Senior players lead change in emphasis

Edinburgh’s senior players are taking “more ownership” of the team’s gameplan and tactics as the club aim to finally fulfill their potential within the PRO12 and Europe, says scrum-half Nathan Fowles.

The half-back will return to his native city tonight to play for the capital side against Sale Sharks at their old home of Heywood Road in Edinburgh’s first pre-season game of the campaign, but there’s already been a significant change in emphasis.

With all the club’s Scotland players having been involved in pre-season – unlike last year when they were with Scotland preparing for the Rugby World Cup – their influence has been much more marked on the team’s preparations, according to Fowles.

“Things have been a lot more playerled this pre-season,” he said

“The emphasis has been put on us to make sure we are actually reviewing sessions as a group away from the coaches so we have an input into what we want to do going forward.

“The senior players sat down with us and said ‘look, we want to take more ownership’. In the past it has been left up to the coaches but we want to take it on and the senior guys have been in the forefront.

“Their leadership is unquestioned. The likes of Al Dickinson, Ross Ford and Stuart McInally and Grant Gilchrist have had massive amount of experience. That’s invaluable in the pre-season, not just on the field but off the field as well.

“If we want to challenge for the top four, which we think were more than capable of, we need to be doing every little thing that we can as players. That’s really positive going forward and the boys have bought into it.”

Fowles believes that the spirit within the club is now so tight that they are ready to move forward after three seasons finishing in the bottom half of the PRO12.

“Coming to this club really opened my eyes,” he said.

“This is the tightest knit bunch of lads I’ve ever been involved with, it is so relaxed and family-oriented.

“The whole club comes together for social events; it is a really good culture we’ve got here. We had a good start to last season and then it faded off, but we’re determined to sustain that this year.

“The pre-season games really matter, guys are fighting for places. You want to be the first name on the team sheet going into the Cardiff game to start the PRO12. That’s how it is for me personally, but I guarantee that if you ask any of the lads they’ll say the same.

“It’s very exciting. We’ve had some good signings come in; Duncan Weir’s experience with Scotland will help us at Edinburgh and he is running things really well. Glenn Bryce and Jason Tovey have also been looking sharp.”

Fowles has particularly been impressed with S as a Tofilau, who Edinburgh plucked from playing BT National League Two rugby with Kirkcaldy.

“You might have seen a bit of Sasa in the sevens and he is a real force to be reckoned with in the 13 channel. He’s got a lot to improve on still, but he’s gone really well,” said Fowles.

Nathan Fowles has hailed the influence of Edinburgh’s senior players.