Only Zebre and Newport Gwent Dragons finished below Edinburgh last season in the RaboDirect PRO12 but skipper Greig Laidlaw insists it will be a very different story all together this term.

Edinburgh have managed only one victory in their last seven round one fixtures: 22-21 over Cardiff Blues at the City Stadium in 2009 but as the Scottish outfit heads to Munster this weekend, Laidlaw insists the club’s supporters will see a much-improved opening-day showing.

Laidlaw and Edinburgh didn’t enjoy many memorable days on the road last season in the league – the Scotsmen's solo win away from home since last December remains 9-7 at Zebre in March.

Coach Alan Solomons has not been helped by losing 12 players to injury before the season’s kick-off, including key internationalists Laidlaw and Matt Scott.

“The other stuff we threw out, because it didn’t work,” said the skipper. “I think we’re in a much better place. We want to be a tough defensive outfit and that’s something I’ve been very high on in pre-season.

“There’s no point messing with the “Edinburgh way”, that was in the past. We’ve played that way the last couple of seasons and it’s not worked.

“We’ve tried to play the ball a bit too much in our own half; you’ll definitely see a difference in that. It’s certainly a more sensible style of play — matures a reasonable word to use.

“We haven’t had much change with the old way, so change is a good thing.”

James Cronin who started against Gloucester in the opening pre-season game in Thomond Park will make his first competitive start for Munster against Edinburgh.

Cronin who was promoted from the academy to a development contract this summer joins Mike Sherry and Stephen Archer in the front row.

James Coughlan captains the squad which includes returning internationals Dave Kilcoyne and Tommy O’Donnell, both named in the replacements.

Munster's only defeat on the opening weekend since 2006 was at the hands of Glasgow Warriors in 2009.

The Munstermen won just two of their four home games played at Musgrave Park last season, but one of those was at least against this week's opponents Edinburgh.

No Scottish side has won on Munster home turf since Glasgow visited Cork in May 2008, while Edinburgh have won just one game in their last 18 visits to Ireland since 2009: 24-23 at Connacht last December.

“We wanted to be better this year but the disappointment never goes,” said Munster coach Rob Penney. “If you don’t succeed in the previous campaign then you can never get rid of it.”

“If we can produce a reflection of what they’ve put in and are producing up until now through the Rabo I think we’ll be there when the whips are cracking at the end of the season.”

At Musgrave Park, 6.30pm. Live on TG4/BBC ALBA
Referee: Marius Mitrea (FIR, 18th competition game)
Assistant Referees: S Gallagher, P Haycock (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Eugene Ryan (IRFU)
TMO: Jude Quinn (IRFU)