Chris Paterson kicks Edinburgh to notable win over Stade Français

You could almost hear the chuckling voice of Bill McLaren: "Well would you believe it" as Edinburgh outplayed their swanky visitors. Stade Français, who progress to the quarter-finals, have an extra reason for wanting to appear in this season's Heineken Cup final with European rugby's showpiece game in Paris this spring, but on this evidence an appearance in their home city come May is unlikely. A wholehearted display by the ­Edinburgh pack and behind those forwards a terrific second half by the ­smallest man on the pitch, the scrum-half Greig Laidlaw, gave the hosts a deserved and unexpected victory that will also give Scotland's coach, Andy Robinson, encouragement as he prepares his side to face France here in a fortnight's time. Phil Godman, too, had an ­impressive afternoon outside Laidlaw at fly-half, dictating some ambitious moves by the Edinburgh backs against a side who, despite those pink shirts, gave a distinctly monochrome performance. "That was a really pleasing performance and it shows we can compete with the best in Europe," said Edinburgh's coach, Rob Moffat. France's clubs are having a profitable Heineken Cup campaign but Stade were desperately disappointing and Martin Johnson would have winced at the sight of James Haskell, who he would have pencilled in for a place in his back row against Wales on 6 February, limping off the field near the end. At the home of Scottish rugby there was a minute's applause before the game for the sport's most evocative voice, the occasion given extra poignancy with McLaren's grandson, Jim Thompson, playing on the left-wing for Edinburgh. Stade's players joined in the applause but turned up in a stroppy mood after last week's 70-week ban handed out to their prop David Attoub for gouging. They also turned up without a regular scrum-half, another banned player ­Julien Dupuy one of three No9s unavailable, and it was the former Edinburgh player and Scotland full-back Hugo Southwell who stepped into the breach, as he had done against Bath last week, and who led out the side at a stadium he knows so well. Last month Edinburgh beat Bath in a blizzard here and yesterday the ­players had to cope with incessant rain that prompted the thought that anyone venturing on the open-top tourist bus rides down Princes Street must have had an odd sense of fun. The wet conditions were always going to make handling difficult and the first half was a flat affair. Edinburgh settled pretty well, though, with Chris Paterson landing two ­penalties, the reward for some early adventurous play by the hosts in which Thompson, in particular, looked sharp, first cutting in from the wing and then almost going through with a zig-zagging run. In between Paterson's kicks, however, Stade went ahead with a soft try. The ­visitors lost their line-out after ­spurning the chance of a kickable ­penalty but when play broke up the Stade pack surged forwards and Pascal Pape broke a tackle from Ross Rennie and dived through a pile of bodies to plonk the ball down beneath the posts. The loss with a knee injury of ­Rennie, who could be on the open-side flank when France come calling in the Six Nations in a fortnight, was a blow to Edinburgh but they came out after the break in ambitious mood and Paterson landed his third penalty to restore their lead. Stade brought on another former Edinburgh player, Simon Taylor, who had been restricted to only 40 minutes of action all season as his litany of ­injuries continues, but instead of galvanising the visitors it was Edinburgh's pack who took control. The last 20 minutes took place almost exclusively inside the Stade half and, although the Edinburgh pack were ­unable to batter their way over for a try they will not care a jot. Thompson and Godman missed penalties that could have made the scoreline more comfortable but Stade hardly looked likely to regain the lead. The game ended, with the whistle for "no side" as McLaren would have said, with Thompson kicking the ball joyously into touch. It seemed appropriate somehow.