No fear for high-flying Edinburgh
There will be no fear in the Edinburgh camp when they take a step into the unknown and play their first European Cup semifinal, and they have pledged to play with freedom to cause another upset.
Having gone further than any Scottish team has ever gone before in Europe with their 19-14 win over Toulouse at Murrayfield in the first quarterfinal of the weekend, the confidence is oozing out of every pore.
Prolific wing Tim Visser said that the squad has been energised by their landmark victory over the French powerhouse and added that they are eager to recreate that intensity in their semifinal.
He said: “This is the biggest thing that has ever happened to this club and it is unbelievable. Now we really have got something to look forward to for the rest of the season,” said wing Tim Visser.
“We can’t wait for the semifinal to come and we will go in with the same level of commitment and self-belief that we used against Toulouse. You’d like to think you grow into these big games and it felt like that today,” added the Edinburgh flyer.
Visser added that having already exceeded expectations the Scottish side will be able to play with freedom and express themselves when they run out for what is essentially the biggest match in the club’s histroy.
“Now we have an incredible occasion to build for and there won’t be any pressure on us at all. We’ll just go there and play our game,” he said.
Head coach Michael Bradley, who has managed to take a team into the semifinals in his first season of coaching in the European Cup, was full of praise for his players and can’t wait to head back to his native Ireland to play for a spot in the final .
“This is where teams want to be competing – in major semifinals and winning them as well. We’ve got a good blend of season pros and youngsters in this side – it really is a good balance,” said Bradley.
The Edinburgh coach added that although the win over Toulouse was an amazing achievement for his side, he is aware that their performance was by no means perfect and pledged to work hard in order to ensure that they are as competitive as possible in the semifinal.
“We didn’t show everything we can do against Toulouse and there is plenty still to work on, as well as a lot to look forwards to,” he said.
