“Sometimes [you look to] the coaches, the ref, but no one can do it, you have to do it,” he reiterated. “You can’t be a bystander, you have to make it happen and that’s something I took back to Edinburgh.
“We speak about it, in big moments, not just to accept something and then afterwards review, but actually do something about it. And that doesn’t mean try to be the hero. It means do your job well or put your body on the line for the club, for the fans.”
From the outside looking in, it doesn’t feel like those lessons have been embedded at Edinburgh yet, but Schoeman insists that nobody feels the disappointment of Edinburgh’s two defeats so far this season more acutely than the players themselves.
“The only positive we took from this is the few [bonus] points we got from two away games,” he said. “We know we should have beaten them both and it’s due to our own discipline and our own errors, basically. So it’s something we can fix within the group and individually. And that’s something we look for, taking ownership, around discipline, unforced turnovers, and penalties.
“That’s something we have to correct, especially against a team like Benetton [this coming Friday]. We know what they’re capable of – how they played against Glasgow, winning in the last minutes – so they’re going to be a tough team.
“We have to play for our city, our fans at the Hive. Make them proud and capture some hearts, showing the physicality we’ve shown against Munster but a lot more discipline.”
“When we’re on it we can go toe to toe against big teams and then sometimes we let teams off the hook, let them back in with a soft moment, and that’s something that we’re raising now, that you speak about. It’s unacceptable now.
“So take the learnings from the first two away games. Take the points. We’re already in a better place than last season in terms of points, so we can really use that.
“But you have to learn quickly and you have to implement and adapt. You can’t take half a URC season [to adapt] and then there’s the pressure to finish in the top eight to top four. You have to hit the drum now, you can’t miss a beat from now on. Take the learnings on board.
“I mean, the reviews we have, we’re brutally honest with each other. It’s not like a bloody gentleman’s club where you rock up and you get your wages.
“The boys are putting a lot of effort in and it’s unacceptable how we sometimes let ourselves down and also the fans. And that’s why it would be nice to have all our fans back at a full stadium at the Hive to really play for them [this weekend].
“And to answer your question, the fight the boys showed on Friday is actually something to be proud of, you know? To have four yellow cards and a few things against you, with all that pressure, the boys still fought bloody hard. Towards the end we created that scrum penalty, to create another maul penalty, and then to almost put yourself in a position similar to how Benetton beat Glasgow. Surely that accounts for the fight we show for the city and for the people and for ourselves as a club.”
Schoeman was asked if he was frustrated that Edinburgh didn’t get a final minute penalty which would have clinched a win in Munster last Friday, and was circumspect in his response.
“Yeah, it was like a lot of swimming in the ocean there but you have to just take it on the chin and be even better,” he said, reflecting on how it looked like two or three Munster players managed to slip between binds to bring down a powerful Edinburgh maul as it entered the home team’s 22 only for a scrum to be awarded to the Irish side by referee Ben Whitehouse.
“But you shouldn’t make it a 50-50, you should just see Edinburgh jerseys and no other jerseys. Make it easier for everyone.”
Another player in a position to bring valuable lessons from a summer on international duty back to Edinburgh is fellow loose-head prop Boan Venter, who was a surprise call-up to the South Africa squad.
“He had an excellent summer also,” agreed Schoeman. “I think he played four or five of the Tests and they’ve obviously won the Rugby Championship back-to-back, and they were some tough, gruelling games, [especially at] the set-piece.
“So, he can bring a lot of learnings back to Edinburgh from his experiences in mauls and scrums. He’s in good shape as well, fit and strong, so I’m really proud of him also.
“I just think, massive credit to him. He’s good enough and the opportunity came so he pursued his dream, and credit has to go for the work he’s put in since he’s joined Edinburgh. You know all the watt bikes, the squats we’ve done, the conditioning. Also the mental resilience through the injuries, through selection, through all of these things, he stayed strong. So really, really happy for him.”