As it happened: Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh

Summary

Early Immelman try for hosts, McInally replies with great Edinburgh score
Fall breaks two tackles for second Montpellier try, Ngandebe adds another soon after
Fife touches down for Edinburgh in second half
Toulon v Newcastle in Pool 5 on Sunday

Live Reporting

Andy Burke

Another French test awaits Edinburghpublished at 17:36 British Summer Time 13 October 2018
FT: Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
So it's a losing bonus-point for Edinburgh which you might argue they would have taken ahead of the match. But given how well they played and the chances they had, Richard Cockerill has every right to feel that a famous win has slipped away.
Next up for Edinburgh is another French test next Saturday as three-times champions Toulon come to Murrayfield.
We'll be back tomorrow with another Champions Cup cracker - Glasgow Warriors v Saracens.
Do join us then.
'An awful lot of hope', despite defeatpublished at 17:36 British Summer Time 13 October 2018
FT: Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer on BBC Sportsound
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Second half, it was a superb performance from Edinburgh. They deserved to win the game. Simon Berghan will have nightmares. But there's an awful lot of hope and a bonus point - and that's no bad thing.
'Cotter looked stressed'published at 17:35 British Summer Time 13 October 2018
FT: Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
Chris Paterson
Former Scotland international on BBC Sportsound
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[Montpellier head coach] Vern Cotter looked worried, he looked stressed, and I think he will be disappointed in the impact his bench made because the game was going away from them. They've got injuries and they didn't look the force they have been over the past few years
'We should have won. It's very frustrating'published at 17:34 British Summer Time 13 October 2018
FT: Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
More from Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill: “We scored a fantastic try through Stuart McInally with great offloading. If the French had scored that we’d say it would have been called a classic French try. Maybe it’s a classic Edinburgh try now!
"We stayed in the game at 21-7 down. If you work hard good things can happen. Maybe they expected to steamroller us but this Edinburgh side has got more about than that.
"In the end we should have won the game. It’s very frustrating.”
'I'm proud of the performance'published at 17:29 British Summer Time 13 October 2018
FT: Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill told BBC Radio Scotland: “100% we should have won that game. Nothing but credit to our lads. We went behind to a good try at the start but tries two and three were pretty poor from us, turning the ball over and transitioning to defend.
"We talked at half-time about staying in the game, we did and we had all the pressure. We should have scored through Bradbury but Berghan ran across his line, got all flustered in the heat of the moment and it cost us. There were opportunities.
"I’m very proud of the performance but we can play better. We’ve got to work hard this week because we’ve got to turn these opportunities into wins.”
Postpublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 13 October 2018
FT: Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
Pool 5 rivals Toulon and Newcastle go head-to-head at Stade Felix-Mayol tomorrow.
The Falcons are back at this level for the first time in 13 years against the three-time champions of Europe.
'Edinburgh failed to make extra man pay'published at 17:22 British Summer Time 13 October 2018
FT: Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
Chris Paterson
Former Scotland international on BBC Sportsound
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The period when Montpellier were down to 14 men was important. There were three or four scrums in quick succession that Edinburgh won some penalties from but then failed to come away with points which proved to be quite important. They really should have made more of that period, against 14 men, 5m out from the opposition line.
'The better passing team'published at 17:19 British Summer Time 13 October 2018
FT: Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
Chris Paterson
Former Scotland international on BBC Sportsound
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For the majority of the match, Edinburgh looked the better passing team. The tries they scored were excellent but there were handling errors that will frustrate Richard Cockerill and the players
Postpublished at 17:14 British Summer Time 13 October 2018
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'Massively frustrating' for Edinburghpublished at 17:10 British Summer Time 13 October 2018
FT: Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
Colin Gregor
Former Scotland sevens captain on BBC Sportsound
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The score is massively frustrating with the opportunities Edinburgh had
Full-time! Montpellier 21-15 Edinburghpublished at 17:06 British Summer Time 13 October 2018
Instead of pushing for a famous win, Edinburgh almost contrive to throw away their losing bonus point. Substitute Sean Kennedy's pass is picked off by Louis Picamoles who goes charging for the line.
Hats off to another substitute, Chris Dean, who makes an extraordinary last-ditch tackle to stop the French star scoring a try that would have snatched Edinburgh's losing bonus point and gained Montpellier a four-try bonus. That could be crucial in the final shake-up.
But it's a tough defeat for Edinburgh to take. Nobody really gave them a prayer but they went toe-to-toe with this Montpellier side and scored two magnificent tries.
The most frustrating aspect will be that many of the points they conceded were self-inflicted.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Montpellier hold on for the win in front of their home fans
Last throw of the dice...published at 79 mins
Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
Montpellier have the ball in the Edinburgh half and look like they will just run through the phases and run out the clock.
Ruan Pienaar then fires an inexplicable fast pass to Gabriel Ngandebe who knocks forward.
Last chance for Edinburgh....
Where's the ball?published at 77 mins
Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
And there is a prime example of why this game may just slip from Edinburgh's clutches.
The line-out is taken cleanly and Edinburgh run through the phases, pulling the home side one way and then the other.
And then the ball inexplicably (or was it from a Montpellier hand?) pops out a ruck in front of the posts, everybody stops for a moment and Wayne Barnes waves play on. Montpellier clear down-field and Edinburgh must start all over again.
Time to shinepublished at 75 mins
Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
Penalty to Edinburgh, Jaco Van Der Walt kicks to touch.
Line-out 15m from the Montpellier line.....
Time slipping awaypublished at 73 mins
Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
There certainly has been no shortage of ambition in Edinburgh's play. Matt Scott, Darcy Graham and Dougie Fife in particular have seen plenty of ball.
What has been lacking slightly is accuracy at key moments. They have engineered several openings but the final pass has too often let them down.
Time is running out. Can the Scottish side conjure one more chance to snatch a famous win?
Image source, Getty Images
Edinburgh on toppublished at 16:53 British Summer Time 13 October 2018
Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
Colin Gregor
Former Scotland sevens captain on BBC Sportsound
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Great attack from Edinburgh again. If they don't win, this is a game that got away from them. How many teams come here with 68% possession going into the final 10 minutes?
Disallowed try Edinburgh (Magnus Bradbury)published at 70 mins
Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
So close for Edinburgh.
Another terrific attacking move sees Matt Scott make a half-break, Darcy Graham make a half-break and Dougie Fife driving for the line.
From 5m the ball is fed towards Simon Berghan but Magnus Bradbury is there too and it's the flanker that rips the ball from his team-mate and dives over. However, Wayne Barnes rules that Berghan was blocking the Montpellier tackler and the try is ruled out.
How crucial could that prove?
Mata's race is runpublished at 68 mins
Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
Big Bill Mata departs after a 67-minute shift that featured 20 ball-carries and some outrageous skills.
Luke Hamilton is on in his place.
Hosts look to slow it downpublished at 16:47 British Summer Time 13 October 2018
Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
Colin Gregor
Former Scotland sevens captain on BBC Sportsound
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Montpellier want to make it arm wrestle and to take the tempo out of the game, go from set-piece to set-piece and plod their way to the finish line
Who has the most left in the tank?published at 65 mins
Montpellier 21-15 Edinburgh
It's been a typically energy-sapping European encounter and the pitch has not helped matters I'm sure. It's cutting up dreadfully and making it difficult for both sets of players to change direction.
It's all up for grabs going into the last 15 minutes. It could be down to who has the most left in the tank.
Edinburgh have been well on top in the second half but only have those five points to show for it. And as we have seen, Montpellier are more than capable of striking out of nothing.