Edinburgh Rugby plan perception change as key figure signs new deal

It’s been a disappointing campaign for the capital side who are out of contention for a play-off place in the United Rugby Championship and were eliminated earlier this month from the European Champions Cup.

Edinburgh are in the process of overhauling their coaching staff in a bid to reinvigorate the club for next season and new appointments are imminent.

Assistant coaches Scott Mathie, Michael Todd and Rob Chrystie will all leave at the end of the season but head coach Sean Everitt is to remain. Lawrie is also staying put and, like Everitt, has agreed a new two-year deal.

Lawrie said his twin aims were making his hometown club successful while developing young talent.

A talented pack

“For me, the opportunity at Edinburgh is massive. It's my own club, I see a huge amount of potential. As much as we've been disappointed with how we've performed this season, and there's no getting away from that, I see a lot of talent coming through in that pack in particular. It was an easy choice and an easy decision to extend. It's a challenge that I'm excited to go forth with.”

Lawrie, a former hooker who was capped once by Scotland, has been part of the Edinburgh coaching set-up since 2019 and has worked under Richard Cockerill, Mike Blair, Steve Diamond and Everitt. While there have been high points during that time, the club has struggled to shake off a reputation for underachievement and inconsistency.

Lawrie said it was vital that Edinburgh now finds an identity under the new coaching group which is expected to be revealed this week with the appointment of attack and defence coaches to replace Mathie and Todd.

Finding an edge

“It's about us finding that edge,” he said. “There's aspects of our game that you go, ‘yeah, do you know what? You've got to say they've got a good scrum. On transition, they're good when they've got their guys lighting it up at the back’.

“I'd want them to say it's constant, relentless and, for me, I would say we've lacked that, if I'm honest with you. We need to find it and call a spade a spade.

“I've been here through the Cockers years, I've been here through Mike's years, Dimes for a bit, and then Sean. I think, for us, it's making sure that there is that clear identity. We're a good set-piece team at times, but then sometimes it falls off. We're good in an attack sometimes - we put away Toulon - but sometimes it falls off.

“I would suggest that we need to make sure that the training environment is such that we're showing a more consistent edge.

“It's perceptions. The perception out there at the minute isn't as positive as we need to make it and it's because of how we're playing.”

Both Everitt and Edinburgh’s MD Douglas Struth stressed Lawrie’s deep-rooted connection to the city and club as important factors.

“Stevie is an Edinburgh man through and through – he understands this club, he understands what it means to the city, and that connection runs deep with our players and our supporters,” said Everitt.

Struth added: “Retaining Stevie was a priority for me. He is a hugely important figure at this club – not just for what he delivers on the training pitch, but for what he represents. Stevie is one of our own, and that matters.”