2011–12 Edinburgh Rugby season

The 2011–12 season was Edinburgh Rugby's eleventh season competing in the Pro12.

Edinburgh 2011 / 2012

Ground(s)	Murrayfield Stadium (Capacity: 67,130)
CEO	Craig Docherty
Coach(es)	Michael Bradley
Captain(s)	Greig Laidlaw
Most caps	Roddy Grant(28)
Top scorer	Greig Laidlaw (250)
Most tries	Tim Visser (13)
League(s)	Pro12
1st kit 2nd kit
← 2010–11 2012–13 →

Michael Bradley took over Edinburgh in the summer of 2011. He previously had been in charge of Connacht and Ireland A.

While domestically the season never really took off, the 2011–12 Heineken Cup campaign proved to be the most successful in the club's history by topping Pool 2. Along the way, competing in the remarkable 48-47 match against Racing Métro and setting up a quarter final against French rugby giants Toulouse by scoring 4 tries against London Irish. The game itself was very tight, with Edinburgh holding out for a 19–14 win thanks to an early try from Mike Blair and penalties from captain Greig Laidlaw, setting up a semi-final in Dublin against Ulster.

2011 saw the introduction of numerous youngster into the squad this season, which makes the results even more astonishing. Début seasons for regular starters, 21-year-olds Matt Scott and Grant Gilchrist as well as 19-year-old Harry Leonard. And first full season for back row pair Stuart McInally and David Denton.

More than 37 881 fans, a UK record crowd for a Heineken Cup quarter final, witnessed Edinburgh become the first Scottish club to reach the Heineken Cup semi-final.

Squad List

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Ross Ford Hooker Scotland Andrew Kelly Hooker Scotland Steven Lawrie Hooker Scotland Geoff Cross Prop Scotland Jack Gilding Prop Scotland Allan Jacobsen Prop Scotland Lewis Niven Prop Scotland Kyle Traynor Prop Scotland Sean Cox Lock England Esteban Lozada Lock Argentina Steven Turnbull Lock Scotland Roddy Grant Flanker Scotland Alan MacDonald Flanker Scotland Ross Rennie Flanker Scotland David Denton Flanker Scotland Stuart McInally Flanker Scotland Netani Talei Number 8 Fiji

Player Position Union Mike Blair Scrum-half Scotland Greig Laidlaw Scrum-half Scotland Chris Leck Scrum-half England Phil Godman Fly-half Scotland Ben Cairns Centre Scotland Nick De Luca Centre Scotland John Houston Centre Scotland James King Centre Scotland Lee Jones Wing Scotland Tim Visser Wing Netherlands Sep Visser Wing Netherlands Simon Webster Wing Scotland Tom Brown Fullback Scotland Chris Paterson Fullback Scotland Jim Thompson Fullback Scotland

Transfers 2011/2012

Players in

• Steven Lawrie from Doncaster
• Matthew Scott - Currie RFC
• Sean Cox - Sale Sharks
• Chris Leck - Sale Sharks
• Alex Black - Leeds Carnegie
• Sep Visser - Tynedale R.F.C. (will have dual registration with Boroughmuir RFC)

Players out

• Fraser McKenzie - Sale Sharks
• Scott Macleod - Kobelco Steelers
• David Blair - Retired
• Craig Hamilton - Tarbes
• Mark Robertson - Scotland 7s
• Scott Newlands - Oyonnax
• David Young - Leeds Carnegie
• Simon Webster - Retired

Pro 12 League Table

Pro12 Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts	Qualification
1	Leinster (F)	22	18	1	3	568	326	+242	48	28	5	2	81	Play-off place
2	Ospreys (C)	22	16	1	5	491	337	+154	44	22	2	3	71
3	Munster (SF)	22	14	1	7	489	367	+122	45	27	5	4	67
4	Glasgow Warriors (SF)	22	13	4	5	445	321	+124	34	23	2	3	65
5	Scarlets	22	12	2	8	446	373	+73	43	30	5	5	62
6	Ulster	22	12	0	10	474	424	+50	53	41	5	3	56
7	Cardiff Blues	22	10	0	12	446	460	−14	43	45	5	5	50
8	Connacht	22	7	1	14	321	433	−112	27	36	0	7	37
9	Newport Gwent Dragons	22	7	1	14	370	474	−104	27	41	1	5	36
10	Benetton Treviso	22	7	0	15	419	558	−139	41	57	3	5	36
11	Edinburgh	22	6	1	15	454	588	−134	42	65	2	4	32
12	Aironi	22	4	0	18	289	551	−262	22	54	1	5	22

Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2012. Source: RaboDirect PRO12
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

1. number of matches won;
2. the difference between points for and points against;
3. the number of tries scored;
4. the most points scored;
5. the difference between tries for and tries against;
6. the fewest red cards received;
7. the fewest yellow cards received.
   (C) Champions; (F) Lost in the final; (SF) Lost in the semi-finals
   Notes:

Heineken Cup

Pool stage

Further information: 2011–12 Heineken Cup pool stage

Team	P	W	D	L	Tries for	Tries against	Try diff	Points for	Points against	Points diff	TB	LB	Pts
Edinburgh	6	5	0	1	17	11	+6	156	138	+18	2	0	22
Cardiff Blues	6	5	0	1	9	5	+4	145	110	+35	0	1	21
Racing Métro	6	1	0	5	13	19	−6	160	190	−30	1	4	9
London Irish	6	1	0	5	7	11	−4	116	139	−23	1	4	9

Quarter-finals

7 April 2012 15:00 BST

Edinburgh	19–14	Toulouse
Try: Blair 1' c Con: Laidlaw (1/1) Pen: Laidlaw (3/4) 46', 51', 80' Drop: Laidlaw (1/1) 38'	Report	Try: Matanavou 30' m Pen: Beauxis (3/5) 5', 19', 28'

Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 37,881 Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

Semi-finals

28 April 2012 17:45 IST

Ulster	22–19	Edinburgh
Try: Wannenburg 15' c Con: Pienaar (1/1) Pen: Pienaar (5/5) 5', 38', 58', 63', 75'	Report	Try: Thompson 80' c Con: Laidlaw (1/1) Pen: Laidlaw (4/4) 9', 11', 40', 45'

Aviva Stadium, Dublin Attendance: 45,147 Referee: Romain Poite (France)