ALAN MACDONALD today urged Edinburgh to keep their feet on the ground after opening the new season with a 22-15 friendly win over English champions London Wasps.
Next up for Edinburgh is a trip to Bath tomorrow and Macdonald was able to draw on bitter memories of a similar fixture 12 months ago when he insisted nobody gets carried away. Referring to how Edinburgh crashed 41-10 at the Recreation Ground, back-r
ower Macdonald, who twice produced memorable turn-overs down the home straight against Wasps to help keep the lead intact, said: "We've had a good, positive, start – but we definitely still have a few things to work on as well. Games will only get tougher as they start to come thick and fast." If everyone in the Capital squad plays to the final whistle the way 23-year-old Macdonald did on Saturday there will surely be little to fear.
To crown an enterprising individual display, the former Heriot's ace firstly emerged from a ruck set up by Wasps near the Edinburgh line clutching ball in hand. Then, when play moved upfield, it was Macdonald who prevented a late counter-attack by somehow intercepting the opposition scrum half's pass from a ruck.
Playing down those contributions he said: "The most satisfying aspect was seeing the team get to know each other better with everyone chipping in at some stage or other. It wasn't perfect all the time despite the fact we had our moments off-loading possession from tackles, running in support of the ball carrier and putting in double-hits in defence. There were other occasions when we failed to convert chances."
Edinburgh spurned no less than four great chances against Wasps, and Macdonald added: "In league games you don't get many chances so, when they do arise, you need to be clinical. As the season unfolds that will be the difference between winning and losing."
Macdonald put in a 41-minute shift at Bath last year as the springboard to a 2007-08 season which, although interrupted by injury, saw him start seven of Edinburgh's last nine games. And he means to carry on where he left off.
"The positives are there to be built on especially as we came through a period of Wasps pressure to finish in the ascendancy," he said. "At Bath the result could go either way but we have to make sure we keep progressing in terms of performance."
After that the phoney war will be over with Edinburgh handed the toughest possible start at home to reigning Heineken European Cup winners Munster on Friday September 5.
The full article contains 445 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
