Rugby: Winning mentality can take Edinburgh to new heights

Published on Wednesday 23 September 2009 09:45

EDINBURGH have nothing to fear when the current unbeaten Magners Celtic League leaders tackle reigning European kingpins Leinster at Murrayfield on Saturday evening.

That's the view of Scotland coach Andy Robinson in looking ahead to a contest that could shape the domestic season as well as offer serious pointers to a forthcoming Bank of Scotland Autumn Test programme when he will have his hand on the tiller of the national side for the first time.

"Leinster understand how to win matches, which is what Edinburgh are now finding out (themselves)," declared Robinson.

As well as a runaway win over Connacht, Edinburgh have squeezed home by margins of one and three points at Cardiff and Ulster in illustrating the point made by Robinson, who added: "Edinburgh have nothing to fear about playing Leinster so long as they get enough ball and look after it, while taking chances when they come along.

"If they do that they'll be fine."

Robinson has been understandably keen to talk up the level of competition that exists for places in the Scotland side which will face Fiji, Argentina and Australia in November – stand off is the only position where he believes there is a dearth of cover – and, in stressing that the door is open, has highlighted three uncapped Edinburgh players in particular.

They are winger Mark Robertson, flanker Roddy Grant and Greig Laidlaw at scrum half.

Laidlaw is something of an unsung hero having had to spend much time in the shadow of Scotland captain Mike Blair who, latterly, has been recovering from a summer Lions tour.

That has given the 22-year-old the opportunity of three successive starts which he has made the most of according to Robinson, who says: "Greig has been given time (on the field) and has worked on his passing and decision- making.

"He has started well and now has to sustain the consistency of his performance."

If Laidlaw finds himself in competition with two Lions – Blair and Chris Cusiter – as well as Gloucester's Rory Lawson, then the task facing Grant is no less severe.

But the Southern Africa-reared Scot is improving with every game according to Robinson, who says: "Roddy came into the Edinburgh team for the final match of last season, at Cardiff, then went with the Scotland A team to the Nations Cup in Romania.

"Since the start of this season he has kicked on again helped by a good pre-season programme.

"He is a much better player even compared to the summer which shows how guys can improve."

Other potential Scotland No.7s mentioned in dispatches by Robinson are Grant's club-mate, Alan MacDonald, as well as John Barclay (Glasgow) and Scott Gray (Northampton).

Robinson adds: "If you consider (Edinburgh's) Ross Rennie, who is currently injured, that makes five international-class breakaway forwards."

Every cloud has a silver lining and, while only four Scots toured with the Lions, the upside, Robinson says, is that the vast majority of the squad have returned rested and refreshed.

"It has been good to learn of the experiences of Ross Ford and Mike Blair with the Lions and, when we had a Scotland training camp at St Andrews last month, Nathan Hines shared a little bit of what he learned.

"The majority of the Scotland players have had rest followed by a good pre-season and that's important albeit if we'd had more in South Africa things would have been managed accordingly."

Each of the Autumn matches brings opponents with differing styles but, of the three rivals, Argentina could have an extra spring in their stride.

That's because they have just been put on standby for a place in the Tri-Nations alongside South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

And, while that might not make Scotland's forthcoming challenge any easier, Robinson says: "Argentina's likely inclusion is great news for the game in general because the Tri-Nations was becoming a bit boring and repetitive in a way you don't get in the Six Nations or even our Autumn Tests series'.

"But one thing about the Pumas is that they know what it means to play for their country and they give everything."