Edinburgh can swoop to success at Falcons, insists Nel
SIX games on the road. Six long journeys home spent reflecting on what had gone wrong. Yet for WP Nel, the time for introspection is over — Edinburgh must travel to Newcastle this weekend and plunder the points they need to continue their European adventure.
The tight-head prop admitted yesterday that the whole squad had been left frustrated and angry at themselves over their inability to win away from home in both Europe and the Pro14 this season.
It was a different story in the last campaign. Edinburgh won six matches away from home in the regulation season, leading to them qualifying for the knock-out stages of the European Challenge Cup and the league.
Back then, they took the scalps of top sides such as Ulster and Leinster, while this season they have lost to the likes of Dragons in Wales and Zebre in Italy.
Nel insists now is the perfect moment for Edinburgh to heal their travel sickness at Kingston Park against Falcons as they eye a place in the Champions Cup knock-out stage.
‘At this moment, it looks like a mental thing when we go away from home,’ said the Scotland front-row star. ‘Last year, we had such awesome away trips and this year I don’t know what’s happened.
‘To break our duck away from home against Newcastle would be massive and something we can use as another reason to drive us on this weekend.
‘We have been doing the same as last year away but haven’t won. Maybe it has been the bounce of the ball going against us but it is time we got over that hurdle.’
Nel also admitted that when he saw the strength of the other teams in Edinburgh’s European qualification group — Toulon, Montpellier and Falcons — he felt the Scots would struggle to qualify. Instead, with three games gone, Edinburgh sit proudly top of the table with 11 points, three ahead of second-placed Newcastle and five in front of the French duo.
‘If someone had told us before the group started we would be top just now, I am not sure we would have believed it and some people may have even laughed at the suggestion,’ said the South African, who qualified for Scotland through residency.
‘When I saw who we had been drawn against, I thought it was the toughest group of them all to get out of. To be sitting top of the group now shows how we can beat anybody on the day.
‘We are in a great position to qualify but need to get a win on the road this weekend.’ Nel is expecting a tougher time at the scrum against Newcastle than he got in the 31-13 victory at Murrayfield last weekend. That match was mired in controversy after the Falcons had to play a loosehead on the tighthead side without a bench back-up. Prior to kick-off, Newcastle were refused consent by European Rugby to draft a specialist No 3 into their team following pre-match injuries to three of their regulars in that position. Edinburgh dominated the set-piece to the extent that they forced a penalty try when the Falcons infringed at the scrum once too often. Newcastle head coach Dean Richards said the tighthead issue was part of the reason for the loss.
Nel insisted Edinburgh would have won anyway but that knowing the opposition were understrength had given them an advantage.
‘Tighthead prop is a specialist position and knowing you are taking on a team that are having to play a loosehead makes it easier,’ he said. ‘In some ways you can manipulate things. For them, having a specialist tight-head will make a difference this week.’
WP Nel was part of the Edinburgh squad that made their annual visit to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children to bring festive cheer to the local hospital. The players arrived bearing gifts donated by the squad, the club’s staff and main club sponsor Principal & Prosper, to be handed out among the wards on Christmas Day.