Harry Paterson has had no luck at all since making such an impressive Scotland debut in last year’s Six Nations match against France but there are signs now that the full-back’s fortunes are changing for the better. Paterson, 23, played back-to-back matches last week for the first time since his international bow and it was announced on Wednesday that he had put pen to paper on a new two-year contract with Edinburgh Rugby. The player was delighted to sign, grateful that the club have shown faith in him after a horrendous run of injuries limited his involvement. Paterson has played just four games this season and admitted his “head was all over the place” at times but head coach Sean Everitt has been patient, praising the attitude the player has shown during some tough moments. “I think one of the things that we stand for is resilience,” said Everitt. “He's certainly shown that resilience in [overcoming] the injuries that he's had over the last few years. “He's a very good player as we've all seen over the last two weeks. To be able to come out from a break like he's had and put in those good performances shows the quality of the youngster. He's a very good person. “He's a hard worker. He's been through some adversity and sometimes you need to go through adversity to become world-class. He's put in two good performances now in a row. “He's certainly worth the commitment. If you look at the performances that he's put in. Sometimes you do get players that struggle with injury early in their careers and they do get over that. I suppose it's a mental toughness that you have to show and he certainly has that.” Paterson is coming back to fitness and form for the business end of the season and Edinburgh have their biggest game of the campaign this Saturday when they take on Bath in the semi-finals of the EPCR Challenge Cup at Hive Stadium. It’s ten years since the capital club last reached a European final but home wins over the Lions and the Bulls have propelled them to the brink of another showpiece occasion. For Paterson, it’s one more step on the road to recovery. “You always worry that you’ve forgotten how to play rugby - and then you get back on the pitch and it all comes back to you, really,” said the full-back. “You forget about the collisions - they’re not quite as easy to ride. But yeah, it comes back a lot more easily than you think.” He describes the opportunity to take on a Finn Russell-inspired Bath team as “really exciting” and hopes Edinburgh can go one better than they did in the recent URC match against the star-studded Sharks who pipped them at the death with a last-gasp try from Springboks World Cup winner Makazole Mapimpi. “We came up against a superstar outfit in the Sharks and should have won that game. It will be a similar test this week, but slightly different in terms of skill set. But yeah, we’ll have a real crack at getting to the final.” He said signing the new contract was an easy decision. “It’s nice to get something in the books, sign on at the club, and just focus on the rugby for the next two years, which is great. “I suppose the club has just backed me that I’m going to get things right and get back on the pitch, which I have done. And hopefully, touch wood, I’ll stay on the pitch for a lot longer.” The injury run started almost immediately after the France match in which Paterson made his Scotland debut in dramatic circumstances. Although he was part of the wider Six Nations squad in 2024 he was not in the match-day 23 for the game at Murrayfield. That all changed when Kyle Steyn’s wife went into labour and Paterson was told on the morning of the game that he would be starting. He turned in a very mature performance as Scotland lost 20-16 but it proved to be the beginning of a frustrating spell for the player. “So there was France and then in the Ireland week in that Six Nations I stress-fractured my foot,” he explained. “It was kind of rumbling on from [Edinburgh’s game with] Zebre after the France game and I was training on it, and then finally I was out for a good while with that. “I got back fit just before the summer tour. And then I basically failed to walk through a door correctly [cutting his foot in the process]. It was a tough one to explain to the coach. “Yeah, so that happened. It was just a deep cut. And then I injured a hamstring in training in the Autumn Nations, in the Portugal week. “Then I came back, played Scarlets, got concussed. It was about eight to ten weeks [out]. And then here I am. So yeah, it’s been a tricky season.” Paterson comes across as very level-headed and able to take all this in his stride but he baulks at the suggestions that he is laidback and admitted that frustration got the better of him at times. “Oh yeah, absolutely, especially the first couple of days when those injuries happen your head’s all over the place. But then you settle down and you’re ‘Right, how am I going to get back on the pitch quickly?’” Fortunately, Paterson has a good support network around him, an important factor during the long months of rehab and recovery. “There’s a great group of us in my year group from the under-20s and stuff. There’s quite a few of us who are still here - Ben Muncaster, Matt Currie, those guys. They’re some of my closest pals. Ben’s very good at getting round you and supporting you. And my family, my girlfriend, all that.”