Pyrgos admits it is win-or-bust for Edinburgh

HENRY PYRGOS admits that Edinburgh now have no margin for error in their bid to reach the Pro14 play-offs. With just four games remaining, the capital club currently sit in fifth place in Conference B, seven points adrift of third-placed Ulster. A tough run-in begins with tomorrow night’s clash with table-toppers Leinster at Murrayfield, before games against Scarlets, Ulster and Glasgow Warriors. Richard Cockerill will name a strong team today, with the head coach admitting that his side’s league position doesn’t afford him the luxury of resting players who have only just returned from Scotland duty. And scrum-half Pyrgos (right) believes it is now make-or-break for Edinburgh if they are to reach the end-of-season shoot-out for the second year in a row. ‘There probably isn’t (any margin for error) in terms of results,’ said the 29-year-old. ‘We’re in a tough spot in the league. ‘We’re obviously going with a mindset of focusing on each week. We’re probably going to have to win all our games and will have to play really well to beat Leinster. ‘It’s a huge game for us. We’ve got to perform really well. We know the quality Leinster have but it’s exciting being back at Murrayfield with our international guys back.’ With so many of the Scotland contingent now back on club duty, Pyrgos feels that Edinburgh can channel the energy generated by Scotland’s stunning fightback against England at the weekend. John Barclay is also expected to feature at some stage, with Cockerill confirming earlier this week that the flanker is in line to make his long-awaited debut following a ruptured Achilles tendon. ‘The Six Nations is a pretty long tournament,’ added Pyrgos. ‘Some of the boys have been away for a while, so it’s good to catch up with them again. There was a good buzz at training. ‘I’ve had some fun chats with boys who were involved in the game at Twickenham. It was obviously a crazy game, so it was interesting to chat about that. ‘The second-half performance was unbelievable. They are quality players and it’s great to have that quality coming back in to our squad. ‘John Barclay is a quality player. I’ve been fortunate to play with him a bit. He’s just a really good rugby player and a good leader. ‘In the past, he’s captained Glasgow, Scarlets and Scotland, so it will only make us better. ‘Hamish (Watson) is another awesome player. He’s a great ball-carrier at the moment. He’s been really destructive and it’s great to have him back.’