Cokerill will get us crowing
RUGBY LATEST Hamish: We’ll make big noise
Edinburgh back-row Hamish Watson believes the capital club can impress in the upcoming Champions Cup.
Given Edinburgh’s poor form before Richard Cockerill turned things around last season they have been used to playing in the second-tier Challenge Cup competition in Europe.
However, they are now back with the big boys af ter last term’s encouraging Pro14 campaign.
They have been drawn in Pool 5 with English Premiership semi-finalists Newcastle Falcons, last season’s Top 14 quarter-finalists Toulon and runners-up Montpellier.
Cockerill will return to the French Riviera to face his former side Toulon who he guided to the 2017 final.
And Watson said: “Playing in the Champions Cup will be a challenge for all of us but it’s one we’re relishing.
“Knowing what Cockers is like and the ambition we have we won’t make up the numbers. We are there to get out the group and take a few scalps.
“Not many of us will have played in the competition before but we are in better shape to make an impact than we were five years ago.
“Last season we won 15 games in the league which was the most of any team along with Glasgow.
“There is excitement around the camp and there is also more pressure on us to perform. We exceeded e v er yone’s expectations last year.
“The fans, players and the coaching staff will want more of the same or go further and get into the semis or final.
“A good run would show a wider audience what we can do whi le we have positives off the f ield w ith
Gary Heatly
sponsors, players and a new stadium. Hopefully, we will be in our own stadium in around a year’s time.
“It will be good to have our own base, it’s something that has been talked about every year I’ve been at the club.
“Everyone loves Murrayfield but having our own full-time base will be great to have from 2019-20.”
Watson, who has 20 international caps, missed out on the summer tour due to a shoulder operation.
He added: “I’ve had the surgery and the injury repaired. I’m aiming to be back in around five weeks.
“It was quite gutting when I saw John Barclay get his injury at the end of last season because we’ve done wel l together in the back row for Scotland.
“It’s not ideal to have something like that happen to you when you arrive at a new club.
“It is a big loss for us on the f ield but John can sti l l offer us something off the pitch.”