In their United Rugby Championship opener, Edinburgh showcased their revamped attack strategy under new coach Tim Sampson by triumphing 39-34 over Ulster. The team managed an impressive 34-5 lead within the first 60 minutes, then held off a late surge from Ulster to secure the victory.
"Yeah, a bit of a dream really," Sampson told The Scotsman. "It’s a nine-week pre-season with some new things installed around our framework and how we want to play the game. They embraced the game plan and what we’ve been installing. So it was a bit of a dream to see some of the footage we played and breaking it down in the review meeting."
Sampson, who previously worked with Fijian Drua, brought a dynamic approach to Edinburgh’s gameplay by introducing a wider attacking strategy. This has created more opportunities for the team's skilled forwards and ball carriers.
Meanwhile, the Stormers began their season with a solid 29-15 victory over Connacht in Galway. They'll be entering the Hive Stadium with a similar momentum. Sampson anticipates a tough game and plans to counter the Stormers' robust tactics head-on.
"They're a high collision team, I love the physicality but I think we can use that to our advantage as well," Sampson remarked. "We're just going to have to meet them front on with that, fire with fire."
Edinburgh faced the challenge of starting the season with 17 players unavailable. However, they are buoyed by the potential return of Scotland prop Pierre Schoeman and hooker Ewan Ashman, contingent on their performance in training sessions this week.
"There’s a big chunk of guys who were one to two to three weeks away [from being fit], so hopefully we can get a few back out this week, which will be important, no doubt," Sampson noted.
With both teams looking to capitalize on their successful starts to the season, Friday’s matchup at Hive Stadium promises to be a gripping contest marked by strategic gameplay and intense physicality.
