Being tipped as dark horses to challenge at the sharp end of the United Rugby Championship this season serves as something of a back-handed compliment as far as Edinburgh are concerned.

The comments – from some of Sean Everitt’s peers who appeared on the various “Coaches on the Couch” media sessions organised by the URC this week – acknowledge that the capital club certainly have the playing resources to be actively in the mix by the time the playoffs roll around again.

The fact, however, that Edinburgh are being talked about as “surprise packages” also tacitly points out that they have massively underachieved in the last few years, a bit like a former no-hoper picking up the Most Improved Player trophy at an end-of-season awards ceremony.

Everitt, to his credit, does not try to hide away from both aspects of the debate. The South African admits his team fell short in failing to make the post-season last year, although offered up the caveats of his relatively late arrival at the club last summer and the injuries sustained by key figures throughout an interrupted campaign.

With a full Scottish summer behind him and the likes of Darcy Graham and Emiliano Boffelli restored to full fitness, Everitt believes Edinburgh have what it takes to be contenders.

“They're just adding more pressure, I suppose,” he said of his fellow coaches tipping the club to perform well. “But that's the nature of the game. I have settled in well in Edinburgh, I've settled well at the club. My mandate when I came in was to win rugby games. There was a lot of focus on what needed to be improved on in a short space of time. So we worked hard on our defence and our territory game and we got good reward for that.

“But working now with the team over the last eight weeks has enabled me to install our game model fully. We worked hard on the shortfalls that our game showed last year. We do have, obviously, a very capable squad. When I talk about capable, it's a squad that can do well in the competition.

“But for us, it's about focusing on the improvements that need to be made to be able to challenge for a top eight spot. And at the same time, make sure that we right the wrongs from last season.

"It is about brushing up defensively and from an attack point of view. We created a lot of opportunities on attack which we didn't finish for various reasons.

“We were ravaged by injury in certain areas. At one stage we had seven of our back-three players out injured, so that was a challenge. We had centres playing full-back and centres playing on the wing. So maybe you need a bit of luck along the way as well.

“We have certainly sharpened up our tools from an attacking perspective as well as defensively. If we are able to do that and win more bonus points on both sides of the ball in wins and losses, we will be in a much better space.”

Everitt believes Glasgow will again be strong this season and insists there was no jealousy, only admiration, at their rivals’ URC triumph.

"I wouldn't use the word envious,” he insisted. “I think it's great that a Scottish team won the URC. I think it brings a lot of belief to the Edinburgh players, so I use that as motivation.

“I think Glasgow did incredibly well last year. They played a good round of rugby. They scored a heap of tries, certainly in the top four in the competition. It's about them just continuing to do that.

“I know that Franco [Smith] will drive the team hard. I know that they would have got over their hangovers from winning the URC.

“But I think every team within this competition has got an opportunity. That's the nature of this comp at the moment, that there's no easy games. All teams have improved their squads going forward. I think everyone will be in for the shot.”

As well as welcoming back the long-term injury victims, Everitt has added experience to his squad in the shape of Matt Scott and Paul Hill and brought back a former local favourite in Magnus Bradbury.

“There's certainly been improvements in our squad,” he added. “We've brought in some Premiership winners in Matt and Paul.

“They drive the standards of training as well now, knowing what it takes to win. I think if you compare where we were last year with 14 senior players at training up to the warm-up week of Dragons, it's totally different.

“We're putting out two strong squads on Friday night against Gloucester. We're in a much better position as far as that's concerned.

“Bringing back local Edinburgh boys like Magnus Bradbury certainly brings something different. We know that he's not Bill Mata, who we’ve lost, but he does bring other strengths to his game that maybe Bill didn't have.

“Then on top of that, the return of players from injury Boffelli and Darcy Graham have added to the group, as well as the signing of Mosese Tuipulotu, who's added depth in our centres.

"We didn't have a lengthy pre-season last year, or I didn't have a lengthy pre-season to work with the team, and I've certainly had that opportunity now. We're looking forward to getting going and looking forward to a successful campaign.”

- Sean Everitt was speaking at a BKT URC media round table.