Head coach Alan Solomons remained bullish about Edinburgh’s prospects for a top-six Guinness PRO12 finish ahead of what must be judged as a crucial home game against the Dragons at BT Murrayfield.
With just one win from their first five games, defeat to the Welsh would mean that the capital club will have failed to win their first three home games and, coupled to recent heavy defeats at Ospreys and last week to Ulster, most would regard it as a crisis developing for Solomons and his team.
The coach doesn’t believe he is under pressure, however, stressing that the 30-0 loss in Belfast last week was “not a fair reflection of the night’s play” and admitted that his squad were badly missing two key long-term injured men in Matt Scott and DavidDenton.
Denton may yet return in time for games prior to the Autumn Internationals and Scott is due back in early December but, while accepting that his team had to get on with it without the two young stars, he felt they weren’t getting the rub of the green.
Solomons stressed that he was looking at the long game, despite Edinburgh’s depressing start to the PRO12 campaign.
“It’s far too early to say that,” he said to the suggestion that failing to win their first three home games would make it difficult for the club’s stated target, a top-six finish.
“We’ve just started, we’re just at game six.
“We’ve seen Zebre beat Ulster, Connacht beat Leinster.
“This a competitive and strong league but, yes, this weekend’s game is very important.”
Solomons reiterated that two key decisions against Edinburgh, a squint feed at an attacking five metre scrum and a yellow card for captain Mike Coman had skewed the Ulster game.
“Ulster had the edge on us but those were two key moments on that game. We were pressing, then they occurred and Ulster scored two tries that took the game beyond us.
“The scoreline wasn’t a reflection of the night’s play. We didn’t play to the same level against theScarlets but it was pretty much a full-strength Ulster side and, when we play those top sides, we’ve got to be at full strength.”
Minus Denton and Scott, with Grant Gilchrist removed at half-time after a blow to the nose and Ross Ford suffering from a sickness bug that meant he only travelled to Belfast four hours before kick-off, didn’t help his side.
“Sides are going to have injuries, that’s the way it is,” he continued.
“Even when you lose two guys who are first choice for the national side, you have to live with it.
“I think we miss Matt Scott a lot, we miss his explosiveness in the back line.”
Gilchrist will hopefully play a full 80 against Dragons, Ford is fully fit again while Dougie Fife makes his first appearance of the season.
Alasdair Dickinson, Hamish Watson and Tom Heathcote all return to the starting line-up.
Solomons still believes that his side have the spirit and will show it at home.
“The Scarlets game was very important for us after Ospreys.
“I think we showed tremendous composure and character to come back from 17-3 down at home coming off the game in Swansea where we played so poorly.
“We’ve had tough games away from home against Munster, Ulster and Ospreys, leading teams that have invariably been semi-finalists in this league.
“Dragons are a good side with experience in key positions but we are confident going into this game.”