Stuart McInally believes Edinburgh are capable of winning URC and Challenge Cup double

As one of the club’s long-serving players, Stuart McInally isn’t prone to hyperbole. So when he suggests this Edinburgh side are capable of winning the double, it’s worth taking note.

The hooker made the startling claim as he discussed Friday night’s Challenge Cup Pool C tie with Pau, a match that could open the door to a home tie in the last 16 for the capital club, provided they win.

The format of the competition means that if Edinburgh were to triumph in the first knockout round - Bath are their likely opponents - then they would also be at home in the quarter-finals.

McInally has been around long enough to know that it doesn’t pay to look too much beyond the next game but he has a good feeling about this group who, under Mike Blair, remain unbeaten in competitive games at the DAM Health Stadium.

Edinburgh struggled to win knockout matches under Richard Cockerill, Blair’s predecessor, but McInally thinks the squad has benefited from those experiences, which included narrow home losses to Munster in the Champions Cup quarter-finals in 2019 and Ulster in the Pro14 semi-final a year later.

“I firmly believe we’re capable of winning these big games, for sure,” McInally said. “Those experiences in the past are going to stand us in good stead. And maybe we’ll see a team go from not winning anything to suddenly winning a tournament in a year.

“I believe all the experiences that we’ve had in the recent couple of years, that Munster match, the game against Ulster at home in the semi-final, these are all experiences that leave us better. And I firmly believe that you learn from those lessons.

“A big number of players here were involved in those games. The feeling of losing is never nice. When you get into that position and miss