IN a league with no relegation, matches between the ninth and 10th teams in the penultimate round of the season should not normally matter very much. But a look at the Guinness PRO12 table, and the parlous plight of both Edinburgh and the Dragons, shows why tomorrow’s meeting at Myreside could matter quite a lot – at least when it comes to the pride of the players involved.

Edinburgh, as they have done for some years, began the season with the usual high hopes of a top-six finish. That apparently modest ambition, which would have earned them a place in next year’s Champions Cup pool stages, was meant to be a minimal target. Beyond that, there was the aim – tougher, but by no means written off as unrealistic – of getting into the top four and thereby qualifying for the play-offs.

Instead, the Scottish team find themselves down in the basement. Eighth-placed Connacht are a whopping 21 points ahead of them, so all they can hope for now is to have what they hold and finish ninth, the same as last season. If they win both their games they will do so, but at present they are on a dreadful run of form, and even if they get the better of the Dragons they will then have to travel to Scotstoun for the last match of the campaign against Glasgow Warriors – a game which few who have witnessed their current dismal run of form would expect them to win.

It is even possible, although not probable, that Edinburgh could yet finish last. Zebre and Treviso would have to get something out of their games this weekend against Cardiff and Munster respectively for that particular fear to be realised, but it is nonetheless a telling indictment of Edinburgh’s form that with just two games to go such a dire fate remains possible.

All the more reason, then, for them to go out there tomorrow night against the Dragons and show that they are capable of far better than their current run of nine defeats in all competitions might suggest. “They’re only two points behind us,” stand-off Jason Tovey said. “It’s definitely a game we’ve got to target and try and get some sort of pride back into the Edinburgh jersey.

“It’s been a tough year all round for everyone. Results haven’t gone our way. You look at the table: we’ve got six, seven losing bonus points.

“If we could have turned a few of those into wins, then we’re almost pushing back up the table. It has been a tough year, but I’m sure the boys will be looking to get a good finish going into the pre-season.”

Edinburgh’s tally of 23 points actually includes six losing bonus points and just one try bonus, and that record of narrow defeats shows that at least they are not hopelessly off the pace in most games. But incoming head coach Richard Cockerill clearly has a massive task ahead of him, even if Tovey insisted that the squad had yet to learn what approach the new man will take.

“No, not a clue. I’ve got a few mates at Leicester that I text, but nothing has really come back to me. All the boys will go into pre-season with an open mind and looking forward to a fresh start.”

It was with a fresh start in mind that Tovey came to the capital, leaving the Dragons, initially on a short-term loan. He quickly made a positive impact with his confident style of playmaking, although it would be fair to say that his form has suffered this season along with that of the vast majority of his team-mates. While the stand-off knew it was time to move on from Newport, he is still good friends with many of their players, and is looking for revenge after Edinburgh lost in Wales back in November.

“A couple of them were ushers at my wedding – Lewis Evans the captain and Rhys Buckley the hooker,” he explained. “I got a bit of stick off them last year. Hopefully after this game we’ll reverse roles.”