Alan MacDonald welcomed the news that his long term team-mate Ben Cairns has signed a new Edinburgh contract and says he would love to follow in his footsteps by becoming a Scotland international.
Openside flanker MacDonald has played alongside Cairns since they were seven-year-olds and the pair have progressed through the capital’s rugby scene through to the Edinburgh first team.
Now Cairns has signed a new two-year-deal on the back of making his Test debut for Scotland and MacDonald admits he would also love to wear the dark blue jersey at some point in the future.
MacDonald said: “It is a good thing that Ben has signed a new deal and win his first cap for Scotland. It is encouraging to see so many local boys come up through the ranks and become regular first team players at Edinburgh.
Alan is in for next season and you can join him by signing up for a 2008/2009 Edinburgh Rugby Club season ticket. All the action (nine home ML matches, one away match at Glasgow, three home HC games plus free admission for you and a friend for the Wasps friendly on Saturday 23 August, kick off 2.30pm). Call 0131 346 5180 and reserve your place at The Castle and become part of a team that an inspirational capital can be proud of.
“It goes to show that you can get international recognition for Scotland if you play well regularly for either Edinburgh or Glasgow.”
The 22-year-old underlined his qualities with some polished performances for Scotland A during the Churchill Cup tournament in North America and MacDonald says he felt he benefited from the experience.
He said: “I had a few games at the end of the season and it was good to continue that run in North America.
“I tried to improve a few technical points game-by-game and it was a good experience being away and learning off other guys.
“We were thrown into an environment where we didn’t necessarily know everyone, so it was a good challenge and I enjoyed that aspect.”
His challenge with Edinburgh’s other local openside Ross Rennie for the number seven shirt has developed into a fascinating contest and MacDonald acknowledges that competition for places has left the squad healthier than ever.
He said: “I think competition is pretty crucial in terms of making you improve as an individual.
“You have always got other players to learn from, but also to compare yourself against and identify where you need to improve.”
Despite being on the national team’s radar, MacDonald is adamant his primary objective is just to play well for Edinburgh and help the team win as many matches as possible.
He said: “I want to play well and produce performances that I can be proud of. I want to win games and I think if everyone plays to their full potential then we can win games; then we will see where we can go.”
