IN six seasons of Celtic League rugby, Edinburgh have always managed to beat Leinster, tonight's Murrayfield opponents, at least once.
In the inaugural 2003-04 campaign Edinburgh even managed a 'double' – they beat Leinster both home and away – but stakes now could scarcely be higher after a 52-6 roasting last September preceded subsequent Heineken Cup losses on both sides of the Ir
ish Sea. Understandably the mood in the Capital dressing room is one of atonement – as voiced by vice captain, Ally Hogg, pictured.
"We owe Leinster one," he said. "The away match in the Heineken Cup (3-12) was okay, but in the other games we were poor."
Overall the teams have met 11 times in the league with Edinburgh winning six so there is no need to feel inferior, even against the defending champions.
Again Hogg is bullish, insisting: "The key will lie in stopping Leinster getting forward because then they could use a lot of dangerous runners. Getting them on the back foot will give us our best chance." While Edinburgh are on much more familiar lines, Leinster will rest a string of front-liners after qualifying for the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup.
But, according to Hogg, that serves to make them potentially more dangerous. He said: "The whole Leinster squad will be keen to push for a place in the semi-final and this game gives some of them their chance."
If Edinburgh are wary then their prospects are enhanced by developing league momentum with a third straight win, something denied the champions when they crashed 22-5 at Munster last time out.
Test prop Geoff Cross says getting on a roll does provide real benefits. "It can help by giving you an opportunity to maintain the good things you have been doing but you have to start afresh every time in ensuring standards remain high and don't slip," he said.
As regards individual standards Cross has certainly enhanced his reputation this season and pinpoints his main area of progress, saying: "It is about getting more comfortable spotting patterns in front of me and deciding what is most likely to happen in the next few seconds. Then I have to put myself in position to take advantage of that instead of just running about trying to be everywhere at once which is very tiring. That's something I think I'm slowly getting better at."
Meanwhile, assistant coach Rob Moffat has admitted satisfaction at the way Edinburgh were able to keep the scoreboard moving last time out even when confronted by a solid Cardiff defence which restricted them to a single try in a 16-3 win.
Two drop goals from Edinburgh in a match – Chris Paterson and David Blair obliged – is something of a Capital rarity and Moffat said: "Maybe the way we played against Cardiff was not what people noted as the old Edinburgh but you can win in different styles.
"Cardiff defended pretty well but we were on top and the drop goals were one way of keeping the scores ticking over."
Edinburgh will hope they are that bit fresher than their opponents who will include Girvan Dempsey, Shane Horgan and Gordon D'Arcy (boasting 187 caps between them) even if several other internationalists are missing. Coming in from a week off Edinburgh will face rivals having to deal with a five-day turn-around from Sunday's European quarter final.
"There can't be any doubt that situation will help us and those who played in the Six Nations will have welcomed the break even more," says Moffat, who would also concur with head coach Andy Robinson's view that extra incentive lies in attempting to see off two Euro semi-finalists back-to-back bearing in mind Cardiff's eclipse of Toulouse.
"All right, a number of their (Cardiff's) key players weren't playing but seven started against Toulouse and that is another reason why we were pleased," said Robinson.
As for Leinster, that chequered record against Edinburgh hasn't gone unnoticed with defence coach Kurt McQuilken stating: "Edinburgh are a side we rate highly. There's a degree of familiarity between us but we won't be lulled into a false sense of security.
"They like to attack up front as well as out wide. They have a number of top internationals and in Mike Blair they have an outstanding performer.
"Chris Paterson and Nick de Luca are two more international class backs while up front they have quality forwards like Allister Hogg and Ross Ford."
