Duhan van der Merwe made a blockbuster return from injury, scoring two tries to lead Edinburgh to a hard-fought victory over Dragons at Rodney Parade—and in the process, spoiled what should have been a fairytale farewell for home hero Aaron Wainwright.

The Welsh number eight was playing his final home match before joining Leicester Tigers this summer, but Edinburgh had other plans. Van der Merwe, making his first appearance since an ankle injury sidelined him in February, proved the difference-maker in a thrilling contest that saw the Scottish side secure three straight United Rugby Championship wins for the first time this season.

Edinburgh led 14-10 at halftime thanks to a player-of-the-match performance from hooker Ewan Ashman and a try from Tom Currie. Dragons hit back through Dillon Lewis, but the visitors looked dangerous every time they had the ball, with Darcy Graham especially lively on the wing.

After the break, Harrison Keddie gave Dragons the lead with a superb team score, and the home crowd sensed an upset. But even with Edinburgh down to 14 men after two yellow cards, Van der Merwe took over. The powerful winger crossed twice in the second half to settle the match and remind everyone why he's one of the most feared finishers in the league.

For Dragons, the result means they now travel to Scarlets for their final league match needing a win to avoid finishing as the bottom Welsh side. Wainwright will hope for a better send-off in his last game before the move south, but on this night, all the spotlight belonged to Edinburgh's returning star.