EDINBURGH assistant coach Rob Moffat has hinted that the best rugby might not be seen from his charges so long as they continue to be based in the cavernous Murrayfield Stadium.
A capacity of 67,500 at Scotland team headquarters overwhelmed a 1412 turn-out to witness Edinburgh's latest outing in the Magner's Celtic League - a 13-19 defeat at the hands of Newport/Gwent Dragons.
It was the second successive weekend Edinbur
gh had failed to win on their own pitch and afterwards Moffat said that lack of atmosphere made it possible fans would have to travel to see co-captain Simon Cross and his team deliver victories.
"In the short term there are not going to be huge crowds at Murrayfield. So, when we play away in front of 10-15,000 that is a spur to us," claimed Moffat.
In fact, Edinburgh were beaten, at Leinster, in their only away outing so far in the Magners Celtic League.
Pressed on whether he felt quitting Murrayfield in favour of a smaller, more atmospheric venue Moffat insisted, however, that the onus should be on Edinburgh to prove irresistible to the local rugby community. Also, he claimed that the relative lack of crowd backing had to be balanced with the excellent quality of the Murrayfield pitch. This is unlikely to impress the Dragons fan who rose from his seat last Friday to call for some noise to be generated, asking: "Where has Scottish [rugby] passion gone?"
Nevertheless, Moffat said: "Losing at home is hard to take because it is a lot harder to win away although I think we could be a team that does better on the road. Some sides play a lot better at home than they do away although having said that both our Murrayfield opponents so far, Ospreys and Dragons, didn't adopt the cagey approach many teams visiting here do."
Ospreys' adventure earned a 13-13 draw and Moffat added: "Edinburgh could do better than others on the road... if we perform better at home and win the crowds will improve. [However] with a new squad you have to look for consistency away from home as well."
Watsonians' ground at Myreside has proved Edinburgh's most popular alternative venue although it appears some fans would gladly return to the much maligned Meadowbank Stadium rather than continue to endure the ghostly Murrayfield outwith international days.
Defending the SRU's choice for Edinburgh Moffat said: "I have been at every other [Scottish] team and before coming here I might have thought playing at Murrayfield in front of a relatively small crowd would lack atmosphere.
"I don't think it does. Last year when we had over 6000 for the visit of Leinster [in the European Cup] I thought it was a good atmosphere. Also, we can't underestimate the surface as well because that is a real advantage."
Some critics would insist the quality of the pitch is secondary to generating success and would further argue benefits haven't been apparent so far but Moffat, pictured below, feels the two go hand-in-hand with Edinburgh requiring time to gel.
"You can look for smaller grounds and 10-15,000 capacities but you need a good playing surface and Murrayfield certainly is that. "It is up to coaches and the team to make people want to come and watch. Against Dragons we went out with the intention of playing a lot better than we did. "We want to play a brand of rugby that people will want to come and watch and the players will get excited playing. We didn't do that."
Not from Moffat either any knee-jerk reaction to the absence of internationalists recovering from their World Cup campaign.
Insisting they would return at the appropriate stage, that did not necessarily mean Edinburgh's next outing away to Connacht on Friday week.
Nor does he rule out a title challenge in spite of the first four games yielding a win and a draw.
"Last year Ospreys came from nowhere at the end of the season to win five or six on the trot and top the league," added Moffat.
"I look forward to the World Cup players returning although it is fair to say I'd have preferred a win over Dragons to ensure they came back with an emphasis on having to add to a successful side. However, the players already here are the ones that will have to drive a lot of our season with a Six Nations coming up.
"With that in mind all our players will have to be managed well. We can't just say they will necessarily play every game for us. One positive, though, is that some who are returning will be fresher from having regained fitness having missed a lot of last season."
EDINBURGH prospects Chris Kinloch and David Blair (Accies) as well as Jim Thompson and Chris Fusaro (Heriot's) are among those who today are in line to represent Scotland on the annual IRB international sevens circuit.
They are named in a 12-strong squad to compete under the banner of "Rugby Ecosse" at a tournament in Singapore from October 27-28.
Also selected are Scott Forrest, Colin White, Grant Anderson (Ayr), Calum Forrester (GHA), Stephen McColl (Dunfermline), Mike Adamson (Glasgow Warriors), Andy Dymock (Dundee HSFP), Ruaridh Jackson (Hawks).
The IRB circuit begins in Dubai at the end of November.
