Resurgent Edinburgh won their fifth successive match with as good an all-round performance as the club has produced in years handing out a 37-10 thrashing to the visiting Ospreys in the Guinness PRO14 at Myreside.
Magnus Bradbury, stripped of the captaincy a fortnight ago for getting himself injured on a night on the tiles, crashed over in the right way for the bonus point try in added time to complete a near-perfect night for Richard Cockerill’s ever-improving side.
Turning 16-10 ahead, Edinburgh simply seized control in the second half with relentless carrying from their engine room of Grant Gilchrist, new captain Fraser McKenzie, newcomer Luke Crosbie and man of the match Cornell du Preez.
Phase after phase of concerted attack sapped the strength from the Ospreys defence and the home side capitalised with scores from Nathan Fowles, Jason Tovey and Bradbury’s score at the death after Blair Kinghorn had scored a fine try in the first half.
Edinburgh had to withstand long periods in defence in the first 20 minutes but when they got their mitts on the ball they scored one fine try and forced their way into the lead.
Moldovan prop Dmitri Arhip went over for Ospreys after an impressive series of phases near the Edinburgh line and although Tovey kicked Edinburgh on to the board with a penalty, Sam Davies added to his early conversion with a penalty after another 20-plus series of attacking phases by the visitors.
But that was to be Ospreys’ last score of the game, as Edinburgh took a lift from defending their line successfully and levelled the scores thanks to two interventions from Kinghorn.
The full-back’s off-load opened a hole for Tom Brown and then he was on the end of a fine overhead off-load from du Preez to finish the move.
Tovey converted and then landed two penalties as Edinburgh started to attack with real purpose before half-time, helped by a somewhat soft yellow card to Ospreys’ scrum-half Brendon Leonard.
Straight from the break Edinburgh sought to make the extra man count and did so, another Kinghorn intervention and off-load opening the defence and Fowles was inside in support to go over for the second try.
That put the home side in complete control, and although they were denied after 30-plus phases inside the Ospreys 22, they kept the pressure on after a turnover, won the ball back and the Welshmen’s defence finally wilted for Tovey to dart through under the posts for a try he converted himself.
With the game won Edinburgh wilted a little themselves after their furious start to the second half, but right at the death Bradbury, on as a replacement in his first game back from suspension, was on hand to crash over after another series of strength-sapping drives from the home side.
Att: 3500
Edinburgh: B Kinghorn; D Fife, J Johnstone, P Burleigh, T Brown; J Tovey, N Fowles; M Rizzo, N Cochrane, S Berghan; F McKenzie, G Gilchrist; L Crosbie, J Ritchie, C du Preez
Replacements: C Fenton for Cochrane 57, R Sutherland for Rizzo 60, M McCallum for Berghan 66, M Bradbury for Ritchie 63, L Carmichael for McKenzie 63, S Hidalgo-Clyne for Fowles 57, G Bryce for Brown 39, C Dean for Johnstone 63.
Ospreys: D Evans; D Howells, J Hook, A Beck, T Habberfield; S Davies, B Leonard; P James, S Baldwin, D Arhip; L Ashley, B Davies; O Cracknell, G Mercer, R McCusker
Replacements: I Phillips for Baldwin 67, G Thomas for James 52, M Fia for Arhip 56, R Thornton for Ashley 66, J King for McCusker 46, R Morgan-Williams for Leonard 58, L Price, K Fonotia for Beck 66
Ref: A Brace (IRFU)
