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Quarter-final will vindicate Solomons’ vision for Edinburgh

Hamish Watson: recalled for Edinburgh tonight.
Hamish Watson: recalled for Edinburgh tonight.

A place in the last eight in Europe will be further vindication of Alan Solomons’ vision for Edinburgh, underlined by the call-ups to four of his young players for Scotland.

Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Ben Tollis, Hamish Watson and Hugh Blake’s Scotland recognition has given the club another boost ahead of their European Challenge Cup qualifying decider with Bordeaux-Begles at BT Murrayfield tonight, another major staging post in the club’s development under the veteran South African.

And while Blake is well ahead of Solomons’ schedule, he’s particularly pleased for his three young players picked by Vern Cotter.

“To see Hamish Watson , Sammy Cline and Ben Toolis come through and get recognition at national level, I can’t begin to tell you how thrilled I am by that,” he said.

“Those boys have worked hard but they also understand that they’ve earned that reward, not only through themselves, but on the back of the team playing well. So it’s a tribute to the team and they’ll be the first ones to say that.”

But it’s also part of Solomons overall vision for the club, in which coming through tonight effectively a knockout game prior to the quarter-finals is another step.

“We had a vision for the club of developing younger players but I have made the point that they have got to come into a side with a good thread of experience and that is successful in order for them to develop,” he said.

“We’ve won nine of our last 13 games and it’s given me a lot of pleasure to see the young guys coming through.”

New Scotland squad member Hugh Blake can’t be involved because he’s not been registered for Europe, a decision made when he missed time due to a concussion episode after playing in a pro team A game.

Solomons is however well aware of him, although like many he hasn’t seen the 22-year-old, supposedly on a six-month trial with the club, play a full game yet.

“He’s an athlete and a skilful player, but that knock he took during the A game against Glasgow meant that he missed a bit of time,” said the coach.

“My approach with both (fellow trialist) Jade Te Rure and Hugh is that they have come here for a trial, based on what I actually see when they are with us, so I’ve not judged it on video analysis.

“Vern has obviously done his homework on the player and I’ve got no doubt that he is a thorough man and a very good coach and he will have thought carefully about the situation.”

Edinburgh surprised Bordeaux-Begles in the opening game of the campaign by winning in France, and Solomons is certain that success will have a huge beneficial effect on his team.

“It’s important to us, it means a lot of us.” He said of qualification. “The same as the 1872 Cup games meant a lot and our position in the PRO 12, good performances generates further confidence.

“I think they were surprised by us last time, but they won’t be that way again. It’s a pressure mnatch but that’s a good thing.

“Vern will be watching this game, Bordeaux are a good side it is always important to see how players react in pressure situations.

“I am absolutely confident that Sammy, Hamish and Ben’s response will be good. And if they have a really, good game then I have no doubt that will be recognised.”

Solomons has restored Watson to the starting line-up after Roddy Grant has started nine successive games, but feels that Toolis has the engine to continue to excel in what will be his tenth game in a row.

Jack Cuthbert is also rested after feeling “less than 100 per cent” in last week’s last-gasp loss to Lyon, with Nick McLennan coming in at full-back in the only other change to the start XV.

Edinburgh (vs Bordeaux-Begles, European Challenge Cup, BT Murrayfield tonight ko 7.45 pm)

N McLennan; D Fife, M Scott, P Burleigh, T Visser; G Tonks, S Hidalgo-Clyne; A Dickinson, R Ford, WP Nel; A Bresler, B Toolis; M Coman (capt), H Watson, D Denton.

Replacements: N Cocharne, R Sutherland, J Andress, F McKenzie, R Grant, S Kennedy, J Te Rure, A Strauss.