Edinburgh held on for a draw at Rodney Parade after weathering a second-half onslaught by the Newport Gwent Dragons.

Ben Cairns gave Edinburgh a great start with an incisive run after eight minutes that took the 22-year-old over the try line, Phil Godman converting.

A Godman penalty gave the Scots a 10-0 lead, but the Dragons then took charge.

Richard Fussell replied with a try and Aled Thomas kicked the Welsh level, before Joe Bearman was just denied a winning try in the final seconds.

Heavy rain and a fierce wind promised to make mischief with both side’s handling, but perversely the opening score was a slick backs move.

Cairns had been handed the captain’s armband for Edinburgh’s trip south and he soon laid down an example for his team-mates to follow.

The young centre cut a great angle to scythe through the Dragons midfield, helped by some powder-puff tackling from Ceri Sweeney and Martyn Thomas, and lope away to the line.

Godman added the conversion and then a penalty to give Edinburgh a 10-0 lead with just 15 minutes played.

Further woe for the Dragons arrived when Sweeney took a heavy knock to his shoulder and was forced off, with Aled Thomas coming on to take over at fly-half.

The home side needed some inspiration and it came in the form of Bearman, the burly back-row who picked and drove to punch great holes in the Scottish line.

Once the Dragons pack gave their backs the semblance of a platform a home try soon followed.

Ashley Smith dinked through a delicate grubber-kick and Fussell just beat the Edinburgh cover to dot the ball down, Aled Thomas adding the extras.

Edinburgh lost Nick De Luca to injury just before half-time, the centre damaging an ankle that was soon wrapped in ice but must put in doubt his Six Nations involvement for Scotland against England next week.

Godman missed a penalty for the visitors before the break, not helped by the wet and windy conditions, but Edinburgh still held a 10-7 lead.

Aled Thomas struck a penalty in the 57th-minute to tie the scores, but either side of that kick the physios were being kept busy as the cold and the tackling took its toll.

Both sides went all out for the win in the dying moments, with first Aled Thomas having a snap drop-goal charged down by an Edinburgh rush.

The Scottish defence then harried the Dragons backline so well that the Welsh lost their menacing position on the visitors’ 22, then lost the ball after being repulsed to the half-way line.

It seemed that now Edinburgh would have the chance to snatch the win, only for that man Bearman to intervene once again.

The blind-side ripped the ball clear of a Scottish ruck and then raced away up the right wing.

A match-winning try would have been deserved for his efforts and the Dragons’ territorial dominance, only for another magnificent Scottish tackle - this time from Greig Laidlaw - to deny him.

Last-year’s runners-up Leicester are out of this year’s Heineken Cup after Edinburgh handed them their third defeat of the pool stages.

The Tigers led 9-7 at half-time through three of Andy Goode’s four penalties.

But the hosts, who crossed in the first half through fly-half Phil Godman, hit back strongly with hooker Ross Ford scoring their second converted try.

Godman then added a penalty to leave Leicester, two-time champions, out of this season’s competition.

Leicester looked the hungrier outfit in the early exchanges and it took them only three minutes to get off the mark.

A towering up-and-under by Geordan Murphy sparked panic among the home ranks and captain Ally Hogg was caught offside after Hugo Southwell dropped the kick.

Goode was left with the easiest of penalties to edge his side in front and he doubled the lead after 10 minutes.

Edinburgh replied in positive fashion by launching a series of raids, with Nick de Luca and Ben Cairns to the fore.

But it took until the dying stages of the half before Edinburgh managed to break down the Tigers’ defence, despite being down to 14 men after lock Ben Gissing was sent to the sin-bin for an off-the-ball incident.

Gissing’s departure seemed to inspire the hosts and Godman discovered an extra yard of pace to snap up a classic fly-half’s try, dashing through a midfield gap close to the line.

He slotted the conversion but, predictably, Leicester stepped up the pace in stoppage time and Goode edged them back in front with the last kick of the half.

Edinburgh came out with all guns blazing after the restart, with the Tigers getting the benefit of the verdict when the ball was held up over their line.

But their luck ran out two minutes later as England hooker George Chuter was yellow-carded for killing the ball in the shadow of his own posts.

Godman chipped over the easy penalty to give Edinburgh a 10-9 lead and although Goode put the visitors back in front with 30 minutes to play, the hosts scored the decisive try just before the hour mark.

Edinburgh had been pinned back for a prolonged spell but De Luca and Simon Webster featured in a slick and imaginative handling move which paved the way for hooker Ford to plunge over.

Godman converted from wide out and they had a lucky escape when All Black inside centre Aaron Mauger let the ball squirm from his grasp close to the Edinburgh line.

Goode was then penalised for holding on following a marvellous cover tackle by Hugo Southwell as Edinburgh moved to within a point of the Tigers at the foot of the table.

Scotland hooker Ross Ford has become new Edinburgh head coach Andy Robinson’s first signing for the club.

 
Robinson said of the 23-year-old: “I am really pleased to have an international class hooker joining the squad.

“Ross is a very talented player with huge potential and I look forward to working with him.

Ford, capped 16 times, said: “The prospect of working with Andy was a key factor in making me decide Edinburgh was the right place for me.”

Former Border Reivers number two Ford sealed his switch to Murrayfield after enjoying a productive World Cup, during which he scored his first try for his country.

Robinson believes Fords’ presence will boost competition for places within the club’s front row.

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“We are always looking to strengthen our playing staff and his arrival will provide good competition for the other hookers we have in our squad, Andrew Kelly and Steven Lawrie.”

The in-form front rower could make his Edinburgh debut in the Magners League match at Connacht on 26 October before the Heineken Cup clash against Toulouse on 10 November.

And Ford added: “The Heineken Cup is a great competition with some of the best club players in the world, so I’m really excited about getting stuck into that.

“We could have an all-international front row for the game against Toulouse, so having that experience will stand us in good stead.”

Former England and Bath coach Andy Robinson has signed a three-year contract to take charge of Magners League outfit Edinburgh.

Robinson was officially introduced at a Monday media conference.

And Scottish Rugby chief executive Gordon McKie said: “This is a major coup for Edinburgh and Scottish rugby.

“Andy Robinson’s arrival is a clear sign of our very serious intent to build Edinburgh Rugby into a major force in professional rugby.”
 
The 43-year-old Englishman’s appointment as head coach follows a summer of turmoil for Edinburgh.

The club was the subject of an often heated dispute between Bob Carruthers’ franchise and the SRU.

And, when control of the club was returned to the national body, it led to the departure of coach Lynn Howells, while Australia fly-half Stephen Larkham’s move to the club was cancelled.

But the internal problems have not deterred Robinson, who was forced to stand down as England coach in November after a poor run of results.

“My career in rugby has always thrived on challenge and I was instantly attracted to the challenge of taking Edinburgh Rugby forward to the next level,” he said.

“I was fortunate enough to spend my formative years in rugby at Bath, one of the best club rugby sides in history, and I plan to apply what I learned there, and in my international career, to take Edinburgh to new heights.”

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Edinburgh will hope that Robinson will be able to match his success at Bath, who he led to the Heineken Cup, and as deputy to Clive Woodward when England won the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Edinburgh chairman Gavin Hastings said: “In his 21 years in senior rugby, as both player and coach, Andy Robinson has delivered time and again.

“His appointment to the role of head coach at Edinburgh is a bold, imaginative move that underlines just how serious we are about taking this club forward.”

Robinson, who had an illustrious playing career as a flanker with Bath and England, faces his first test as Edinburgh head coach against Ospreys on Friday.

Australia fly-half Stephen Larkham will not be joining Edinburgh, the Scottish club has confirmed. Larkham agreed to make the move in May, but the deal was in doubt after the club returned from private hands into the control of Scottish Rugby.

Nic Cartwright, chief executive of Edinburgh, said the deal was off, adding: “Stephen has opted to secure a new playing contract elsewhere.

“Obviously we wish him well with his next move.”

The 32-year-old former World Cup winner had said he was looking forward to moving to Edinburgh, amid mounting speculation that the SRU would scrap the transfer.