As he draws breath and reflects on an action-packed first fortnight as an Edinburgh player, Lee Jones has urged supporters to sign up for what he believes will be a thrill-a-minute season in the Magners League and Heineken Cup.
The 22-year-old addition from Selkirk, who is equally at home at scrum-half or on the wing, hopes to play an active role in the capital club’s new campaign, and has called upon fans to snap up season tickets and ensure they don’t miss a second of the top class fare on offer.
Jones, who impressed as a regular in the Scotland Sevens team last term, has been struck by the determination in the Edinburgh ranks to fly out of the traps this time around, and can’t wait to meet the rest of his new colleagues on their return to training after the summer break.
He said: “It’s a really exciting time to be joining the club, with a number of quality internationals coming on board to go with the huge crop of Scotland stars and up-and-coming youngsters who were already here. I think we’ll be a really exciting team to watch, and the same goes for the Magners League as a whole. Having the two Italian teams involved adds to the appeal of the competition, and if I was a fan, I’d be wanting to savour the spectacle. The team really want to kick on this year, and the more people we have behind us, the better. There are so many reasons for supporters to buy a season ticket.”
Jones is one of a small group of Edinburgh players who have been put through their paces in and around Murrayfield over the last two weeks, before the bulk of the group report for duty. He believes the experience to have been a useful “head-start” in advance of his first season as a professional player.
Jones said: “It’s been good to get to know what’s expected of you before the majority of the guys come back, and it’s also given me the chance to get to know a few boys when the place has been a bit quieter.
“The calibre of player already at Edinburgh in both my positions means it’s going to be tough to get a game, but I couldn’t ask for better people to learn from. You’ve got a British and Irish Lion, Mike Blair, at scrum-half and one of the best finishers in the Magners League, Tim Visser, amongst the wings. My game can only improve working with these guys every day. I feel pretty privileged to have been given this opportunity.”
Jones trusts that positional versatility will work in his favour when it comes to selection. He said: “I’m looking forward to getting stuck in wherever they want me. I played scrum-half right through under-18s to my first season at Selkirk, where I started to get the odd chance on the wing. That was the first time I’d played anywhere other than at nine. Since then, I’ve been predominantly on the wing, with only the odd game at scrum-half. I hope it will to my advantage having a couple of strings to my bow.”
Jones is one of a clutch of new faces who will be turning out in the black and red over the coming months. Esteban Lozada, the Argentina lock, Netani Talei, the Fiji back row forward, and Scottish-qualified tight-head prop Jack Gilding will bring ballast to the Edinburgh pack, while Scotland centre Alex Grove has arrived on loan from Worcester. A host of promising native talent has also joined the capital cast, with Alex Blair, Fraser Brown, Dave Denton, James King, Stuart McInally and Lewis Niven among those making the step up.
Edinburgh's first home game of the new campaign is the friendly against London Irish
WHEN: Friday 27 August, 7.30pm WHERE: Murrayfield Stadium
Tickets are priced £10 for adults and £5 for concessions and under-18s. Phone 0131 346 5180.
Edinburgh season tickets are on sale now!
Benefits include:
- Seating in the most central sections in the stand
- Entry to ALL eleven Magners League home games at Murrayfield
- Entry to ALL three Heineken Cup pool games at Murrayfield
- FREE entry to the away leg of the 1872 Cup derby match between Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby at Firhill Arena
- THREE tickets to the London Irish friendly (one for yourself and two for friends or family)
