

25th October 2025

Edinburgh fell to another narrow away defeat, this time in Cardiff, to add to their single point reverse to Munster and three-point loss against Zebre earlier in the season.

They were without Darcy Graham, Ben Vellacott and Duhan van der Merwe this evening for various reasons but, fielding a whole clutch of players who had just been named in Scotland's Autumn Internationals squad, they really should have had enough in the tank to see off this Cardiff side.

And it certainly appeared more than possible in a first half, as Lewis WELLS, Charlie SHIEL then Ewan ASHMAN all went over for the visitors.  Whilst Cardiff did score a couple of tries of their own - both flowing moves down their right wing -  Edinburgh led 19-12 at the break.  

The lead could, and probably would, have been a touch greater had Wells put in a bit more effort to attempt to touch down closer the posts, rather than choosing to execute a spectacular (but unnecessary) touchdown dive.  The subsequent missed conversion would come back to haunt Edinburgh.

For, within moments of the restart, former Edinburgh prop Javan SEBASTION scored a try for the Welsh side, to narrow the gap to one point.  

We were then all treated to a half hour of turgidly tedious error-strewn rugby as both sets of players toiled to create much of any significance in the heavy rain.  Cardiff did reach the Edinburgh line on a couple of occasions, but failed to progress on each visit.

But then, eight minutes from time, Ioan LLOYD whacked over a whopping (if wind assisted) penalty kick to ease his side into a one point lead.

In the dying moments Edinburgh were awarded a penalty from a similar distance, but clearly James Lang didnae fancy a shot into the wind, so went for a line-out place instead.  A lineout which the Edinburgh hooker threw over the top and into a grateful pair of Cardiff arms (see what I did there?).  

And that was sort of that.

Cardiff Arms Park

Cardiff v Edinburgh (October 2025)

    

At one point referee Andrew Brace found himself caught up in traffic.

 

Ioan LLOYD prepares to win the game.