Champions Cup: Mike Blair pleased Edinburgh found a way to beat Castres to claim first win
Edinburgh head coach Mike Blair before the United Rugby Championship match at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh. Picture date: Saturday May 21, 2022.
Edinburgh head coach Mike Blair was pleased with how his team found a way to win in their 31-20 triumph against Castres in the Champions Cup.
Blair’s men also claimed a try bonus point from the clash in a mixed performance at DAM Health Stadium in their first win of the campaign after losing to Saracens in the opening round.
Strong finish to the first half
The coach was delighted with how his side held on defensively in the closing stages of the first half to take a slender lead into the break and how the players responded to adversity.
Blair said: “Today was one of those days where we created a fair bit but the ball wasn’t sticking.
“Sometimes you have days like that and I’m just pleased it came on a day where we were still able to get five points in the bag.
“We found a way to win. We came across some adversity just before half-time, but to not concede in those minutes was really good and meant we could go into the changing room with our chests out after playing into a tough wind and being a point up.”
Praise for the opposition
Blair praised Castres for their performance in a game the French side could have won, singling out their set-piece as a strong area.
“I was really impressed with them,” he continued. “They’ve got size, they’ve got cohesion, and they don’t do a huge amount of special things as a team – but they stick in there.
“And their set-piece was good, so that put pressure on us, especially in the first half when the breeze was against us.”
The former scrum-half refused to mention how many points he thought would see his side to the round of 16, as he is just focused on aiming to win all of their clashes.
“We’ll just wait and see – and try to win all our games,” Blair said.
Edinburgh turn their attention to their clash against fierce rivals, Glasgow Warriors, in the United Rugby Championship on Friday and will be looking to climb from their sixth spot on the table.