Laidlaw hopes new Murrayfield set-up can build support

Edinburgh captain Greig Laidlaw has hailed the new set-up for fans at Murrayfield a great success ahead of the new professional season, which kicks off in earnest against Cardiff Blues on Friday (7.30pm).

Edinburgh appear in good shape, having won back-to-back pre-season matches over Sale Sharks (28-22) at their Stockport home, Edgeley Park, and Alan Tait’s Newcastle Falcons at Murrayfield last Friday (20-17).

However, while the results bode well, Laidlaw, who on Friday scored all but five of his side’s points on the way to being named man of the match, is adamant that they’ll count for nothing when the RaboDirect PRO12 League kicks off on Friday night.

“Two wins from two is always good but we have to reiterate that these were only pre-season games,” said Laidlaw. “To move forward we have to win our first league game against Cardiff – that’s the big one.

“Cardiff will bring a high level of physicality in the tackle and breakdown and have some good ball players who will challenge us with their attack.

“To combat that we’ll need to be aggressive when we carry the ball and will need to work together in our defensive systems.” The Newcastle match was the first with the new stadium set-up which has relocated supporter seating to the much-closer east stand, while a perimeter standing area has been created around the other three sides of the pitch, to get supporters right on top of the action. Laidlaw added: “The crowd were fantastic on Friday, the boys really like the new set-up and the supporters seemed to enjoy it as well so hopefully that’s something we can build on in the weeks to come, starting this Friday.”

Laidlaw was yesterday named in a 25-man squad by head coach Michael Bradley in a back division that could feature fellow Borderers Gregor Hunter, Lee Jones and John Houston.

Edinburgh squad (v Cardiff, Murrayfield, Friday): Forwards from: S Cox, D Denton, GGilchrist, J Gilding, R Grant, A Kelly, S Lawrie, E Lozada, A Macdonald, L Niven, S Turnbull, K Traynor, H Watson. Backs from: T Brown, P Godman, G Hunter, J Houston, L Jones, G Laidlaw (capt), C Leck, M Scott, J Thompson, T Visser, S Webster

Ulster squad (v Glasgow, Ravenhill, Friday): Forwards: P McAllister, C Black, J Cronin, D Fitzpatrick, A Macklin, J Burns, A Kyriacou, N Brady, D Tuohy, L Stevenson, T Barker, N McComb, M McComish, P Wannenburg, C Henry, W Faloon, R Diack. Backs: P Marshall, I Porter, I Humphreys, P Jackson, I Whitten, L Marshall, N Spence, D Cave, P Nelson, C Gaston, C Gilroy, A D’Arcy.