Ritchie opens up on 'massive decision' to leave Edinburgh

Jamie Ritchie says he would have regretted not taking the "really difficult" decision to leave boyhood club Edinburgh at the end of this season.

The flanker will join Perpignan in the summer after a decade in the capital, making 124 appearances in his time there.

Ritchie made his debut in October 2014 and went on to make his Scotland debut four years later, going on to earn 56 caps to date.

"It was a massive decision for me, one that my wife and I spent a lot of time mulling over," he said. "Obviously, I've really enjoyed my time at Edinburgh.

"I've loved it. I've spent my whole adult life there. I arrived at Edinburgh when I was 17-years-old, so it was a really difficult decision to leave.

"But if I had decided not to leave now, I never would have. I know that I probably would have regretted it if I'd never challenged myself in a different club, a different league. That was part of the decision."

He will not be alone in France, with Blair Kinghorn already set up in Toulouse and Ben White plying his trade for Toulon, while former Scotland internationals Chris Cusiter, Nathan Hines, and Alastair Strokosch have all pitched up at Stade Aime Giral.

"Part of it was about experience for myself and my family, getting to live abroad and all the things that come along with that, " Ritchie added, "but also making sure that I didn't finish rugby with any regrets.

"Playing in France was always something that I thought that I'd potentially do. Off the back of guys like Blair [Kinghorn] moving last year and him saying that he's really enjoyed it, it gives you a bit more confidence to be able to go and make that leap."

Back to the Calcutta Cup, and the former captain stands a solid chance of returning to the starting XV given Scotland's woes at the breakdown against Ireland.

"We had a meeting earlier on, just talking about how Ireland put a little bit of pressure on our breakdown," he said.

"It wasn't necessarily with a lot of steals, but in terms of the quality of the ball that we were getting. They put us under a little bit of pressure. We have to make sure we up that area because we know that England will pose probably a slightly more traditional breakdown threat with their jackals.

"And also making sure we try and get a bit of a fast start. We were a little bit slow to get going against Ireland, so we're looking to right that one as well."