EDINBURGH have beaten Glasgow to the signature of up-and-coming prop forward Bruce McNeil, who becomes the latest graduate of the national rugby academy to link up with coach Andy Robinson's team.
It is understood the prospect of remaining in the Capital, where he forged an attachment with Heriot's and played in their Cup Final team last May, was a major influence on the Stranraer-born 25-year-old.
While at Heriot's, McNeil made the most o
f his opportunities to make three successive appearances in the clubs' international side.
In signing a two-year deal he said: "Training with Andy (Robinson) has been a great experience; you listen to everything he says because there is always a motive behind it.
"I love his winning attitude and his hardness; I really enjoy the way he coaches.
"He is straight to the point all the time and he never messes about. I like his direct approach and I think I will continue to learn from working with him.
"I'm really excited to be given the chance to play professional rugby for Edinburgh. Last season when I was part of the national academy I was allowed to train with Edinburgh twice a week, so now it is nice to be able to do that on a full-time basis."
Despite having made his name as an emerging talent at loosehead, McNeil revealed he has been recruited as a tighthead.
He added: "Andy has asked me if I would like to sign as a tighthead and the fact that I will be able to play at either side of the scrum gives me a greater chance. There is a lot of hard work ahead for me to adjust to being a tighthead, but I'm willing to put that in to try and establish myself."
McNeil has followed the same path as John Houston by moving from Hawick to Heriot's before joining Edinburgh.
Now the former Scotland under-20 international says he is aiming to make a similar impact after gaining an insight into Houston's day-to-day routine; the pair share a flat.
He said: "John makes sure I eat the right things and has given me a lot of advice."
Robinson hailed McNeil's attitude as one of the player's strongest attributes.
"Bruce is very promising and his willingness to learn and adapt suggests a very bright future. We are always looking to actively promote young Scottish talent."
Stephen Gemmell, head of the national academy, said: "Bruce has worked very hard and deserves his chance with Edinburgh."
The full article contains 430 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
