Edinburgh are stronger blend

● Lock looks back at previous Euro success and insists Murrayfield side’s current squad are better equipped to fight on two fronts

Grant Gilchrist was part of the last Edinburgh team to make an impression on Europe’s elite competition but feels that comparing the health of the club six years ago with the current squad is like night and day.

Edinburgh made a stunning charge to the Heineken Cup semi-finals in 2012 under Irish coach Michael Bradley, when Gilchrist was in his first season as a pro but the Scotland lock believes the current set-up under Richard Cockerill is far more advanced and the club now have the ability to fight on two fronts.

In 2011-12, Edinburgh ended up in a situation where their top team, which included the likes of Dave Denton, Mike Blair, Greig Laidlaw, Nick de Luca and Tim Visser, was preserved for those big European games while the back-up players struggled to a secondbottom finish in the then Magners League.

As well placed as they are at the top of Pool Five in the Heineken Champions Cup this season ahead of Sunday’s trip to face Newcastle, another semi-final place would still be a highly ambitious target.

However, Gilchrist is in no doubt that the present Edinburgh are built on more solid foundations than that rather ephemeral, dreamlike run when he was just starting out in his senior career.

“I think we definitely have a lot more strength across the board than we did back then when we probably had a strong 23 and then there was not a lot of change across the whole competition,” said the 28-year-old.

“It was almost the same XV at times, the same XV week on week. You can see there is a depth in our squad now though we are hampered a bit by injuries in key positions and during the international period.

“With everyone fit we definitely have a stronger squad that we can use to change guys in and out to be effective.”

Back then Edinburgh topped a group which included Cardiff, London Irish and Racing 92 (then Metro), including a thrilling home and away double over the French side. A famous quarter-final win over Toulouse in front of nearly 38,000 at Murrayfield was followed by a 22-19 semi-final loss to Ulster in Dublin. The young 2 Matt Scott, left, and Grant Gilchrist show their delight after the win over Toulouse in 2012.

Gilchrist played in all but one of the pool games and recalled: “It was my first season with Edinburgh and I was just delighted to be playing and be involved.

“It was a whirlwind, you put yourself in a position and all of a sudden, not too dissimilar to now, if you can get yourself in a position in the first few games then these games start to become really, really exciting.

“For us, being back at the top table was always the goal. The first two weekends, there was a real buzz about the squad anyway but that has gone up, certainly after the weekend [a 31-13 home win over Newcastle]. You only have to look at the table and see what opportunity lies there.

“It is now in our hands, we understand that. I have been here for whatever it is – eight years? – and this is our only chance to get there again since the last time. It adds to the excitement in the squad to go out there on Sunday and see if we can get the win to put ourselves in a great position.”

Edinburgh sit proudly top of Pool Five on 11 points, ahead of Newcastle on eight, but with the French duo of Montpellier and Toulon on six it is easily the most wide open section at this stage, with all four teams still in the hunt.

Another victory over the Falcons, who continue to be hit by a tighthead injury crisis, on Sunday would clearly be a big step towards the last eight but Gilchrist is expecting the English side to be a tough proposition on their home patch, with the familiar face of John Hardie expected to add his Test experience to the mix.

“It’s great to see John back playing,” said Gilchrist.

“He’s a quality player, he was for us and for Scotland.

“I’m delighted for him that he’s got his chance at Newcastle but I hope he doesn’t have his best game at the weekend.”

Gilchrist said the Edinburgh players are relishing these big