EDINBURGH co-captain Stuart McInally insists his side just need a small mental shift and everything will click into place after losing two of their first three games of the season.
Not that life is going to be easy for the players as they try to muster that mental resilience. Last week Edinburgh surrendered their home record with half an hour of sloppy defence against Leinster and now they have to find confidence in the cauldron of Thomond Park against Munster on Sunday.
"If we can just sort our defence, just the tiny little things we're messing up on and conceding soft tries, then our general defensive unit will be fine," said McInally. "We're expecting a very physical, forwards-orientated game from them. They're very structured and it's going to be a battle of the heavies. We also feel there are areas we can expose them."
McInally admits the review of the last game was a bit of a horror show, with defensive lapses before the break and squandered scoring chances once they grabbed control of the game after half time.
"It was tough and rightly so, we were very poor," he said. "There were some pretty stern words said. The boys know it wasn't good enough. We created a lot, which in seasons gone past we maybe wouldn't have, but we left about three tries out there.
"We really thought we could hurt them but our defence was terrible. There has been a big focus on that this week to get it right. It's just a slight shift in mindset. We've talked a lot about making the transition from attack to defence.
"We feel very excited about what we can do with the ball but it's about making that transition when we don't have the ball and feeling excited that we can get it back. It's an individual responsibility and that's what the guys have been told this week, 'get your own head right'. We'll look to be that team we have been for the last couple of years with a very proud defensive record.
"It will be a really tough game. They are a force to be reckoned with, especially at Thomond Park. I've had a lot of tough games there. I didn't play in the one we won at the start of the season a couple of years ago, but I was doing the BBC Alba commentary and was absolutely buzzing. I know we can do it. We're in a good place," he added
To add to Edinburgh's problems, however, it looks as though they are starting to accumulate injuries that could restrict selection with wing and centre areas of particular concern, though McInally seems confident they can build a winning side around the talents of Duncan Weir at fly-half.
"The new faces are settling in well," he said. "Duncan Weir has been a fantastic addition to the squad in terms of the way we're looking to play. Having someone of his footballing ability is handy. It will take a few more games but I feel we're making strides."
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