‘Love’ for capital sees Jaco sign on

JACO VAN DER WALT admits he’s ‘fallen in love’ with the capital after becoming the fourth Scotland international to extend his Edinburgh contract in the last fortnight. The 26-year-old South Africa-born fly-half (below) follows Hamish Watson, Jamie Ritchie and Blair Kinghorn in committing his future to the club. The stand-off’s new contract — for an unspecified period — was announced 24 hours after he was named in Gregor Townsend’s squad for the Six Nations. Van der Walt, who arrived from Super Rugby side Lions in November 2017 and has notched 373 points across 66 appearances, said: ‘I have fallen in love with this city. My wife and I have made it our home and we’re delighted to have committed to spending our future together in Edinburgh. ‘Playing here has definitely tested my game. I’ve really had to develop my skills. I still have a lot more to learn about the game and I’m excited to grow and develop those skills with Edinburgh. The club is in a good place and we’re building a really strong side.’ Head coach Richard Cockerill added: ‘Jaco has been a very consistent performer. His attacking attributes, kicking ability, bravery in defence and overall knowledge of the game are pivotal to the way we play and he’s been a top-class operator in the No 10 jersey for the last three years. ‘Jaco has worked incredibly hard on his game and showed he was capable of making that step up to international rugby. It meant a great deal to him and we were all really proud of his achievement.’