AS a 21-year-old in his breakthrough season with Edinburgh, Scotland lock Grant Gilchrist could have been forgiving for thinking that professional rugby was all about playing in front of big crowds at Murrayfield, and glitzy occasions such as European quarter and semi-finals. The reality has, unfortunately, been very different on occasion.
However, the capital pro outfit and Gilchrist have a chance to write another few lines in to the annuls of Edinburgh’s European adventures with a Challenge Cup last-eight tie against Cardiff on Saturday evening. And enjoying the moment – and hopefully the outcome – will be important for the 27-year-old "veteran".
“It is a long time ago since we competed in the Heineken Cup,” Gilchrist reflected. “It was my first full season when we had a good run to the semi-finals. That year was a whirlwind, I was just trying to keep up with the guys and stay in the team. To play on the pitch with heroes of mine like Chunk [Allan Jacobsen], Mike Blair and Chris Paterson was something else.
“Dents [David Denton], Matty Scott and myself were making the breakthrough that year and I remember sitting in the changing room in Dublin [after losing to Ulster in the semi-finals] really disappointed, because we had put ourselves in a good position. You want to be part of those kind of games again.”
There is just a handful of games remaining in this campaign. For Grant, each could have a "cup final" billing. Equally, each match could be labelled "can win", which has much to do with the confidence and belief coursing through the Edinburgh squad currently, something that hasn’t always been evident in recent times.
“There hasn’t been a feeling like this at Edinburgh for quite a few years after the Six Nations, so I am buzzing,” said Gilchrist. “We have big games to the end of the season and that is what we want, but now it is about stepping up. We have to give everything from now until the end of the season.
“I always believed we had a good group of players, but in other years we have built things up and not delivered. I have always seen potential, but now it is starting to come to fruition.
“However, I know there are a lot of people out there waiting for us to trip up and say ‘see you weren’t the team you thought you were'. It’s up to us as a group to keep going and prove them wrong and we have to make sure we earn more respect each time we take to the field.”
For Gilchrist, the new-found focus owes much to coach Richard Cockerill.
“Cockers is good at managing different people to get the best out of themselves while we push each other on too. All credit to him and the other coaches for the way they have turned this thing around. It has been massive.”
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