Ben Healy says Edinburgh Rugby have ‘all the ingredients’ to win a trophy and emulate Munster

Stand-off knows what it takes to win the United Rugby Championship

Ben Healy was part of the Munster side that defied the odds and won the United Rugby Championship last season and the Edinburgh stand-off is convinced the capital team have what it takes to also land silverware.

Healy, who moved from the Irish province last summer, has made a big impression in his first season in Scotland, playing in every minute of every game for his new club in the URC. A composed and intelligent playmaker, he feels the Edinburgh attack is starting to fire, with last weekend’s performance in the second half against Scarlets offering some compelling evidence.

The 43-18 win moved Edinburgh back into eighth place with four rounds of regular-season fixtures remaining. They are in the play-off positions at the moment but have Ulster, Connacht and the Lions snapping at their heels and simply finishing in the all-important top eight will be a hard enough task, with games to come against Cardiff away this weekend, then Zebre, Munster and Benetton.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - APRIL 20: Edinburgh's Ben Healy with the conversion during a BKT URC match between Edinburgh Rugby and Scarlets at the Hive Stadium, on April 20, 2024, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

Healy, 24, who arrived on a two-year deal, has his sights set on higher things and believes Sean Everitt’s can go all the way. “I definitely think we have what it takes to win a trophy here, 100 per cent,” he said.

If they are to accomplish that this season, the chances are they are going to have to do it the hard way, just like Munster did last year. The top four will have home advantage in the last eight and Edinburgh have a lot of ground to make up if they want to avoid going on the road in the play-offs.

It’s a tricky route but Munster proved it can be done. They won and drew their final two league games in South Africa last season to finish fifth, then beat Glasgow away in the play-off quarter-finals, Leinster away in the semis and the Stormers in Cape Town in the final. It was an incredible achievement and Healy still seems a little perplexed at how Munster managed to pull it off.

“To be honest, I don’t know what it was last year. When people ask about it, whether it’s guys here or in the Scotland camp or friends and family, I don’t know.

“It was really hard: five games away from home against teams at the top end of the table. It’s hard to put your finger on one thing. It all came together for us at the right time.

“We didn’t have lots of experience of winning trophies - a lot of the lads hadn’t. Yeah, a few with the national team but the club team? Very little. Keith Earls and Conor Murray were the only two left [from Munster’s last title-winning team, in 2011].

“The boys here have had reasonable success with the Scottish team as well. It’s hard to tell if that made a difference or not last year. Obviously the experience of winning trophies does help but it’s not something that’s necessary because we have to start somewhere. I think we have all the ingredients here.”