The former Test captain returned to Edinburgh at the start of this summer after spending one season in England with Gloucester.

He made only six starts for the Cherry and Whites, including a poor performance in the European Cup defeat to Munster, with another 11 appearances as a replacement.

Now he is looking forward to his first competitive match for Andy Robinson's side against European champions Munster on the first weekend in September.

He said: "The Celtic League is more positive, more attacking and, as a spectator, certainly better to watch," he said.

"I genuinely think the Celtic League is better, for my game and the game Edinburgh play.

"The Premiership is physically dominated, there are a lot of slower games and relegation sometimes strangles the spectacle.

"You get two or three great games at the top end of the league undoubtedly, but towards the bottom there are tough, tough games.

"The threat of relegation and the amount of money you could lose in relegation sometimes strangles it."