Winger Duhan van der Merwe has not been included in Edinburgh’s match 23 for Saturday’s Vodacom URC quarter-final against the Bulls at Loftus.
The 29-year-old was sidelined due to an ankle injury he suffered in March, but trained last week and travelled with the team to Pretoria.
“Duhan has been back training with us here in Pretoria this week, and he’s feeling good,” said Edinburgh coach Sean Everitt. “However, he’s probably still a few days away from being ready to return to full match action. We’re managing his return carefully to ensure he’s fully prepared when he does step back onto the field.”
There is just one change to the Edinburgh team that beat Ulster two weeks ago, with the returning Jamie Ritchie at blindside flank and Ben Muncaster dropping down to the bench.
Saturday marks the third clash between the teams this season, with the Bulls winning 22-16 at Loftus in round 2 of the URC and Edinburgh 34-28 in last month’s Challenge Cup quarter-final at Hive Stadium.
We know the Bulls are always a massive physical threat, especially here at Loftus,” said Everitt. “To compete, and to win, we will need to be at our absolute very best. That means bringing passion and intensity, but crucially, it also demands composure and clinical discipline for the full 80 minutes.
We’ve been building momentum steadily throughout the season, and the players have worked incredibly hard to put ourselves in this position. There’s a real belief and confidence within the squad right now, and we’re in a good spot mentally and physically to tackle this challenge head-on.
“Winning a URC knockout match on the road would be a significant achievement for this club. It’s something we’ve been working towards, and the opportunity to make history is a powerful driver for us. We’ve got a fantastic group of players who are hungry for success, and we’re determined to put in a performance that reflects the ambition of Edinburgh Rugby.”
EDINBURGH – 15 Wes Goosen, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Matt Currie, 12 James Lang, 11 Harry Paterson, 10 Ross Thompson,, 9 Ali Price, 8 Magnus Bradbury, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Jamie Ritchie, 5 Sam Skinner, 4 Marshall Sykes, 3 D’arcy Rae, 2 Ewan Ashman, 1 Pierre Schoeman.
Bench: 16 Paddy Harrison, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Liam McConnell, 20 Ben Muncaster, 21 Conor McAlpine, 22. Ben Healy, 23 Mark Bennett.
