IT was 10 years ago today that Edinburgh defeated French giants Toulouse at Murrayfield to become the first Scottish side ever to reach the semi-final stage of the Heineken Cup.

It was a special occasion and a fond memory for everyone involved, but the fact that it remains the highpoint for Scotland’s pro teams in Europe should be a cause of regret. 

Over the years, there has been decent one-off results for both Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors, and a few promising campaigns. However, when push has turned to shove on the big stage, these two sides have consistently been found wanting. 

This season won’t break that cycle. Glasgow are already out of the Champions Cup having managed just one win from their four – admittedly tough – pool matches against Le Rochelle and Exeter Chiefs. Meanwhile, Edinburgh are on the precipice of securing a home draw in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup if they can beat Pau at the DAM Health Stadium tomorrow night, which would be nice, but let’s not pretend that this second-tier competition is a meaningful gauge of a team’s European credentials. 

But that’s not to say Edinburgh should give up on the Challenge Cup. Far from it. Winning the thing would still be a major confidence boost, and if they can double it up with a strong end to their United Rugby Championship season, then it would reinforce the impression that the club is now heading in the right direction, galvanised by their new home and their new head coach Mike Blair. 

Stuart McInally came off the bench in that game against Toulouse back in 2012, in the days when he was a No 8 full of potential. Now converted to hooker and co-captain of the side, he is understandably reluctant to support the view that the club has treaded water during the last decade, so argues instead that every experience – good or bad – can now help to drive the team forward as they look to finish this season with a flourish and then push on into an even more successful 2022-23 campaign. 

“I was very nervous,” he recounts of the Toulouse match. “In my first couple of games for Edinburgh there were five or six thousand fans there, then suddenly there were 37,000 and I was coming off the bench, a young lad for Netani Talei. I came on just after 70 minutes and I remember the first thing I did was a No 8 pick up and I got absolutely smoked but we won a penalty. I was relieved my first touch wasn’t going to cost the team. It was one of the great memories I have of playing in Europe and I can’t wait for Friday night. 

“Those experiences of coming up short in big European games in the past are going to stand us in good stead,” he added.  “You don’t often see a team come from nowhere to suddenly win a tournament in a year, so I believe all the experiences that we’ve had in the recent years – that Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat to Munster in 2019 and the PRO14 semi-final lost at home to Ulster in 2020 – all leave us in a better place because we have learned lessons from them. 

“A big number of players here were involved in those games and the feeling of losing is never nice. Someone like me who’s a bit older has been through a lot of that. But I firmly believe we’re capable of winning this tournament and winning the league, and that’s what we’re trying to instil in everyone. Now it’s about putting the foot down and trying to take control of the last few months of the season.” 

Edinburgh have achieved nothing yet, but they have got themselves into the position where their destiny is in their own hands in both the United Rugby Championship and Europe. 

“You look back at the work we did in pre-season then the tough games we had to grind out early in the campaign, and if there is pressure on you at the end of the season it means you have done some good stuff already and there is a chance to win something,” concluded McInally. 

“That's what we want to try and do. We are certainly aware of the challenge, but we are not afraid of it.”