The 79th minute, a five metre lineout and the side with the dominant pack needing a try to grab victory - does that have a familiar ring?

Except there were two differences between Cardiff Arms Park and Murrayfield. The side with the dominant pack were Scottish, but the defenders disrupted the throw by competing for the catch which was enough to condemn Edinburgh to defeat by the Blues.

Given the forward platform they had all game, Edinburgh should really have won with some comfort so no wonder head coach Alan Solomons was disappointed afterwards.

"For the second week in a row we have only ourselves to blame for losing that game," he said.

"It is very, very disappointing and that has made it very, very tough for us to finish in the top six."

That top six target and a place in the top tier of European competition is beginning to slip away from Edinburgh's grasp. They remain eighth in the race with the Scarlets and Connacht.

What made this particularly frustrating was that Edinburgh had the forward power and the wind advantage in the second half, so should have been able to close this one out comfortably.

The home team had a point to prove after parting last week with Kiwi director of rugby Mark Hammett.

All three Blues tries were well taken, but finishing them off was made a little too easy by what Solomons called "system errors" in the defence.

First a penalty kicked to the corner brought an attacking lineout from which scrum half Lloyd Williams was able to dummy his way through to score under the posts.

Edinburgh came back and got a penalty and a man advantage when home No 8 Manoa Vosawai was yellow carded for a high tackle on Edinburgh outside half Jade Te Rure in front of the posts.

Te Rure hit the post with the simple kick, then also missed a penalty kick to the corner, as the former New Zealand Under 20s player struggled.

Edinburgh lost their captain Mike Coman for 10 minutes for ruck offences and the Blues scored a second try just before the break - flanker Ellis Jenkiins bursting through.

It was no great surprise that Te Rure was replaced by Tom Heathcote at half-time and the replacement pulled the strings with his kicking game and then putting blindside wing Tim Visser into space in midfield and the try-scoring machine did the rest from 35 yards out.

The Blues bounced back as Patchell was able to squeeze in at the corner. He added the difficult conversion.

Edinburgh's forward power was keeping them in the game and it was a driving lineout, controlled by Roddy Grant, which allowed them to score their second try with the flanker going over behind his pack.

They had to re-organise the back line with Heathcote and Phil Burleigh going off injured, so it fell to full back Jack Cuthbert to take the conversion and he pulled his attempt wide.

Then they had their late chances, but could not take them.

Scorers: Cardiff Blues: Tries - Williams, Jenkins, Patchell. Cons - Patchell (3).

Edinburgh: Tries - Visser, Grant. Con - Heathcote. Pen - Heathcote.

Cardiff Blues: J Tuculet; R Smith, C Allen (A Thomas 40, G Davies 55), G Evans, T Isaacs; R Patchell; L Williams; S Hobbs, M Rees (Capt, K Dacey 62), A Jones (T Filise 43), F Paulo (L Reed 53), J Hoeata, J Turnbull, E Jenkins, M Vosawai (M Cook 62).

Edinburgh: J Cuthbert; D Fife, S Beard, P Burleigh (A Strauss65 ), T Visser; Jade Te Rure (T Heathcote 40, rep by N Fowles 65); R Sutherland (G Shiells 24-32), N Cochrane (S McInally )60, W Nel (J Andress 77), O Atkins, A Bresler (F McKemzie 60), M Coman (Capt), R Grant (H Blake 77), D Denton.

Attendance: 5,740

Referee: Dudley Phillips (IRFU).