But Michael Bradley's men refused to lie down, fighting back from all three touch downs and crossing the whitewash themselves - through WP Nel late in the game - to head back to Scotland with a losing bonus point for their efforts.
And Leinster coach Schmidt couldn't help but admire Edinburgh's resolve, believing them to be well placed to improve on last season's RaboDirect PRO12 disappointing finish of 11th.
"They've [Edinburgh] got more steel than they had last year, certainly in this competition," Schmidt told The Scotsman.
"Even though they had the ability last year, they're starting to grow into that ability. They're a very tough team to break down.
"It is indicative of their steel this year as compared to last year [in the RaboDirect PRO12]. But it is not overly surprising that we are just a few paces off things at the moment.
"They were able to put pressure on us right until the end. It was a little bit nerve-wracking.
"We got the win, a pretty untidy one, but we knew that, after the last result here against Edinburgh, that they would come here with a lot more resolve.
"As I said before the game, they're a team that has certainly stepped up from last season and we always know that we're vulnerable at this time of year."
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