Rugby: Record boost for Paterson as Cardiff looms

Published on Thursday 14 May 2009 09:43

CHRIS PATERSON will go into Sunday's concluding Celtic League game with Edinburgh at Cardiff on a high after his 28 points against Dragons last time out were confirmed as an individual record for the competition this season.

The match also heralds a watershed for Edinburgh since in all encounters dating back to the league inauguration in 2001 they have now won 64 and lost 63 with four draws following on from that 43-3 victory over Dragons – the first time they have been in 'credit'.

So far as Paterson is concerned statistics take a back seat to the team's performance. "Dragons were a hard, hard team to break down but hopefully the way we finished left the fans wanting more next season," he said.

The next challenge for Edinburgh is to win six successive competitive matches for the first time while Paterson is hoping that he can follow up his 28 points in the same way that he provided an encore to the 27 he claimed against Dragons in 2006.

"I went from there and scored heavily for Scotland against the Barbarians (31 points) but what was pleasing was the fact I managed a try against Dragons."

Meanwhile, another Edinburgh player going into the final match as a record holder is centre Nick De Luca whose 38-second try against Ospreys last November is the fastest for 2008-09.