Rugby: Jones confident Capital encounter will put a smile back on Scottish rugby faces

The Capital outfit, with winger Jones restored to the ranks after being carried off with a head injury when gaining his fourth Scotland cap against Ireland three weeks earlier, warmed up with a 26-23 victory over Llanelli Scarlets last time out.

Jones, pictured, said: “The win over Scarlets was pretty important for morale because it gives us a bit of momentum going in and whether it was for the guys who had been away at the Six Nations with Scotland or those who had stayed behind with Edinburgh, everybody needed a bit of success.”

In fact, the vast majority of the international contingent had been focusing on Scotland duties since London Irish were defeated in January to clinch the knock-out spot meaning that there was an element of coming together for the home side when Scarlets pitched up.

Jones admitted: “It was a bit like starting the season again, strange coming back into things with Edinburgh. The Toulouse match will certainly be the biggest club game I have appeared in, if selected, and in many respects Scarlets provided the perfect preparation.

“We got the win – but some of the things we need to work on were highlighted, too, in what was a scrappy affair.”

For Jones there was the added aspect of rehabilitating after that Dublin collision. While keen to look forward, Jones said: “Virtually from the kick-off against Scarlets I got the ball and took a wee dunt. As soon as realised I was fine I moved on again. Edinburgh can take confidence from the fact Scotland got within a score of beating France, who had eight Toulouse players in their ranks.

“The aim is to put a smile on the face of Scottish rugby by doing something that hasn’t been done before and progressing past the quarter-finals.”