Edinburgh Rugby debrief: Reality check, squad depth exposed and the four issues at stake in 1872 Cup

Edinburgh have won admirers for their commitment to attacking rugby this season and it was there to see again on Saturday against Wasps. Unfortunately for the capital club the English visitors just had a little too much up front and won 34-30 in this European Challenge Cup quarter-final tie. So where did it go awry for Mike Blair’s side?

Edinburgh not quite there yet

It’s easy to forget that Blair’s Edinburgh project is still in its infancy given the strides made this season under the new coach, particularly at home. But back-to-back defeats at the previously impregnable DAM Health Stadium have been a bit of a reality check as Wasps followed Ulster in winning on the artificial surface.

Edinburgh have the United Rugby Championship play-offs to look forward to but it’s hard to escape the feeling that the Challenge Cup represented their best hope of a major honour this season.

A home tie against Wasps was never a gimme but it looked a better bet than a URC quarter-final in Ireland or South Africa.

Ultimately, Edinburgh came up short against the Premiership side whose pack power proved too much.

Blair batted away suggestions that Edinburgh are not yet up to winning games at this level but the visitors seemed to have a bit too much nous.

The coach will point to the last-16 win over Bath which was Edinburgh’s first victory in a knockout tie for seven years but he knows they have to be able to win these games on a regular basis to be considered genuine contenders.

Injuries left Edinburgh short of game-changers

Blair noted ruefully last week that he could probably name an international XV of injured players and his squad was tested to the limit against Wasps.

The Edinburgh coach is trying to manage his players through the final