Sean Everitt has confirmed that he is in talks with Edinburgh about a new contract, and says he is eager to stay and build on what he has achieved so far in his first few months as the team’s senior coach.
The South African was only given a one-year contract when he arrived in the summer as successor to Mike Blair, who quit after two seasons as head coach. Everitt’s unusual title, as well as the short length of contract, may have suggested that Scottish Rugby were not wholly convinced that he could be a long-term leader of the capital club. Since then, however, he has proven himself to be an impressive and intelligent figure who has first worked out the direction in which Edinburgh need to travel and has then taken them some way in that journey.
The squad looked out of sorts and short of confidence in their last six months under Blair, who decided he wanted to concentrate thenceforth on being an attack coach. While they were exciting to watch at times, they lacked solidity and sometimes common sense - shortcomings which Everitt has done a lot to rectify.
“We are negotiating for me to stay on at the moment,” he said yesterday. “I’ve got my family here and it’s something that we’ll discuss over the next few days.
“I’m very keen to stay. Like I’ve said before, I’m not a coach that enjoys jumping from club to club. Building relationships with players and making them better is what I see as a reward in my job, so if I’m able to stay on that would be great.”
Asked what had been the priority when he arrived, he continued: “I think it was just giving the guys a clear plan, and then obviously building the game, not only from an attack point of view but from a defensive and game-management point of view too. Edinburgh - rightly with the attack that they have - have played from all areas of the field.
“In the modern game that’s not always possible now, so to manage the game is really important. And I feel we’re still growing in that area, but we’ve made a big improvement.”
Edinburgh finished 12th in the URC last season under Blair but are seventh at the moment, and will improve on that position if they beat Glasgow at Murrayfield on Saturday. There will be a record attendance of more than 30,000 at the match, which is the second leg of this season’s 1872 Cup - the Warriors won the first leg 22-10 last Friday.
“We’re very pleased with how the ticket sales have gone, and I think both teams in Scotland deserve that,” the coach continued. “They’re in the top eight in the URC and both teams play good rugby.
“So I think it’s going to be an awesome afternoon for the Scottish supporters to be able to come and watch their team, whichever one it is. But at the same time I think it’s just reward for the players and the effort that they’ve put in that they’re able to play in front of a crowd like that at home.”
Edinburgh were on top in the first half at Scotstoun last week but were unable to turn pressure into points, and were then under increasing pressure in a second half which saw the home side score two tries to clinch the match after Grant Gilchrist was sent to the sin bin. Everitt knows there are things that his team will need to improve on Saturday, and is confident that the players understand that as well.
“What you saw on Friday night in those conditions, it was tough, but you had two teams going as hard as they could at each other and it was a massive physical battle for us. This week it looks like the conditions will be slightly better so hopefully there will be more entertaining rugby.
“What’s good for us is you get a second bite at the same plan and it’s about executing it more accurately. We know now what worked and what didn’t work and the things that didn’t work we need to get better at or change.
“And obviously there are things we did well and we need to stick to them. The guys have bought into it this morning. We know what let us down in that game.
“We were leading at 10-8, although under the pump from the number of penalties we conceded consecutively. But we were leading 10-8 on 65 minutes then got the yellow card and conceded two tries. We knew we were in it all the way along and we just need to tidy up the discipline.”
Centre James Lang, who was injured in the first half at Scotstoun, has an AC shoulder injury. “Hopefully it will be OK in two weeks’ time,” Everitt added.
