Celtic league/ Edinburgh 34 Connacht 3: Connacht face a week of repair work ahead of their match with Llanelli as they seek to put behind them the trauma of a heavy defeat at Murrayfield on Saturday, their first loss to the Scottish side.
But for brave defence, especially in the first half, the score might have been worse, so much possession did Edinburgh enjoy.
"We just couldn't get any ball for the backs. So we were unable to go forward," Connacht coach Michael Bradley reflected. "Edinburgh were very strong and thoroughly deserved their win.
"What was most disappointing for us was our lineout. Edinburgh managed to disrupt us in this area and our confidence went. I think, too, that we were guilty of letting them come at us too much."
Connacht had few answers to Edinburgh's dynamic game, made possible by a hard-working pack in which prop Craig Smith and number eight Ally Hogg excelled.
Ironically another major contributor was former Ulster player Matt Mustchin, who has fitted in well with coach Frank Hadden's game-plan.
When Connacht did get hands on ball they were ineffective, prompting the thought that Eric Elwood might have been more useful on the field than looking on as assistant coach. The one attack that did almost produce a try, involving Darren Yapp, Dave Slemen and Keith Matthews, was stopped short by a scrambling defence, and when the ball was recycled outhalf Paul Warwick dropped a goal. But the score was disallowed when illegal use of the boot at the preceding ruck was pointed out by the touch judge.
A penalty goal by Warwick minutes later was slight compensation and left Connacht trailing by just seven points at half-time, Edinburgh having scored a try after winger Simon Webster ran the ball out of defence.
Soon after the break Edinburgh were awarded a penalty try after Chris Paterson was impeded in the act of scoring. Hogg sped in for try number three before Rob Dewey and Paterson touched down to seal a convincing win.
Scorers: Edinburgh: Tries, Webster, Hogg, Paterson, Dewey, Pen try; Cons, Paterson (3); Pen Paterson. Connacht: Pen Warwick.
EDINBURGH: F Leonelli; C Paterson (capt), M Di Rollo, R Dewey, S Webster; P Godman, M Blair; D Hewett, D Hall, C Smith; A Kellock, S Murray; M Mustchin, S Cross, A Hogg. Replacements: D Hodge for Godman, A Kelly for Hall (both 60 mins), H Southwell for Leonelli, A Jacobsen for Hewett, R Lawson for Blair (all 67 mins), F Pringle for Kellock (68 mins), A Strokosch for Mustchin (70 mins).
CONNACHT: D Slemen; M Mostyn, D Yapp, K Matthews, C McPhillips; P Warwick, C Keane; R Hogan, J Fogarty, S Knoop; C Short, A Farley (capt); J Muldoon, M Lacey, C Rigney. Replacements: D McFarland for Hogan (40 mins), C Venter for Fogarty (54 mins), M Swift for Farley (60 mins), B O'Connor for Rigney (63 mins), D Riordan for Slemen, T Tierney for Keane (both 66 mins).
Referee: N Ballard (Wales).
