Edinburgh (14) 24
Tries: Visser, Jones, Webster Con: Paterson 2, Blair Pens: Blair
Castres (10) 22
Tries: Capo, penalty, Tillous-Borde Con: Baikeinuku 2 Pen: Bernard

Simon Webster scores a vital late try for Edinburgh

Edinburgh secured their first Heineken Cup win of the season with a late win over French Top 14 side Castres.

However, because the area surrounding Murrayfield was dangerous underfoot, no fans were permitted to attend the game.

Tim Visser scored a first-half try and set up another for Lee Jones as Edinburgh established a 14-10 lead.

Greig Laidlaw's sin-binning preceded a Castres penalty try and another score for Sebastien Tillous-Borde, but Simon Webster's converted try earned the win.

Rob Moffat's side had been trailing by five points with four minutes remaining when Webster came off the replacements' bench to run over the line for the second week in a row.

David Blair held his nerve to kick the conversion through the posts to lift Edinburgh above Cardiff Blues in Pool One, on seven points to the Welsh side's six.

Only captain Christopher Masoe, Joshua Tatupu and Vincent Inigo were in the Castres side that played Edinburgh last Saturday.

Edinburgh made three changes to their starting XV, with Visser returning on the wing, Stuart McInally coming in at number eight and Craig Hamilton at second row.

Northampton lead the group handsomely with 16 points from four matches, six points ahead of Castres.

Rodrigo Ortega scored a first-half try for the visitors, for whom Pierre Bernard kicked three points and Seremaia Baikeinuku two conversions.

Castres fly-half Bernard kicked a 45m penalty after four minutes and Chris Paterson missed a kick from a similar distance two minutes later.

But it did not delay Edinburgh unduly as Visser's solo score put the hosts in front.

The 6ft 4in, 17st Dutchman picked up the ball inside the 10m line, stepped inside and then out of the Castres defence before bursting down the touchline to touchdown. Paterson converted.

Castres responded in the 13th minute with Ortega coming up from the bottom of a rolling maul after the forwards rumbled over. Baikeinuku added the extras.

The usually accurate Paterson missed the second of his first three attempts at goal before Visser, who could qualify for Scotland through residency in 2012, set up a second try for Edinburgh after 22 minutes.

The left winger stormed 40m down the opposite flank after ghosting past the Castres defence before a tap tackle denied him a second personal score.

However, he popped the ball for Jones to score.

Paterson converted from the touchline, handing the hosts a 14-10 half-time lead.

Paterson, Scotland's most-capped player and highest points scorer, went off at the interval with a shoulder injury and Blair assumed the kicking duties, extending Edinburgh's lead to seven points after 47 minutes.

Laidlaw was sin-binned for not retreating at a free-kick, handing the visitors the initiative.

Castres opted to pack down for the resulting penalty and Edinburgh's scrum could not withstand the continual pressure.

After three attempts to re-set, referee Wayne Barnes awarded a penalty try and Baikeinuku added the simple conversion to make it 17-17.

Tillous-Borde sniped round the blindside to score but the missed conversion proved costly.

With four minutes left, Webster latched onto a Blair kick through and capitalised on a Castres mistake to score with Blair adding the winning points with the conversion.

The win was revenge for last weekend's 21-16 defeat in France when the Scots had at least picked up a third losing bonus point.

Despite Monday's win, Edinburgh still face a difficult task to fall into the Amlin Challenge Cup.

Edinburgh: Paterson, L. Jones, Cairns, Houston, Visser, D Blair, Laidlaw, Jacobsen, Ford, G. Cross, S. Turnbull, Hamilton, Newlands, Grant, McInally.
Replacements: Thompson for Paterson (40), De Luca for L Jones (55), Webster for Cairns (55), Traynor for Jacobsen (62), Young for G Cross (62), Denton for Hamilton (55), MacDonald for Newlands (55). Not Used: Kelly

Castres: Denos, Inigo, Cabannes, Bai, Tatupu, Bernard, Sanchou, Coetzee, Bonello, Peikrishvili, Rolland, Capo, Diarra, Caballero, Masoe.
Replacements: Martial for Inigo (55), Tillous-Borde for Sanchou (62), Forestier for Coetzee (62), Kayser for Bonello (52), Saayman for Peikrishvili (52), Kulemin for Capo (62). Not Used: Bornman, Malonga.

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