Edinburgh told how to end run of defeats to Benetton

Edinburgh’s coaching team have urged their squad to remain true to their attacking principles as they try to end a run of three defeats against Benetton tomorrow night.

Sam Skinner during an Edinburgh Rugby Training Session at the DAM Health Stadium, on October 04, 2022, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

“The coaches have been good this week,” second-row forward Sam Skinner said. “They have shown their frustrations with where we went wrong, but they have also shown what we can do when we get it right. We have played really well in flashes - there have been some great moments against the Bulls and the Stormers.

“It's about doing that consistently. Easier said than done obviously, but they have said ‘These are our strengths so let's play to them’. That will be the goal this weekend, for sure.”

Benetton have won three and lost one of their four outings to date, so will arrive at the DAM Health Stadium in a confident frame of mind - a far cry from the days when they could be expected to turn up and lose meekly. “There used to be a perception of this league that you would have the odd game where you could pick up five points at home, rotate your squad,” Skinner added. That's just not the case any more, which is brilliant.

“The league is extremely strong and the South African teams have added that level of punch to it as well. And it makes it a really brutal, ruthless league, which is great - it’s what you want to be part of, what you want to play in.

“But it means that we aren’t just going to rock up and take a five-point bonus win at home necessarily.”