DARCY Graham was both relieved and frustrated after his return to action in Edinburgh’s 31-20 home win against Wasps. Relieved to make his comeback after injury and to end up on the right side of the result in the Challenge Cup match, but frustrated only to have played a marginal role in proceedings.
Duhan van der Merwe scored two tries and Blair Kinghorn and George Taylor got one apiece in Friday’s victory which keeps Edinburgh level on points with Bordeaux at the top of Pool Three. But Graham, who had been out since injuring his quad in Scotland’s World Cup defeat by Japan, was given little chance to attack Wasps ball in hand during his hour on the pitch.
“It’s good to be back,” the winger said. “I felt all right. I don’t know whether me coming off at 60 minutes was planned or not, but I felt good and could have played the full 80, so I’m happy enough. I wasn’t surprised to be taken off, just gutted because I never got into the game as I’d like to. The ball just never came my way.
“Obviously the World Cup was difficult. I was so gutted with the way the results went that I needed some time off, but I tore my quad in the Japan game so I was getting that time off anyway. It was really nice to get some time with the family, because it was a long pre-season and a long campaign.”
Wasps may be out of the running for a place in the last eight, but Graham still expects a tough contest when the teams meet again in Coventry on Saturday.
“We’ve still got a bit to work on as a team, but we’ll look into that this week and correct the problems before we go down to Wasps,” he said.
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