ROSS RENNIE is vowing to be fully fit for Edinburgh's opening Heineken European Cup clash with Leinster in early October after having to admit defeat in his battle to be recover from knee trouble in time for Friday's Celtic League kick off.
The 22-year-old international flanker underwent surgery to repair cartilage damage shortly after gaining his Test spurs against Ireland in Dublin last February - and then returned to action too quickly.
He says: "I basically had a small cartilage
tear. I came back and it swelled up so I have been given a bit more time to ensure when I return this time it is fixed.
"Hopefully it will be weeks rather than months when I'm back playing."
If anybody is entitled to know about the highs and lows of professional sport it is Rennie whose last outing for Edinburgh was in the 38-8 home win over Connacht in March.
So he speaks with authority when insisting that the team have to keep feet on the ground following two pre-season friendly wins over London Wasps and Bath.
While making it clear it is far better to win that type of encounter than lose the message is that no medals are won in pre-season.
"You can build yourselves up by beating big named teams but you don't actually know what they have done pre-season when up against them" says Rennie, adding:
"They could have done a huge fitness session before the game, for example.
"What I do know is that the strength in depth at Edinburgh is greater than it has ever been.
"In my position alone there is Alan Macdonald, Scott Newlands, Dave Callam, Ally Hogg ... I could go on listing quality players.
"All the more reason that when I do return I am fully fit to compete against them for a place."
What Rennie is equally sure about is the need to get off to a winning start in any campaign.
But the upside of facing European champions Munster is that standards will be set high straightaway.
"Whether I have been playing for Edinburgh Academy, Stewart's/Melville or Edinburgh I have known that the first get of the season sets the tone and shows you where you are at.
"It is all or nothing if the team don't win on Friday in a huge game."
While frustrated to be missing out Rennie is philosophical and to his credit refuses to look backwards.
Speaking at the launch of a scheme which gives fans buying a ticket for any of Scotland's three Bank of Scotland Corporate Autumn internationals free entry to a Celtic League match including the Glasgow-Edinburgh Boxing Day derby at Firhill, Rennie said:
"Yes, my cap happened very quickly and was followed by a downside through injury.
"But it is what happens in the future that matters more than what happened in the past and having watched the win over Wasps from the stand and studied a video of the success at Bath I am optimistic this can be a big season for Edinburgh which I intend to be part of sooner rather than later.
The full article contains 535 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
