DARCY Graham hopes that Edinburgh will embrace a more expansive style of play under new coach Mike Blair, but has echoed other senior players in the squad by insisting they will not abandon some of the less glamorous virtues instilled in them by Richard Cockerill.

The winger was a marginal figure at times under the former coach, whose structured game plans left little space for improvisation. In common with Duhan van der Merwe on the other flank, Graham would venture infield at times looking for work, and never shirked his defensive duties. However, his primary quality, and the reason he has excited spectators since his early days at Hawick, is as a wide attacker: one who needs very little space in which to work his magic.

And that magic, of course, only works when he has the ball in his hands. Hence his hope that in the coming season, which begins a week today for Edinburgh with a friendly at their new stadium against Newcastle, a more adventurous approach will be taken.

“Hopefully I see a lot more ball,” the 24-year-old said at the launch of Edinburgh’s kit launch. “I always want to see more ball – if I get 15 touches, say, in a game I’ll always want more. Nothing for myself really changes: I’m still going to go out looking for that ball and get my hands on it.

“The style of rugby we play hopefully will be a bit more expansive, but we need to be controlled in that area. We can’t get loose or over-play or play ourselves into trouble. We have to be smart at all times: we have to keep the values Cockers brought in and be smart rugby players.”

When Blair was appointed interim Scotland coach for the three summer games that in the event did not go ahead, he insisted he was not going to try to reinvent the wheel, but instead would build on the foundations laid by Gregor Townsend. He is now preaching the same message at Edinburgh.

This is not Year Zero. There is no need to make a completely fresh start. Real progress was achieved under Cockerill and the departure of the man does not mean the abandonment of all of his methods.

“There have been changes, but it has been smooth,” Graham said when asked about life under Blair. “We’re professional about it and crack on. Back when we got the news Cockers had left we just had to deal with it.

“Mike has come in and done a really good job setting up what he wants from us. The senior players have kept hold of what Cockers has brought in, so nothing has really changed for us. As players we just hold on to the same values from when Cockers came in, which is working hard, keep it tight, be disciplined. We work for each other, so nothing has changed in that aspect.”

Graham, who last played in his team’s Champions Cup defeat by Racing 92 in early April, spent much of the summer recovering from shoulder surgery. Now fully fit, he cannot wait to return to action.

“My recovery has been pretty straightforward. Everything has come together really well; I’m feeling in a good place.

The Racing game was a long time ago, so I’m ready to get fired in and put my body back on the line again.

“I’m excited for this season with new boys coming in, fresh faces into the coaching group and playing staff. It’s an exciting season with the new ground as well. I’m very excited to get going and get the fans back in here and get the noise going.”

With his younger brother Clark continuing to recover well from the life-threatening injuries he sustained in a car crash at the start of the year, Graham is in a good place emotionally as well as physically, and finds it easy not to get too stressed for too long when things go wrong on the pitch. “Always enjoy the good days,” he concluded. “You’ve just got to live life. There’s more to life than rugby – that’s one thing I learned. I’m lucky to have such a close family in such tough times.”