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Joseph Suaalii welcomes Nawaqanitawase's Wallabies return as Fiji switch possible
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'We’re desperate now... they’re expected to win, everybody has written us off'
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Dublin has been a graveyard for so many Scottish teams over the past quarter of a century that it takes a leap of the imagination to envisage an Edinburgh triumph over Leinster in Sunday’s European Champions Cup round-of-16 tie at Aviva Stadium.
The capital side have lost on their last 18 visits to the Fair City, with their last victory coming more than 20 years ago, a 27-13 win at Leinster’s former Donnybrook home in November 2005.
Scotland’s travails across the Irish Sea have been well documented – one win out of 15 in the Six Nations era, none in their last nine since the sole success in 2010.
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Glasgow may be the last Scottish team to win in Dublin – albeit seven years ago now in April 2019, one of just two in their last 22 visits over the past 20 seasons – but they have endured their fair share of horrors too, notably a 76-14 trouncing in the URC quarter-finals in June 2022 and last season’s 52-0 rout in the last eight of the Champions Cup.
Edinburgh head to the Aviva in wretched form, having lost six of their last seven matches including the last three, ending any lingering hopes of making the URC play-offs.
Hooker Ewan Ashman is one of five players who experienced a chastening defeat at the same venue only three weeks ago, in Scotland’s failed Triple Crown attempt on the final day of the Six Nations.
With their season all but over if they lose on Sunday, the Scotland front-rower insists Edinburgh will be up for the fight against Leinster’s Lions-laden line-up.
“We’re desperate now,” Ashman said. “The way we look at it, they’re expected to win, everybody has written us off and we need to go in without pressure on us and play our rugby – don’t go into your shell because you’re at the Aviva.
“You have to go out there and throw the first punch and try to impose yourself on them and throw the kitchen sink at it. That’s what we’re hoping to do.
“Leinster are a great team and playing them at the Aviva, it doesn’t get much bigger in Europe. There’s no doubt it’s a huge game for us. It’s going to be backs-against-the-wall stuff but I’m confident in the boys standing up, having a bit of edge about them and bringing the fight.
“I’m looking forward to it. We need to keep our season alive, it comes down to this and we need to fight for everything.”
A dozen Leinster players were involved in Ireland’s 43-21 victory over Scotland last month, so Ashman is under no illusions about what is coming Edinburgh’s way.
“Obviously it will be similar players, a slightly different system, although the game plan is a similar one,” he noted. “We are pretty familiar with their players, the threats they have, for example [Jamison] Gibson-Park at nine, and the way they play. Hopefully it’s not a shock to us because we have seen it a few weeks ago.
“It’ll be nice to go back out there and hopefully get a better result than the last time, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Although it will be a completely different Leinster starting team on Sunday, Glasgow did offer Edinburgh a possible template a week after the Six Nations with a thumping 38-17 URC win over the Dubliners at Scotstoun.
“The physicality they brought was definitely a big key to their success,” Ashman added. “Any time you go and play a top team in Europe, you have to have something about you, a bit of edge. It was a fantastic win for Glasgow and hopefully we can replicate that.”
