Starstruck Dean determined to make up for being sold Davies dummy
THERE was a refreshing honesty about Chris Dean’s assessment of his performance during Edinburgh’s 26-10 defeat to Scarlets last Friday night. In the age of stage-managed press conferences and scripted soundbites, it was a surprise to hear a young player speak so candidly about where he had gone wrong.
Dean allowed himself to be sucked in by a decoy run from Jonathan Davies which left a huge gap for Rhys Patchell to exploit on the wrap around for a try in only the second minute of the match.
“I had a bit of a rocky one last week, I took a bit of a mental hit early on. It is something I have to learn from and something [Edinburgh head coach] Duncan Hodge has been very good in helping me get through this week,” admitted the 23-year-old.
“I personally built the game up, I was playing against one of the guys I have idolised for years in Jonathan Davies and let my emotions get in before my game-head early on. I have never done anything like that before that has ended up in a try for them. It was a big learning experience in terms of how to switch that head off and get back into the game because it took a wee while.”
It would be grossly unfair to single out that one error in judgement as the root cause of all Edinburgh’s failings on Friday night, but it was a costly mistake because it set a bad tone very early on, and the Scarlets went on to score three more tries in the next half hour.
Dean started life as a flanker and admits that he is still adapting to life in the centre. He is having to make that transition in a fairly brutal environment, as part of a team desperately struggling to find form. But he insists that his development is not being hindered by spending so much time playing on the back foot.
“I have loved every minute of playing, I feel I have developed throughout the year,” he said.
“So, overall it has been good, but it is a team sport and you want to be part of a winning team and that is what I am striving for with this club – to turn it into a winning side,” he added.
Edinburgh have a huge opportunity to transform the whole tenor of their season tomorrow night when they take on La Rochelle in the quarter-final stage of the European Challenge Cup.
It is a huge challenge against the in-form team in Europe, as they are currently 10 points clear at the top of the French Top 14 league ladder.
One young Edinburgh player who will not be involved in tomorrow night’s game, or any of their remaining matches this season, is first year pro Lewis Carmichael, who has been sent off to struggling Australian Super Rugby outfit Western Force on a short-term loan deal until the end of their season.