Edinburgh moved up a place to third in the Guinness PRO12 but failed to really fire or get a bonus point against the winless Benetton Treviso at BT Murrayfield.
The capital side claimed their third league win in succession but it was a flat evening at the national stadium with another disappointing crowd, the main highlight being wing Damien Hoyland’s brace of tries, the second coming off the final play to secure the four points.
Treviso, rock bottom of the PRO12 and having replaced their head coach during the week, proved a tougher nut to crack than the home side might have expected, their well-drilled lineout drives causing no end of problems for one of the best defences in the league.
However Edinburgh replied in kind and neither team had much behind the scrum to keep the small crowd entertaining on a freezing evening.
Edinburgh’s best chances to get the bonus point they had to be aiming at were in the first half, but they just had one score and that was a salvage job tanks to a neat bit of work from Cornell du Preez on his 50th appearance.
Sam Hidalgo-Clyne had kicked an early penalty before the scrum-half’s wild pass close to the left touchline was going in touch but batted back by the No 8 straight into the hands of Hoyland, who dived over in 17 minutes.
Hidlago-Clyne converted but that was the extent of Edinburgh’s scoring as Treviso played the touchline and mauled their way back into the game with two penalties from James Ambrosini.
Edinburgh had plenty opportunities, Hidalgo-Clyne’s thrilling break leading to a knock on short of the line and then Hoyland’s mazy run ending with a penalty conceded, again with the Treviso try-line within reaching distance.
Just four points ahead at the break, Edinburgh asserted themselves with two further Hidalgo-Clyne penalties, but there was little evidence they had the guile to break down Treviso’s defence.
They did finally bag a second score, but it can by way of a penalty try as Treviso collapsed a five-metre scrum just as Du Preez was looking to finish.
Hidalgo-Clyne converted with a full quarter to play, but instead of opening out Edinburgh found themselves backtracking against more Italian mauls, Alex Toolis was yellow carded after one and Alberto Barbieri scored a try for Treviso in the next one.
Edinbrugh finally settled down to force two yellow cards to Treviso defenders in the final minutes before Hoyland crowned his night with his second try, barrelling over from the base of a goal-line ruck.
Att: 2800
Edinburgh: J Cuthbert (B Kinghorn 45 (A Strauss 71)); D Fife, M Allen, M Scott, D Hoyland; G Tonks, S Hidalgo-Clyne (S Kennedy 62); R Sutherland, N Cochrane (S McInally 63), WP Nel (J Andress 64); A Bresler, A Toolis; M Coman (capt), J Hardie, C Du Preez.
Treviso: L McLean; A Pratichetti, S Christie, A Sgarbi, S Ragusi; J Ambrosini (E Bacchin 72), C Smylie (A Lucchese 8); M Zanusso (C Traore 73), R Santamaria (O Gega 51), S Manu (A de Marchi 54); A Paulo, J-F Montaurio (T Palmer 45)l; R Barbieri, A Zanni, M Barbini (F Minto 51).
Ref: G Conway (IRFU)