Rugby: Webster stakes claim for return to Capital colours

Published on Tuesday 27 October 2009 08:46

SCOTLAND threequarter Simon Webster has sent a "count me in" message to Edinburgh Rugby after making his comeback from an Achilles tendon injury in the Scottish Hydroelectric Premiership at the weekend.

Webster, capped 37 times for his country, played for the first time since helping Scotland A capture the Nations Cup in June when turning out for Dundee High at Boroughmuir at the weekend.

He is now waiting to see whether an 80-minute shift will be the passport to a Magners Celtic League clash with Newport Gwent Dragons at Murrayfield on Sunday.

"Hopefully I'll be available for this week," said Webster, 28, who scored a try but couldn't prevent Dundee slipping to a 25-26 defeat. "It is obviously up to the coaches and the physios and selection is out of my hands. If they pick me, I'll do whatever they want."

Clearly Webster, with exactly 100 competitive games on his CV, is keen to return to the Edinburgh scene as quickly as possible.

What's more, his team record of 28 tries puts him within striking distance of the 34 of the league's all-time top try scorer, Ospreys' Tommy Bowe.

It would be satisfying for Webster to close that gap but there are pros and cons attached to a swift return for, while a fully-fit Webster would undoubtedly be an asset in a title-chasing Edinburgh team, a more measured return could see him hit the heights of 2006 when he was involved in all of Scotland's 11 outings.

"I'm very close to being back involved again with Edinburgh but there's only the Newport game before the break for Autumn internationals," he explained.

"By holding off, I could use November to get super fit because it's exciting to think that I could use the next few weeks to get myself to the peak level of sharpness I felt I was at three years ago."

The main thing, according to Webster, is that he is finally feeling no more discomfort from his troublesome left ankle.

"I've had problems with my ankle since 2006 and, although I never missed a training session or a game, there was a bit of pain I lived with on a daily basis.

"I did pre-season training but finally waved the white flag and headed for a London surgeon, Otto Chan, who had helped Edinburgh colleague Simon Cross overcome Achilles trouble.

"The recovery was timed at two to three weeks but, in the middle of this period, I tore my plantaris tendon which runs down the back of the knee.

"You don't really need this tendon and some people are actually born without it but the fact it tore left me needing an operation, albeit one where you walk in and walk out of the hospital the same day.

"That set me back but thanks to Dundee High I was able to experience the good feeling for a rugby player of wakening up on a Sunday knowing you've been knocked around without anything serious being wrong.

"I was also able to get out of bed knowing I no longer have to hobble around thanks to the medics." Saturday's clash at Meggetland was Webster's first taste of premiership action and he found the experience rewarding. "First and foremost I'm disappointed I wasn't able to help Dundee win but the general standard of the premiership was good. There is a certain type of pressure on professional players turning out in the premiership because you don't want to be a big shot. I was particularly grateful for support received from Ross Lemon whose place I was allocated and genuinely it was about trying to help Dundee win, which I couldn't do.

"But we came close enough for Boroughmuir to be reliant on a very good goal-kicker as we scored four tries to two and, on a personal level, I'm further down the road to match fitness even if the way Edinburgh have been going means there is now another battle to be confronted trying to get in our team.

"We're third in the table at the moment so, whenever I return, it will be to a team contesting top spot and that is what is deserved on the evidence presented by the likes of younger colleagues including Greig Laidlaw and Scott Newlands and their awesome work ethic."