Edinburgh face stiffest of tests to kick-off Magners League campaign

EDINBURGH'S improvement under Andy Robinson will be put to an early season test when the hosts face the stiffest possible opening night at Murrayfield.

Last season they began in front of nearly 10,000 excited Leinster fans in the Royal Dublin Showground, and the home win proved the start of a successful championship campaign for the Irishmen. Munster have similar ideas of starting well on this side of the Irish Sea and have named a full-strength side that ensures there will be 21 internationalists on the field – all but Doug Howlett in British and Irish Lions contention – when the game kicks off tonight.

The days of the Irish provinces resting their Test talent in the opening fixtures appear over. From the titanic clash of the front fives, where Munster hold the greater experience, the intriguing back row combinations, the all-international half-backs to the southern hemisphere v Scottish centre battle, and the Hugo Southwell v All Black Howlett counter- attacking full-back stakes, there are mouthwatering contests right across the pitch.

The gauge, however, of where Edinburgh currently stand in their improvement may even come before the first whistle. Nick Cartwright, the Edinburgh chief executive, is hopeful of a crowd nudging towards the record of just over 6,000 that witnessed the Magners League derby with Glasgow in the national stadium last season.

A deserved pre-season victory over Premiership champions Wasps followed by a win away to Bath has to encourage rugby supporters around the capital. And their numbers should be swollen by participants from the Air New Zealand Golden Oldies Festival which has brought over 3,000 rugby fanatics to the city for a tournament involving past players aged from 35 to 85, at least from those whose swelling has gone down sufficiently.

For the Edinburgh players there is an understandable apprehension. They feel something stirring, that the team is building, but so too are expectations. They are confident and eager, but cannot know if they are yet able to turn the increasingly regular one-off victories into an ability to beat the best week-in week-out.

One player who underlines the improvement is Matt Mustchin, the lock who came to Edinburgh from New Zealand, via a spell with Ulster. He made his Scotland debut in Argentina aged 31 and, while it owed much to the unavailability of three other locks, it was justified reward for a hugely consistent season.

He cares little for reputations and relishes the big battles, and his attitude seems to have filtered down through the squad; though youngster Nick de Luca, to be fair, casts incredible confidence across the squad as soon as he starts training.

Mustchin excelled last season almost entirely in the second row and yet, tonight, finds himself at blindside flanker – ironically, Tony McGahan, Munster's new Australian coach, has moved 6ft 6in lock Donnacha Ryan back to blindside too, both coaches keenly aware of the importance of the lineout.

This game is not that far off a full Scotland v Ireland fixture, but while in the past the focus on Scotland jerseys proved a distraction at Edinburgh, Mustchin insisted that with the growing number of caps in the squad has come a realisation that the club must be the focus.

"The whole thing for me is playing for Edinburgh," he said. "The Scotland thing is a side issue at the moment, but I know and the guys here know that if we want to play for Scotland, which I do, then you have to play for Edinburgh and if you want to play for Edinburgh you have to play well with the competition for places we have now."

If the heavens open, as is forecast, the forward battle will be decisive. A full-strength Munster may be threatening a new, more expansive style, but they know better than anyone how to play conditions and win.

Facing the Heineken Cup champions on opening night is a huge test for Edinburgh, but Robinson's squad showed with their fourth-place Magners League finish last season that they suit the big stage and now they must prove they belong there.

Edinburgh (v Munster at Murrayfield, 7.30pm; live on Setanta): H Southwell; C Paterson, C MacRae, N De Luca, S Webster; P Godman, M Blair (capt); A Jacobsen, R Ford, G Cross, C Hamilton, B Gissing, M Mustchin, A Hogg, A MacDonald. Subs: A Kelly, G Kerr, S Newlands, D Callam, G Laidlaw, M Robertson, A Turnbull.

Munster: D Howlett; K Earls, L Mafi, R Tipoki, I Dowling; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; M Horan, J Flannery, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell (capt), D Ryan, D Wallace, J O'Sullivan. Subs: F Sheahan, F Pucciariello, M O'Driscoll, J Melck, P Stringer, P Warwick, B Murphy.

Referee: J Jones (Wales).

Club-by-club

• CARDIFF BLUES

Coach: David Young.

Last season: 2nd

New signings: Aled Brew (Ospreys), Richard Musote, Ceri Sweeney (both Dragons), Damian Welch (Cardiff RFC).

• CONNACHT

Coaches: Michael Bradley and Eric Elwood

Last season: 10th

New signings: Keiran Campbell (Ulster), Fionn Carr, Ian Keatley (both Leinster), Sean Cronin (Munster), Mike Roberts (Glasgow), Niva Ta'auso (Otago Highlanders).

• EDINBURGH

Coaches: Andy Robinson and Rob Moffat

Last season: 4th

New signings: Sean Crombie (Boroughmuir), Jim Hamilton (Leicester), Bruce McNeil, Marc Teague, Jim Thompson, Steve Turnbull, Fraser McKenzie (all Heriot's), Chris Paterson (Glouc), Kyle Traynor (Watsonians).

• GLASGOW WARRIORS

Coaches: Sean Lineen, Shade Munro and Gary Mercer

Last season: 5th

New signings: Tim Barker (Castres), Mark McMillan (Wasps), Jon Welsh (GHA), Calum Forrester (Academy/GHA), Ruaridh Jackson (Academy/Glasgow Hawks), Chris Kinloch (Edinburgh Accies), Richie Gray (Stirling County).

• LEINSTER

Coaches: Michael Cheika, Alan Gaffney and Jono Gibbes.

Last season: Champions

New signings: Rocky Elsom (Waratahs), Simon Keogh (Harlequins), Isa Nacewa (Blues), CJ van der Linde (Cheetahs), John Fogarty (Connacht), Sean O'Brien, Eoin O'Malley, Fergus McFadden (all academy).

• LLANELLI

Coaches: Nigel Davies, Paul Moriarty and John Muggleton.

Last season: 6th

New signings: Rob Higgitt (Bristol), David Lyons (Waratahs), Simon Maling (Suntory Sungoliath), Sililo Martens (Sale), Kees Meeuws (Castres), Martin Roberts (Ospreys).

• MUNSTER

Coaches: Tony McGahan, Laurie Fisher and Jason Holland

Last season: 3rd

New signings: Mike Prendergast (Gloucester).

• NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS

Coaches: Paul Turner, Leigh Jones and Dai Rees

Last season: 8th

New signings: James Arlidge (NTT Japan), Shaun Connor (Ospreys), Hoani MacDonald (Highlanders), Tal Selley, Duane Goodfield, Mark Stcherbina (all Cardiff Blues), Grant Webb (Ulster), Tom Willis (Chiefs), Jason Strange (Bristol).

• OSPREYS

Coaches: Sean Holley and Jon Humphreys

Last season: 7th

New signings: Tommy Bowe (Ulster).

• ULSTER

Coaches: Matt Williams and Steve Williams

Last season: 9th

New signings: Robbie Diack (Stormers), Ian Humphreys (Leicester), Timoci nagasu (Fiji Knights), Ed O'Donoghue, Clinton Schifcofske (both Queensland Reds), Cillian Willis (Leinster).