Edinburgh were left frustrated with only a share of the spoils in their European Challenge Cup pool after surrendering a 10-point lead in the final quarter to Union Bordeaux-Begles.
Blair Kinghorn’s outstanding first-half try and Jaco van de Walt’s boot had the capital club in a position of strength after an hour and as the only team to really try and play running rugby, it looked like they might add to their advantage.
Instead, UBB fought back with a superb solo try from Fijian centre Semi Radradra and Mathieu Jalibert’s third penalty with less than two minutes remaining allowed the French Top 14 side to escape with a draw.
While the visitors are clearly a quality side with a resilience not always seen from French teams coming to Murrayfield, Edinburgh will be kicking themselves that they didn’t get their second win in as many weeks.
The lineout didn’t function in the first half and the breakdown proved a problem in the second, stalling too many promising moves as they looked to make their better overall play count.
Injuries to both Luke Crosbie and John Barclay leaving replacement lock Murray Douglas playing back row didn’t help, but Edinburgh should still have had enough to edge a close game.
One brilliant bit of running from the Edinburgh backs lit up a cagey first half and was just reward for the home side’s willingness to chance their arm at least on occasion.
Edinburgh’s kicking game put the visitors under pressure but their lineout was in bother early, with the first two lost in Bordeaux territory to stall attacking chances.
Jaco van der Walt’s pinpoint cross kicks allowed wing Eroni Sau to threaten UBB full back Romaine Buros, but then Matt Scott’s attempt to do the same was misdirected and easy for the French to clear.
Van der Walt kicked two penalties to one from UBB captain Jalibert, before on 37 minutes Edinburgh opened out from near halfway with the move of the half.
Grant Gilchrist started it with a looped pass from the breakdown but it was Mark Bennett’s injection of pace that stretched the French defence, and Kinghorn was able to ignore Sau on his outside and make it to the line from 30 metres out, sliding out of the tap tackle to get there.
Van der Walt converted magnificently from wide out but Edinburgh gifted two easy penalties for Jalibert just before half-time, the French stand-off missing the first but landing the second.
The home side continued to be the more enterprising team in the second half and van der Walt stretched them out to 16-6 with a simple penalty, but Barclay, on for an injury to Crosbie, had to leave himself after an HIA.
Then just after the hour UBB finally attacked with purpose, replacement prop Marais bashing a huge hole and then the mesmirising Radradra weaving his way 25 metres for a score near the posts, Jalibert converting.
Van de Walt had a chance well within his normal range shortly afterwards but pushed it wide, and Edinburgh seemed to have a strong driving maul going to the line only to lose control at the vital moment.
And inevitably two minutes from time the home side crept on the wrong side of a maul and Jalibert’s fine 45 metre penalty crept over to tie the scores.
Att: 4212
Edinburgh: B Kinghorn; E Sau, M Bennett, M Scott, D van der Merwe; J van der Walt, H Pyrgos (capt); P Schoeman, M Willemse, P Ceccarelli; B Toolis, G Gilchrist; M Bradbury, L Crosbie, V Mata.
Replacements: C Fenton for Willemse 73, J Bhatti for Schoeman 66, S Berghan for Ceccarelli 60, M Douglas for Barclay 55, J Barclay for Crosbie 31, C Shiel, S Hickey, G Taylor for Scott 73.
Bordeaux-Begles: R Buros; S Cordero, S Radradra, U Seuteni, B Connor; M Jalibert, M Lucu; T Paiva, A Pelissie, L Kaulashvili; K Douglas, A Flanquart; B Gorgadze, C Woki, S Higginbotham.
Replacements: Kovekalou for Pelissie 50, El Fakir for Paiva 50, Marais for Kaulashvili 66, Tauleigne for Flanquart 50, S Tamanivalu for Seteni 56.
Ref: C Ridley (RFU)
