HAMISH Watson was all smiles following Edinburgh’s PRO14 victory over Connacht at Murrayfield the other evening. Yes, he was happy at being back in the starting XV, and, at having helped his team to a first league win of the season. But the beaming grin only got wider when asked about the new lady in his life, Honor, who arrived on the seen last week, weighing in at a healthy eight and a bit pounds.
“It’s been an amazing week and to top it off with a win has been great,” said the 26-year-old, who found his normally impeccable professional approach knocked slightly out of kilter by his daughter’s arrival a week past Friday and homecoming last Monday.
“It’s been a great week, slightly different in terms of preparation and getting used to functioning on slightly less sleep. The first night I got three hours sleep,” said the Scotland flanker, who was given some fatherly advice from the assembled press scrum that it would get worse.
On the field, Edinburgh should have won by more than 17-10. But having lost their first two PRO14 encounters, winning points meant more than marks for artistic impression.
“It was tough game and a bit of a weird one it took a while to get going,” conceded Watson. who is again likely to feature from the off next weekend against more Irish opposition. “But I think we played pretty well and dominated the game. We had a lot of possession and a lot of territory in the first half. I think we were always in control of the game.
“Towards the end it was a bit squeaky at times. But it was a good win and important for us to get off the mark.
“Leinster away is a tough challenge. Not many teams go there and win. So, that will be a really tough game for us, but in our first two games away from home we’ve done all right and been in the game until the end. We’ll be confident going in to that.”
Privately, one or two of the Edinburgh players were as aggrieved as their coach that the penalty count accumulated by Connacht had not resulted in more of the Irishmen being banished to the bin of sin, Watson diplomatically saying he was “leaving that up to Cockers,” to make known the team’s displeasure.
Off the record, there was real frustration amongst those on the pitch that the referee Welshman Ian Davies, appeared either unwilling or unable to see Connacht’s persistent off-side infringements.
There was a hint of irony that in a week when Murrayfield missed out on hosting Scottish football’s glamour occasions then we had a coach and his players calling in to question the abilities of officials in the oval ball code. How very SPFL.
It wasn’t, however, off the back of points dropped or a defeat that Richard Cockerill had his rant. Yes, Edinburgh toiled at times, but after two losses, a win by whatever means was appreciated.
No, his gripe, entirely justified, was that his side had to play the full 80 minutes, when, has the laws been adhered to properly, it would have been a much easier evening for Edinburgh against a Connacht side which would have been deprived of personnel far more than the 10 minutes when they lost skipper Jarrad Butler.
“Fifteen penalties to four, just one yellow card,” said Cockerill. “If you’re going to let teams cheat like that then that’s what you get.”
In isolation, Edinburgh were hard done too on Friday. However, in their two previous matches, contentious verdicts had cost them. And Cockerill won’t want such occurrences to become a trend at his side’s expense.
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