{"id":113369,"date":"2025-05-19T03:49:36","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T03:49:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/113369\/"},"modified":"2025-05-19T03:49:36","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T03:49:36","slug":"magnus-bradbury-insists-that-edinburgh-are-in-it-to-win-it-ahead-of-urc-play-offs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/113369\/","title":{"rendered":"Magnus Bradbury insists that Edinburgh are in it to win it ahead of URC play-offs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MagnusMagnus Bradbury powered over the whitewash for two of Edinburgh’s seven tries against Ulster on Friday night. Image: \u00a9 Craig Watson –
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AS he spoke to the press after Edinburgh\u2019s emphatic and uncompromising win over Ulster at Hive Stadium on Friday night, Magnus Bradbury carried the demeanour of a man pleased to have won that battle but cognisant of the fact that there is still a long way to go in the war,\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

With qualification to this season\u2019s URC play-offs and next season\u2019s Champions Cup secured thanks to that bonus-point victory in the final home game of the season, the powerhouse No 8 \u2013 who had just scored two of his team\u2019s seven tries in a player-of-the-match performance \u2013 paused briefly to savour the moment, but was soon looking ahead again \u2026 and not just at his team\u2019s league quarter-final in a fortnight\u2019s time, but also towards further progress beyond the summer.<\/p>\n

Something has clicked these last two months at the capital club. The catalyst was undoubtedly that awful defeat to Zebre at home on 14th February, and while this recent progress has been very much a player-driven phenomenon, credit is also due to head coach Sean Everitt<\/strong> and his management team for laying out the game-plan and facilitating the environment for the side to grow in belief and conviction.<\/p>\n

URC: Edinburgh book their place in play-offs with big home win over Ulster<\/a><\/p>\n

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The team are playing with accuracy and courage, the work-rate is terrific, and while they are still a long way from the finished article, they have shown in valiant defeats to Sharks and Bath that they are now hard to beat.<\/p>\n

A sold-out Hive Stadium bounced to the rhythm of the home team\u2019s high-tempo rugby on Friday night, with Bradbury as a stand-in captain leading the charge as part of an all-action back-row unit which also featured big performances from Ben Muncaster, Hamish Watson<\/strong> and departing Jamie Ritchie<\/strong> off the bench, while the half-backs pulled the strings expertly, and Darcy Graham<\/strong> stole the show with a hat-trick of tries which further fanned the flames of confusion around his recent Lions snub.<\/p>\n

Chat of a coaching clear-out this summer has subsided, much to relief of the Murrayfield beancounters who can ill afford to be paying off contracts and going through costly recruitment processes at a time when Scottish Rugby is looking to turnaround \u00a310m+ deficits in the last two years \u2013 but Bradbury has been around the block enough times to know that the pendulum can swing back the way it came very quickly if momentum is not maintained.<\/p>\n

He was punchy but not unpleasant as he assessed his team\u2019s recent upturn in fortunes and discussed what lies ahead for a club desperate to shed its\u00a0reputation as chronic underachievers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked about a fast start \u2013 last game at home, great night for it \u2013 and contrary to what we\u2019ve done before, we kept the foot on the throat,\u201d said Bradbury.<\/p>\n

\u201cUlster came back with that penalty try and then they scored next, but after that we worked on our communication and buying into the words that we were saying. We delivered on it. The boys did their jobs, we all did our jobs, and that\u2019s what happens when you get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, when it was suggested that Edinburgh have everything to gain and nothing to lose in the play-offs given that they will be written off by everyone outside of the camp regardless of whether they end up facing Leinster in Dublin or Bulls in Pretoria [they\u2019ll know which one by about 8.30pm on Saturday night], he retorted:\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not a shot to nothing, it\u2019s where we want to be as a team, and we know we can beat any team if we\u2019re on it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll take it as it comes. See what that looks like, have a couple of days off now, and then come back in Thursday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bradbury also pushed back when asked if he and his team-mates feel a sense of vindication at making it into the top eight after under-performing so frustratingly at the start of the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say under-performed, no. I think any club when you get a new coach, you have to go through that transition period. So under-performance is the wrong word for me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think where we\u2019re at now is great. We\u2019ve had a huge mentality shift over the Six Nations with stuff I\u2019ve already spoken to you guys [the press] about before.<\/a> It\u2019s about putting that onto the pitch next game and then not looking too far ahead. But it\u2019s exciting to see what we can do with a decent pre-season as well. Build on the strengths we\u2019ve built through mid-season and see where that takes us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c[We\u2019re] back in the Champions Cup as well next year \u2013\u00a0top-flight rugby. How good is that going to be?\u201d<\/p>\n

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As keen as Bradbury is to keep the ball rolling, he stresses it is important that the team now have a break before coming back together for one final push through to the end of the 2024-26 campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople think about it and obviously you guys think about it from a \u2018how do you keep momentum going\u2019 standpoint, but you need to think physically and mentally. We\u2019ve had a huge, huge past eight weeks. We\u2019ve had South African teams, we\u2019ve had play-off rugby, we\u2019ve had a huge emotional toll and physically as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo resting the mind is as important as resting the body for me. And that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to do in the next couple of days. I think it\u2019s Monday and Tuesday we\u2019ve got off \u2026 so rest up, saunas, keep off the beers, come back in.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter that Connacht game last week, everyone\u2019s thoughts were on this game. I imagine the changing room is going to be saying, look at the next game now. So again, bottle it up, put it into training and go again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Edinburgh head coach Everitt said that Duhan van der Merwe<\/strong> remains on track to get some game-time before linking up with the Lions in June by making his comeback in two weeks\u2019 time from the ankle he has been sidelined with since the end of March.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re hoping so,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s running and he\u2019s doing really well. So we\u2019re definitely hoping that we have Duhan for the quarter-final.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe players will be off until Thursday, and then we\u2019ll come in and prepare for whoever we\u2019re playing against. And we\u2019ll install that plan on Friday and Saturday and come in the following Monday ready fir whoever we play.\u201d<\/p>\n

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URC: Edinburgh book their place in play-offs with big home win over Ulster<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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