EDINBURGH have set out their stall, saying a place in the top half of the Guinness PRO12 is non-negotiable and they gave themselves a perfect start by beating a team that are always among the title favourites. Yet, they know this was far from a perfect performance and they are going to have to play a lot better if they are to keep up the momentum they have generated.

"We made a lot of mistakes in the first half, but in the second we took a lot more control," was the verdict from Alan Solomons, the head coach. "We created a number of opportunities to score but never got over the line — we will have to take a good look at that.

"I am well pleased with the win, though. Leinster are a good side. Both teams were missing a lot of players but they were two good teams out there and that was an important win for us. It was our first competitive hit-out of the season but there were still too many errors and too many penalties."

It was a special night for Damien Hoyland, the wing dealing with the pain of being cut from the Scotland training squad after winning his debut cap a fortnight ago. The club had been forced to move the game away from BT Murrayfield and decided to take it to Meggetland, the place where he started to play. He could even see the pitch where he first picked up a rugby ball.

So to score two tries in only his second game for the club made it a special night and he was obviously delighted even though he admitted: "They were probably two of the easiest tries I have ever scored."

That said, he had to wait for the second half before he saw much of the ball, even though his side had plenty of possession once they had weathered the early Leinster onslaught, with handling errors dominating the game and the sides level at the break with Isa Nacewa kicking an early penalty for Leinster and Nathan Fowles levelling matters for the hosts.

The second half was Hoyland's with his first try giving Edinburgh the breathing space they needed before he rounded the game off with his second both coming from forward pressure.

Scorers: Edinburgh: Tries: Hoyland (54, 78). Pen: Fowles (24), Cuthbert (71)

Leinster: Pen: Nacewa (17, 58, 73).

Scoring sequence: 0-3, 3-3 (half time), 8-3, 8-6, 11-6, 11-9, 16-9.

Edinburgh: J Cuthbert; D Fife, C Dean (J Johnstone, 23), S Beard (G Tonks, 65), D Hoyland; P Burleigh, N Fowles; (S Kennedy, 59) R Sutherland, N Cochrane, J Andress (S Berghan, 76), A Bresler (F McKenzie, 51), B Toolis, C Du Preez, R Grant (C) (H Watson, 59), N Manu.

Leinster: I Nacewa; F McFadden, B Te'o, N Reid, D Fanning; C Marsh (R Byrne, 55), L McGrath (I Boss, 55); M Bent, A Dundon (B Byrne, 48), J Hagan (R Burke-Flynn, 48), T Denton ( R Molony, 43), M McCarthy, K McLaughlin, (D Ryan, 51, sin bin: 77-end) (C), D Leavy (P Dooley, 63), J Conan.