Opportunity knocks for young Edinburgh scrum-half and the key work-on

With Ben Vellacott out injured, Charlie Shiel having departed and new signing Louie Chapman not due to arrive until November, Hector Patterson has the chance to establish himself as Edinburgh’s first-choice scrum-half when the new campaign kicks off later this month.

The combative Borderer played in the final four games of last season, scoring a couple of tries and signing his first professional contract with the club.

He started in Friday’s pre-season game against Ulster and helped himself to another try in the 28-26 defeat. He acknowledges that this is a “great opportunity” but isn’t getting carried away as he tries to build on his breakthrough last term.

Edinburgh's Hector Patterson is looking to build on his strong end to last season. | SNS Group

“I definitely thought to myself, I only played four games, and in the grand scheme of things that doesn’t mean anything really,” he said. “So I am just trying to keep going from last season, which will be hard, but I just want to try and keep playing at that level consistently and get as many minutes for the club as I can.”

Working on a weakness

Patterson, 21, has been working with Edinburgh’s new defence and attack coaches, Brad Davis and Tim Sampson, with particular emphasis on the defensive side of his game. He and Conor McAlpine got a half each against Ulster on Friday and both looked sharp and dangerous. The former Scotland Under-20 scrum-halves bagged a try each and now have the opportunity to kick on.

Edinburgh will face Harlequins in a friendly on September 18 and the United Rugby Championship season begins a week later with an away game against Ulster. The match will come too early for Vellacott who is recovering from shoulder surgery.

Edinburgh's Hector Patterson scores a try during the pre-season match against Ulster at Hive Stadium. | SNS Group

“It’s a great opportunity for me,” said Patterson. “I’ve been working with the new coaches - they've definitely helped me out a lot on a personal level with my defence side of things, which was probably my weakness and probably stopping me from progressing. That’s been highlighted, definitely, as a work-on.

“But yeah, I’d like to keep going from last season, keep pushing on.”

Knew he was coming

Edinburgh announced in April that New Zealand-born Chapman would be joining the club from Canterbury at the conclusion of the NPC season and is likely to be available from November. Patterson was sanguine about the imminent arrival of a new scrum-half.

“I knew he was coming before I played, and I’m just trying to focus on myself - whatever comes, comes,” he said. “And if I don’t play because he’s here, that’s fine - I know what I need to work on. Hopefully I’ve got time on my side.”

Edinburgh’s first outing of the new season ended in a narrow defeat but it was a useful exercise as they fielded a different XV in each half against Ulster. The coaches had spoken beforehand of playing a faster, more aggressive game, with particular emphasis on their defensive line speed. It will take time to bed in, acknowledged Patterson.

“There was obviously a lot there that we need to work on, and we’ve learned a lot of lessons there,” he said. “But we definitely wanted to go out and show a new side to our defence, sort of getting off the line and meeting them, which I think at times we did - and at other times we didn’t.

“But we’ve learned a lot. And on the whole, not bad: some good things in there, and a lot of work-ons as well.”