PACE-SETTER Chris Paterson believes Edinburgh are already ahead of the game as they line up for their latest Heineken European Cup bid, against Leinster, at Murrayfield tomorrow.
"It is important to get off to a good start and to win your home games," declared Paterson. "So, the fixture planners have done their bit by allocating us an opening match at Murrayfield which I think is important and hopefully a big home crowd can p
lay a major part in assisting the team."
The new campaign sees leading Scottish cap winner Paterson on the brink of another record. Tomorrow he makes his 49th appearance in the tournament and that could put him in line to become the first Scot to reach the half-century mark – colleague Allan Jacobsen is on 46 – including a stint last season with Gloucester. It was then that Paterson was given a close-up into what is required to lift the European Cup as his old team were ousted by eventual winners, Munster.
Now back on home soil, Paterson, who was speaking at a function in aid of the Breast Cancer Charity "In the Pink", says he is ready to play a part in a team which colleague Ally Hogg has dubbed homespun.
"A lot of this Edinburgh team went to school together and know each other very well. That makes us a great team to be involved in," Hogg said.
The full article contains 242 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
