Cairns played only his first 80 minutes of rugby since winning his second cap for Scotland against Argentina in the summer when he faced Castres last weekend.

His presence helped Edinburgh to a vital away victory in the European Cup, and helped secure for him a place in Frank Hadden’s squad for the autumn Tests.

Cairns said: “The adrenaline was pumping. It was good to be back involved with the team and experiencing those feelings before the game when you are nervous.

“I really enjoyed being back in that atmosphere around the hotel before a game. (Edinburgh coach) Andy Robinson had a quiet word with me in the build-up to the game before we got on the team bus.

“I was probably more nervous than I normally would be for a game. But once the game started that went. There was lots of adrenaline pumping, but that only aided my performance.”