Given all that has been levelled at Edinburgh’s rugby players in recent years the insertion into the heart of their back-line of a man who has had major cardio issues in a bid to help those around him generate the passion necessary to be winners might almost be seen as ironic.

The health problems Robbie Fruean has suffered cannot in any way be treated lightly however and the very fact that the New Zealander is still playing professionally at a high level should itself be inspirational to those around him as he settles into his new surroundings.

More than a decade has elapsed since, as a teenager, he was warned he might never play the sport he loves again but persistent problems have been more than matched by an apparently unquenchable desire to keep playing and the winner of the International Rugby Board’s under-19 player of the year award in 2007, not long before he suffered the bout of rheumatic fever which was the initial source of his health issues, has had a 12 year professional career.

“He obviously brings a lot of experience from the Crusaders and Super Rugby, and a lot of physicality. He knows and understands the game very well, he’s a very good talker in attack and defence and he’ll be really helpful to Dunky Weir and Chris Dean around him,” Edinburgh coach Richard Cockerill explained after calling the 29-year-old into his starting line-up for a debut against Newport Gwent Dragons tonight.

“There is also his physical presence. There’s no doubting he’s a big man, with good feet and good skills and hopefully he’ll cause some issues with and without the ball.”

His introduction has been postponed by a different problem as he has been given time to shake off knee tendon damage, and the coach credited the club’s strength and conditioning team with otherwise getting Fruean into shape for the season ahead, while expressing confidence that he is otherwise hale.

“Around his heart condition, that’s an ongoing, bigger-picture thing that needs to be exactly right. The rest of it is just normal wear and tear on a player of his age who has played that much rugby,” Cockerill observed.

“We’re looking after our players appropriately and Robbie will be one of those guys who have to be managed around various parts of his body. The more serious one, his heart condition, is 100 per cent fine. He passed all his medical around that, and obviously the bigger picture is that he himself, or ourselves, would never take a risk on that condition anyway.”

Even so the recurring nature of the problems he has had must, by definition, be considered as carrying a health warning, but Cockerill’s risk assessment was in keeping with the realistic way he has prioritised finding a way to win as the primary consideration for the club he has taken over. In short, Edinburgh’s status is such that if they are to recruit players with superior skills they do not have the capacity to attract the very best which, in its way, frees them up to take more of a chance on a player like Fruean doubtless tapping into the knowledge of Dave Rennie, the man who has taken over as Glasgow Warriors head coach this season and under whom the centre previously played at Wakato Chiefs.

“You have to understand that where we are as a club at the moment, we’re probably not first off the rank when people are choosing clubs to come to,” said Cockerill.

“So we have to take a little bit of a risk on some players and Robbie’s injury history isn’t perfect, but we’ll look after him, we’ll get him fit and we’ve done that over the last few weeks to get him on the field and he’s quality, he’s very much a class player and for us to recruit that quality at this point and not be paying very, very top-end money, we have to take slight risks on certain players. I think Robbie’s a good player, a good man and very much worth the risk, because I think we’ll be able to keep him fit in our environment. He’ll be a great asset to the playing side.”

One of five players - along with internationalists Hamish Watson, Ben Toolis, Michele Rizzo and Damien Hoyland - brought into the starting lin-up following last week’s defeat of Cardiff, the impression is of the nucleus of a winning team being kept together but freshened up with quality players who now have the incentive to improve upon that showing in the Welsh capital.

Having seen the right initial response to his demand that they learn how to win, this is Cockerill’s first opportunity to assess how well they have taken on board his demand that they show a capacity to maintain standards.

“We have worked hard on the training field and I can assure you there will be no complacency,” he asserted.

“We are not in a position as a team to take anybody lightly. We are trying to create a new environment and how we approach games and this will be a big test for us.

“We have been focused on making sure we are consistent in our preparation and I am very well aware of this team being able to have great results followed by poor ones. We must prove to everybody we can back it up.”

Edinburgh Rugby team to play Dragons at Myreside in the Guinness PRO14 on Friday 8 September (kick-off 7.35pm) Blair Kinghorn; Damien Hoyland, Chris Dean, Robbie Fruean, Jason Harries; Duncan Weir, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne; Michele Rizzo , Stuart McInally, WP Nel, Ben Toolis, Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Magnus Bradbury capt. Replacements - Ross Ford, Darryl Marfo, Simon Berghan, Fraser McKenzie, Cornell du Preez , Nathan Fowles , Jason Tovey, Junior Rasolea

Dragons: Zane Kirchner; Ashton Hewitt, Tyler Morgan, Sam Beard, Hallam Amos; Gavin Henson, Charlie Davies; Brok Harris, Elliot Dee, Leon Brown, Rynard Landman, Cory Hill capt, James Thomas, James Benjamin, Harrison Keddie. Rhys Buckley, Phil Price, Lloyd Fairbrother, Matthew Screech, Max Williams, Owain Leonard, Angus O’Brien, Adam Hughes.