Smith expects Edinburgh stars to be flying high

Prop forward Kyle Traynor and back row Alan MacDonald both won their first senior caps during the autumn internationals under new Scotland head coach and former Edinburgh boss Andy Robinson.

The pair now return to domestic action this Friday, with MacDonald named on the blindside flank and Traynor listed among the replacements for the trip to West Wales to face the Scarlets.

And former Scotland and British & Irish Lions star Smith believes the newly-capped duo will be raring to go at Parc y Scarlets.

"In my experience you come out of these periods flying. They now have a good opportunity to come back and make a positive statement and impact on Edinburgh," Smith told the Edinburgh Evening News.

"After you get a taste of international rugby and achieve something you set out to achieve a long time ago you say to yourself 'do I want to do more?' and 'do I want to have the shirt for myself?'

"It then comes down to 'what am I going to do to improve?' I'm looking forward to seeing those guys (Traynor and Macdonald) play."