Edinburgh's head coach Sean Everitt didn't hold back after his side's tough 26-5 home defeat to Connacht in the United Rugby Championship, a loss that stung all the more because of what might have been.

"It is disappointing because we did so many good things in the game to get field position," Everitt told BBC Scotland. "We got the entries that we needed to be able to get a result." And he's right—Edinburgh had 18 possessions and 14 entries into Connacht's territory. But in rugby, as in life, getting there is only half the battle.

"We've got to be better with ball in hand," Everitt admitted. "You've got to give credit to Connacht for the way they defended and they were desperate tonight. But yeah, really disappointed that we couldn't get over the line and get a win tonight."

The defeat highlights a season-long struggle for Edinburgh. "The attack let us down this season, I believe," Everitt reflected. "Last year we were good with ball in hand." That's a telling contrast—a team that once thrived in possession now finding itself unable to convert opportunities into points.

Everitt also pointed to squad depth as a key issue. "It's going to take a squad of 45 to be able to do well in this competition. And we're not there yet as far as depth is concerned." For a team aiming to break into the URC's top eight, that's a sobering reality check.

Looking back at the season's arc, Everitt identified those early slip-ups as the difference-makers. "There's multiple reasons why we haven't got there. I thought in the first block, we probably let a few games slip there by losing by one or two points. And I think that cost us dearly, those first four weeks."

The math is simple but painful: "If you get three of those wins in the first block, it makes it a hell of a lot easier at the end. And we've got to be better when we go to South Africa and come away with points." For Edinburgh fans, it's a familiar lament—what if those narrow losses had been narrow wins instead?