Connor is coming to the Boyle nicely
Blair backing flanker for Scotland call
EDINBURGH head coach Mike Blair believes up-andcoming star Connor Boyle can emulate his close friend Rory Darge and go on to play for Scotland. The pair were team-mates and rivals at Edinburgh both battling for the seven jersey before Darge was moved to Glasgow Warriors a year ago because there were too many openside flankers at the capital club.
The change transformed Darge’s career with the number seven enjoying regular first-team rugby which he didn’t get at Edinburgh. He did so well in his first season at Glasgow he went on to become an important part of Gregor Townsend’s Six Nations squad. He won his first cap off the bench against Wales and was promoted to the starting team for the games against France, Italy and Ireland.
Boyle, 22, is the same age as Darge (below) yet hasn’t had as much game time at club level but that is starting to change. He was man of the match for Edinburgh who beat French side Pau 54-5 in their final European Challenge Cup group game at the weekend where he scored two tries.
The win has secured Edinburgh a home tie in the last 16 in which Boyle will be a vital part of the squad.
Blair admits Boyle hasn’t played that much for Edinburgh because of the high number of top-quality openside flankers there, which was the reason the club let him go to Glasgow just before he took over as head coach.
‘Connor has been outstanding over this whole period and he has really stood up,’ said the Edinburgh head coach. ‘It is a really interesting comparison with him and Rory Darge. Both were sevens at the club and one of them had to go to balance the young sevens out.
‘We know what Rory Darge has gone on to do and there is real belief at the club that Connor can do similar things. He probably took longer to bed himself into the club but we have certainly seen in this period what Connor can bring to the team.
‘Connor’s development has probably not been as quick as Rory as he hasn’t had as much exposure to first-team rugby. Rory got a run of games earlier than Connor got.
‘You have to remember here we have Luke Crosbie who can play seven, we have Hamish Watson who plays seven, we have Jamie Ritchie who plays seven. It is a difficult position to break into. Then we had Rory and Connor as well. ‘They have got to bide their time. Rory moved to Glasgow and got into their first team straight away and showed there what he can do, and likewise Connor has shown what he can do for us after a run of games.’
Boyle is delighted by how his pal Darge is doing but knows for him to come into the international reckoning he needs to become a regular part of the Edinburgh team first.
‘It is nice to see Rory doing so well as we are good friends but I am trying to just focus on myself and play well for this club,’ said the Edinburgh flanker.
‘It is amazing what he has done in a short period of time but I will be just focusing on this squad and the games coming up.
‘The competition we have in the back row at Edinburgh with internationals left, right and centre means it is hard to get a run of games but the opportunities have arisen in the last eight weeks for me and I have been able to take them and I am getting some form back.
‘It had been tough because as young guys we have not had the amount of game exposure as we probably would have had with the Covid pandemic and the Super6 not being on but now that we are starting to get a run of games we will find our stride.’