Edinburgh relish European stage

THE difference between competing with the leading sides in Europe and beating them will not be lost on Edinburgh supporters who witnessed their club slicing open Northampton in their first home match of the Heineken Cup last year.

Scoring three wonderful tries, the Scots played with an élan that promised much more than it eventually delivered. Mistakes in defences again proved costly as the English side hit back to win the game 31-27 and duly went on to push Leinster all the way in May’s final. Edinburgh were left ruing small errors in an 18-17 defeat in Cardiff, five-point loss to Castres in France before winning at home, a heavy reverse at Franklin’s Gardens and then insipid one-goal defeat at home to Cardiff.

Jim Thompson played on the wing through last year’s campaign and while he was a lively presence in Edinburgh’s positive play, he experienced the ruthless side of Heineken Cup rugby when his opposite number in the Northampton team Paul Diggin managed to grab five tries in the two games against Edinburgh.

However, as he prepares to go up against another leading English side in London Irish, starting this time at full-back, away from home and with lethal attacker Topsy Ojo in his sights, Thompson believes that Edinburgh are heading into the Madejski Stadium this afternoon an older and wiser side for their experience.

“We probably should have won the first game against Northampton,” he acknowledged, “and it was great that we ran Northampton so close, but we didn’t win. It’s about getting the ‘W’ because that’s what you’re judged on at this level.

“When you play against English teams you always know that you’re going to be up against a huge pack because they need that to play in the Premiership. It will be physical and tough, but it’s a great challenge for us. The Treviso pack last Saturday was probably the biggest we’ll come up against. If we can match them I’m sure we can match the London Irish pack as well.

“And the pressure is on them because they are playing at home and they have to win. We need to win games as well, but in the first game away it will be a big bonus to pick up any points. You have to do that in the Heineken Cup because if you lose a few games you’re out.

“We’ve got a game-plan and hopefully it will work. We’re a year older now so hopefully we’ll be coming out on top in these tighter games.

“This is another great opportunity; a chance for us to pit ourselves against an English team. We’re used to playing the Welsh, Irish and Italian teams, but we’ve now got London Irish and then Racing Metro next Friday and that’s very exciting. The Heineken Cup is a great challenge and we can’t wait to get involved in it.”

Edinburgh have made just one change to the starting line-up that defeated Treviso at the Stadio Monigo last weekend, young No8 Stuart McInally returning for Fiji captain Netani Talei, which, in turn, brings Roddy Grant back on to the bench.

Back five forward Sean Cox is also back from a knee injury, and takes over from Stevie Turnbull, and centre James King makes the step from club rugby with Melrose last weekend to the bench in the Heineken Cup as coach Michael Bradley opts for his versatility over scrum-half Chris Leck.

Harry Leonard is rewarded for two good performances in his first starts for the club and will face London Irish’s Kiwi controller Dan Bowden. Leonard, Matt Scott and lock Grant Gilchrist make their Heineken Cup debuts as will full-back Tom Brown if called from the bench.

Thompson is excited by the young talent emerging and believes that that, allied to the quality of internationalists such as Allan Jacobsen, Ross Ford and Geoff Cross in the front row – where Edinburgh need to gain a foothold today to have a chance of upsetting their hosts – is what could make life difficult for London Irish, Racing Metro and Cardiff in this year’s Pool 2.

Asked about whether he also viewed this as a potential stepping stone back into the Scotland squad, having sat on the bench without getting a cap in Argentina in 2010, he added: “I can’t keep thinking about that. It was frustrating not getting on, but it was a great experience to be on the bench for Scotland. I haven’t been involved since. I’m aiming for that but the main thing is to play well for Edinburgh. If I do that, especially in the Heineken Cup, then there might be opportunities.

“I want to play well for Edinburgh and win for Edinburgh. There’s nothing worse than playing and not winning.”

London Irish: T Homer; T Ojo, S Shingler, S Hape, A Thompstone; D Bowden (capt), R Samson; A Corbisiero, J Buckland, P Ion, N Kennedy, M Garvey, B Evans, J Gibson, J Sinclair. Subs: B Blaney, M Lahiff, F Rautenbach, J Sandford, R Thorpe, J Ansbro, A Jarvis, P Hodgson.

Edinburgh: J Thompson; L Jones, N De Luca, M Scott, T Visser; H Leonard, M Blair; A Jacobsen, R Ford (capt), G Cross, E Lozada, G Gilchrist, D Denton, R Rennie, S McInally. Subs: S Lawrie, K Traynor, L Niven, S Cox, R Grant, G Laidlaw, J King, T Brown.

Referee: R Poite (France).