Hamish Watson on winning in South Africa and why Edinburgh are in good shape for Stormers test in Cape Town

Three trips to South Africa in under a year won’t do much for his carbon footprint but Hamish Watson is hoping his experience of winning in the republic can help Edinburgh take a major step forward in their development under Mike Blair.

The capital side landed in Cape Town last weekend to prepare for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship quarter-final with the Stormers. With a full week to acclimatise, Edinburgh feel like they are in good shape and they are buoyed by memories of their victory over the Sharks in Durban in April when they became the first European team to win a URC match in South Africa.

Watson can also draw on his experiences with the British & Irish Lions last summer and the part he played in the first Test triumph over the Springboks in Cape Town Stadium.

The player returns to the ground this weekend for the match against Stormers whose run of eight consecutive victories - seven at home - saw them clinch second place in the URC standings.

“It’s a massive occasion,” said Watson. “I feel we’re already well prepped. It’s quite a big bit of travel but we left on Friday so we’ve had a few days to get used to our new surroundings. We had a really light session on Monday because some of the boys flew out on Saturday and arrived on Sunday, and then we had our first really tough blowout on Tuesday.

“The boys trained really well. There’s a lot of energy, you can tell it’s knockout rugby. There’s that sense that it is a massive game. I think everyone knows at the club how big this game is for all the players and the club as a whole.

“We’re playing in a big stadium that a lot of the boys have never played at before, and it’s going to be really exciting. It’s a great ground to play in and we can’t wait to get out