BLAIR SOUNDS BATTLE CRY TO EDINBURGH FOR FRENCH ENCORE
EdINburGH head coach Mike blair has called on his players to be inspired by the spirit of 2008 when they face Castres tomorrow.
blair was captain and named man of the match in the 13-6 victory over the same opposition 15 years ago, which was the capital club’s first Heineken Champions Cup win on French soil.
‘That was a team performance filled with guts and determination and we’ll need that again on sunday from one to 23 against them,’ said blair.
‘Castres are a quality outfit and their proud home record is well documented. I was lucky enough to play in the club’s win at stade Pierre-Fabre in 2008 alongside our head of strength and conditioning, Mark robertson, who scored a try and it was a really special day, a great one for the club.
‘Like a few other clubs in France, Castres is the heartbeat of the town and they get good support and have a strong home record.
‘It took a total team performance to beat them back in 2008 and we will need to do the same thing again. This trip to France is an opportunity for the guys to bond and do something special. Winning across there would be great.
‘We’ve spoken a lot this week around Edinburgh’s history and tradition in the Champions Cup as it’s a competition that we really enjoy playing in. There is a real buzz in the camp and I want our players to express themselves in France by fronting up to the physical challenge of a Castres side that will be energised by their home support.
‘We are already all excited at the chance to take them on in their own backyard.’
blair singled out Castres captain Leone Nakarawa, the former Glasgow Warriors forward, as one of the men his team will have to stop if they want to keep their Champions Cup hopes on track.
‘The last game I saw Leone play in was against Exeter and he was excellent,’ said blair. ‘He had a couple of turnovers and was always trying to get his hands free in contact. If he clicks, he is pretty dangerous and he will add that little bit of magic dust on top.’
Meanwhile, scotland prop Murray McCallum has re-joined Edinburgh on a short-term deal until the end of the season.
The 26-year-old, who made 63 appearances during a five-year spell at his hometown club between 2016-2021, will provide injury cover with tighthead prop Angus Williams expected to miss a number of weeks through injury.
McCallum, who has been capped three times for his country, said: ‘There are still a lot of people at the club from when I left in 2021, players and staff so it’s going to be great to see some familiar faces, as well as get to know the new ones. I want to play at the highest level possible and be competitive and Edinburgh are eating at the top table just now so it’s a great time to join.’
EDINBURGH: Immelman; Boffelli, Bennett, Hutchison, Kinghorn; Savala, Shiel; Schoeman, Cherry, De Bruin, Sykes, Gilchrist, Skinner, Ritchie, Mata. Replacements: Harrison, Venter, Scott, Nel, Hodgson, Haining, Vellacott, Blain.