The theme of the week from Edinburgh in the build-up to today’s second leg of the 1872 Cup match has been the need for discipline. A high penalty count cost them dearly in last weekend’s match against Glasgow at Scotstoun, and they are well aware that they will have to reduce it considerably this afternoon as they try to overcome a 22-10 deficit.
That attempt will itself need to be conducted in disciplined fashion, as Sean Everitt spelled out yesterday after naming a team which only shows two changes from the one that began the game eight days ago. While his side will go out there with a plan to win the game by the 13 points or more required to claim back the Cup, the senior coach insisted that they will need to go about that in a calm, controlled fashion. Edinburgh failed to pick up a losing bonus point away to the Warriors and are now down to seventh place in the United Rugby Championship table, inside the play-off places by a mere two points. Finishing the regular season in the top eight is the basic aim of the campaign, and with that in mind Everitt explained that garnering some much-needed league points had to be the priority.
“For us it's about the URC at this stage,” he said. “We're going to go out for the win first and then we'll have a look at the possibility of cutting that deficit.
“We'll obviously have the deficit in the back of our minds. But it's about how you [overcome] that deficit. One way is that you cannot concede soft points, and you've got to pretty much suffocate the opposition.
“The week before the Glasgow game we played against Castres, gave away six penalties, and won the game comfortably. When Edinburgh concede less than 11 penalties we win. So it's no secret how important that is.
“We’ve got to get the balance right from an attack and defence point of view and pretty much give them nothing. And the players are all aware of that.”
So when will that deficit move from the back of the players’ minds to the forefront? If, for example, Edinburgh were six points up with five minutes to go, what would they do? Try to close out the win and take the four or five league points, or go for the extra full score that would secure the silverware?
“I think that depends where we are in the field,” Everitt answered. “I honestly believe that if we stick to our plan we can get the desired result. It’s when you go off plan that you concede and it’s something we need to be resilient with.
“Often you’ll see teams with five minutes to go running the ball from their in-goal area rather than sticking to the plan. If we’ve got five minutes to get to the other end of the field we’ll certainly play the game according to the plan that we’ve trained all week rather than going out of structure.”
Of the two changes made by the coach to his starting line-up, one was caused by injury and one is tactical. Mark Bennett returns in midfield in place of the injured James Lang, with the former Warriors player taking up his usual outside centre berth and Matt Currie moving from 13 to Lang’s position of 12. And a back-row reshuffle sees Hamish Watson drop down to the bench, with Jamie Ritchie moving from blindside to openside and Luke Crosbie coming in at No 6.
“For me it was just horses for courses,” Everitt said of that change in the pack. “We went into the Ulster game with Hamish on the bench and he had a massive impact off the bench in that game. Luke Crosbie and Jamie Ritchie played well in those positions as well, so for me it’s just seeing if we can’t bring something different to the table.
“We know that Hamish is a world-class player, he’s a Lion, so we don’t see this as Hamish Watson being dropped for the game. It’s more strategy.
“We’re excited to give both Luke and Mark their opportunity.They are two guys that always give their all to the jersey and they’ll be fired up to get the start against Glasgow.
“The squad can’t wait to represent the city and run out in front of well over 33,000 supporters. The fans will have a massive role to play come kick-off - we want to create a cauldron of noise.”
Edinburgh (v Glasgow at Murrayfield, today 3pm): W Goosen, D Graham, M Bennett, M Currie, D van der Merwe, B Healy, A Price, P Schoeman, E Ashman, W Nel, G Young, G Gilchrist (captain), L Crosbie, J Ritchie, V Mata. Replacements: D Cherry, B Venter, D Rae, M Sykes, H Watson, B Vellacott, C Scott, E Boffelli.
