Chris Paterson has mentioned that Jamie Ritchie’s dedication to Edinburgh is “a very powerful signing in Scottish rugby,” after the back-row penned the longest contract in the club’s history.
This comes every week after the 24-year-old’s Edinburgh and Scotland back-row teammate Hamish Watson additionally extended his keep at Murrayfield, regardless of hypothesis that each could be leaving on the finish of the season.
With 23 caps to his identify, Ritchie is a mainstay in each Richard Cockerill’s Edinburgh facet and Gregor Townsend’s Check workforce, and the previous Scotland captain is one in every of many who’ve proven their delight at this piece of enterprise.
The Offload: Ref calls mentioned:
“I’d go as far to say that it’s in all probability a very powerful signing in Scottish rugby,” Paterson mentioned on the Scottish Rugby Podcast alongside former worldwide Al Kellock and present star Rachel Malcolm.
“I charge him that extremely. Hamish was an unimaginable re-signing final week and the pair of them collectively is good information.
“As a result of Jamie’s youthful, he’s solely 24, he’s dedicated for a very long time, has a lot expertise for a 24-year-old, not simply in his variety of caps however his life expertise, his hardness, his need, the instance he units, and due to his skill and his character, that’s a very powerful signing in Scottish rugby.”
“There’s nothing he can’t do. Initially he was excellent over the ball however he’s truly a superb ball provider, he hyperlinks play, he can catch, he can go, he can play throughout the back-row. His one criticism he mentioned a number of years again was that he will get penalised far too typically, however he’s fully eradicated that in his recreation by way of understanding the significance of getting a rapport with the referee.”
“In the event you can work in your weaknesses and eradicate them in a brief house of time, that’s an indication of a particular participant.
Kellock was in settlement with Paterson, including: “You see what he does for 80 minutes, he works relentlessly and is extremely gifted. His off-field character is as massive as what he does on the sphere.
“You possibly can construct that squad round him. You take a look at him and Stuart McInally and Hamish, key guys within the backbone of the workforce which are going to be there now for a very long time and can make a large distinction on and off the sphere.”
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