New Edinburgh captain Fraser McKenzie wants to drive club standards

New Edinburgh captain Fraser McKenzie has said that his first act as skipper will be to help the Gunners clean up their act.

The lock has taken over the armband from Myreside team-mate Magnus Bradbury after he was suspended after suffering a head knock during a night out two weeks ago.

While Bradbury has returned to training with Richard Cockerill's squad, he has paid the price for his late-night mishap, with the head coach admitting he had no choice but to strip the 22-year-old of the captaincy for what he described as "unacceptable behaviour".

But that is not the end of Cockerill's woes, with flanker John Hardie also at the centre of a club investigations over reported allegations of cocaine use.

Both these incidents have led to questions over what could be perceived as a culture of in-discipline at the club and McKenzie admits the Edinburgh squad need to buck up their ideas.

"I'm not saying we had a bad culture or poor standards but I think every team can get better, and every team can drive forward," said the new captain.

"We've got a very young team and I think that's maybe one of our problems. A lot of the senior players have either left or maybe not stepped up to the plate. I want to drive that forward on and off the field.

"Cockers has come in and discipline is a massive thing with the team, knowing right from wrong. I think everybody in this team knows right from wrong. To realise you are in a position of high standing, you're going to be in the media, you're going to be in the news if anything goes wrong.

"It's about your decision-making. If you want to play at the highest level, you have to take that, it comes hand-in-hand. There's massive responsibility. I think we've got a very talented squad, very talented players and there's no reason we can't be competing at the top end of the league in time.

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"It's maybe not the best circumstances for me to be named captain but I'll take it. I've been at the club many years and it's a privilege to be a captain. I'll do the best job I can.

"If I see anybody acting out of line, or I hear about it, then I'll step in. It's not just Cockers' responsibility. But I don't think I'll have to do that often. It's not a team that's got a culture issue, we've not got a standards issue. It's individual mistakes and it happens on and off the field."

Bradbury was Cockerill's surprise choice to lead the team when he was appointed in the summer but McKenzie believes the Scotland international can bounce back from his off-field slip-up.

"Maggie will come back into the team this week, he'll be a productive member of the team," he said.

"I'm sure he'll come back and be captain someday, definitely. Whether that's sooner or later, I'm sure he'll do his job to the best of his ability."

Edinburgh travel away to the Stadio Monigo on Saturday to face Benetton as the Guinness PRO14 returns after its break for the European Rugby Champions and Challenge Cup competitions.