THE late summer problems which saw Edinburgh struggle to field a side in warm-up matches then fail to win a game in the first month of Celtic League activity will not matter if Scotland's leading players hit top form for the autumn, according to Chris Paterson.
The man who kick-started Edinburgh's season last week and led the national side last season said: ''Something we've not been good at is peaking at the right times. So it will be worth it if we are hitting our best form by the time the European Cup and the autumn internationals come around.''
With the number of matches internationalists can play now closely monitored, the need to prioritise is becoming ever more important. Paterson stressed that is not to demean the Celtic League, but merely to face the reality of a punishingly lengthy season.
He said: ''If we prepare ourselves to peak for the autumn, then we've got to stay up there after that because the European pool matches carry on and then we're into the Six Nations again, so we have to be at the peak of our game for three to four months.''
Paterson did not mention the possibility of next summer's Lions tour of New Zealand, but said: ''I suppose it's at the back of every player's mind. Everyone's aware of it but anyone thinking about that is not concentrating on the European and international matches.''
In saying so, there is an unspoken acknowledgement that the Heineken Cup is now close to Test level, just as the Southern Hemisphere Super 12 competition has long been regarded. Paterson said: ''The European Cup seems a lot more important because of the television coverage. There's a lot more charisma surrounding it and, while we also play the Gwent Dragons in the Celtic League, when we play them in Europe it will be very different.''
With the return to south-west France and a visit to 2002 finalists Perpignan just a fortnight away, nothing could have given Edinburgh more confidence than last weekend's performance against Cardiff, when they were brave and organised in defence, and took almost every scoring opportunity.
Crucial to that was Paterson's 25-point haul, with nine successful kicks at goal from nine attempts and, while his instinct is to refute the claim of Frank Hadden that he is now more focused - since he has always had a professional outlook - he understands what his coach is getting at.
''The difference now is that I'm much more relaxed about where I play,'' he explained. ''In the past I've got agitated about whether I should be at 10, on the left or right wing or at full-back. I'm a bit wiser now. With such a small squad here, I'm just delighted to play wherever I'm picked and get on with it.''
Paterson has clearly shaken off the inevitable rustiness which followed long lay-offs as he rested a hip injury and recovered from facial reconstruction work following a cheekbone injury suffered against Samoa in Wellington.
His next test comes with tomorrow's trip to Leinster, who have a similarly positive approach to the game. ''Our matches always seem to have been high-scoring games and we have generally done well against them,'' he said. ''Our styles probably suit one another and make for exciting games, so it is a chance to build on last week and develop the way we want to play.''
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