'Great for the SRU but a shame for us' - Edinburgh star Hamish Watson rues 1872 Cup switch to Murrayfield

Having won nine and drawn one of the 10 competitive matches they’ve played at the DAM Health Stadium it’s perhaps not surprising that the Edinburgh players have expressed a little reluctance about reverting to BT Murrayfield for the match against Glasgow Warriors next month.

Around 16,000 tickets have already been sold for the clubs’ final game of the regular URC season and which will decide whether one or both Scottish clubs make the play-offs and who they’ll meet in the last eight.

European places will also be on the line as the May 21 showdown will settle the outcome of the Scottish-Italian Shield, the winners of which will qualify for the elite Heineken Champions Cup.

And then there’s the not inconsiderable fact the game doubles up as the second leg of the 1872 Cup, with Glasgow leading 30-17 from the first leg at Scotstoun.

In short, it’s a huge occasion and it’s not surprising that the Scottish Rugby Union has decided to move it from the DAM Health (capacity: 7,778) to Murrayfield (capacity: 67,144).

It means that every supporter who wants to will be able to attend. It will also see a lot more money pouring into the SRU coffers and, while that will keep the smile on Mark Dodson’s face, Hamish Watson wonders if it would have been better to take the financial hit in order for Edinburgh to retain home advantage.

Mike Blair, their coach, noted this week how much the players and supporters enjoy the claustrophobic nature of the DAM Health and the results speak for themselves.

It’s a far cry from the bad old days when Edinburgh were playing at Murrayfield and around 5,000 fans were rattling around the cavernous arena.

Watson recalls opposition players positively relishing the experience.

“I remember before and after