Rugby: Edinburgh’s record Euro try-scorer Cairns targets Heineken Cup return

By BILL LOTHIAN
Published on 11/06/2012 11:59

Edinburgh’s all-time top Heineken European Cup try-scorer, Ben Cairns, is poised to return from injury in next season’s tournament, the draw for which takes place tomorrow.

The 26-year-old international centre, who has nine Euro touchdowns to his name, has been sidelined since the beginning of last season with a knee injury.

However, extensive treatment appears to be paying dividends and the man who signed a new three-year contract in 2010 with the Edinburgh club he has represented over 100 times and also captained says: “I am targeting a return to full training in October.”

Cairns is also determined to add to his cap tally, saying: “I was in the rugby world cup squad just before my injury happened in a pre-season game against Sale.

“It has been a long road back but I definitely feel that when I am back playing well for Edinburgh I can put my hand up for Scotland.”

Meanwhile, Edinburgh’s surge to the semi-finals last time has earned then an all-time high seeding.

Coach Michael Bradley’s team will be in the second of four pools of six teams which are:

Tier 1 – Leinster, Toulouse, Biarritz, Munster, Cardiff, Northampton.

Tier 2 – ASM Clermont Auvergne, Ulster, Leicester, Harlequins, Toulon, Edinburgh.

Tier 3 – Ospreys, Scarlets, Glasgow, Saracens, Connacht, Sale.

Tier 4 – Castres, Benetton Treviso, Racing Metro 92, Montpellier, Exeter, Zebras.

Once the Tier 1 clubs have each been allocated a different pool, no club from the same tier will be drawn in the same pool, and no pool will have more than one club from the same country with the exception of France.