Edinburgh - a team in need of a home

After a promising run of matches, with victories at home and on the road, Richard Cockerill’s Edinburgh side have had a tough couple of weekends.

First, they lost their quarter-final European Challenge Cup match at home to Cardiff, and then on Friday night lost again, to Ulster – a team they had beaten away only a few weeks before.

Following a series of games in 2018, which must have left Cockerill proud of his charges, these last two games are a little disappointing.

The straight-talker from Leicester has brought a new toughness to his charges at Edinburgh, who have been a bottom-four team in the league for far too long.

He has a squad which has a number of Scotland’s brightest, home-grown talents, such as Blair Kinghorn and Magnus Bradbury and, in bringing a new culture, he has also brought a winning habit.

He is also strengthening his squad by both releasing and signing players. Most recently, he has bolstered his front row resources, bringing in Italian and South African props.

Yet he doesn’t seem to have the same spending power as others in the Pro14 League.

Cockerill intimated that Ulster had probably spent more on one player, All-Black Charles Piutau, than Edinburgh had on their entire backline.

‘ Edinburgh have been hamstrung by not having a proper home

It would be interesting to know if Edinburgh have the same spending power as their counterparts, Glasgow, who last year pushed the boat out to keep Stuart Hogg at Scotstoun, paying him £375,000-a-year on a twoyear deal.

Edinburgh have also been hamstrung by not having a proper, permanent home that generates a good atmosphere at matches.

Playing at Murrayfield when it is even half-full is never good – half-full stadia are soulless places.

Myreside was seen to be the best alternative and the SRU sent Edinburgh there, purportedly for three years, before bringing them back to Murrayfield for the remainder of the season.

The reason for this was for big games, Murrayfield was considered to be the best venue for fans.

Is it therefore surprising that Edinburgh have lost their last two most-recent home matches at Murrayfield? Possibly not. The SRU aren’t helping Edinburgh at all.

The proposals to build stands on the back pitches at Murrayfield may be a good solution. But they are unlikely to be ready for the start of next season.

Until then, Cockerill and his team are left languishing and all the good work at Myreside has gone to waste.

They still have a chance to qualify for the play-offs in the Pro14, but they will have to do this against the odds.