DARCY Graham makes a timely return from injury tomorrow as part of an Edinburgh team who need to win at Connacht to keep their URC play-off hopes alive. The winger has been out of action since injuring a knee in December, but is more than ready to play again, according to head coach Mike Blair.
“It’s great to welcome some of our international guys back into the team, and to see Darcy back fit,” he said. “He’s been in full training for the last couple of weeks and has been looking sharp, so having him back is a real boost.”
Grant Gilchrist is back after serving a two-match suspension for his sending-off against France, and the lock’s fellow-internationals Sam Skinner and Blair Kinghorn are also in the starting line-up for the game at the Sportsground in Galway. On the bench, Luan de Bruin returns after recovering from a foot injury, while former Scotland age-group cap Nathan Sweeney could make his debut.
Munster v Glasgow: no rest for Fagerson brothers and Jamie Dobie starts on wing
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Jamie Ritchie, Pierre Schoeman, Hamish Watson and Hamish Watson are all rested after busy Six Nations windows. Another nine players are unavailable through injury: Luke Crosbie, Matt Currie, Wes Goosen, Nick Haining, Henry Immelman, Murray McCallum, Harry Paterson, Pierce Phillips and Angus Williams,
With three games to go in the regular season, Edinburgh sit 12th in the URC table. They are seven points behind Connacht, who are currently in the eighth and last play-off position.
Edinburgh (v Connacht at the Sportsground, Saturday 3.05pm): E Boffelli; D Graham, M Bennett, J Lang, D Hoyland; B Kinghorn, H Pyrgos; B Venter, S McInally, L Atalifo, S Skinner, G Gilchrist (captain), B Muncaster, C Boyle, V Mata. Substitutes: D Cherry, L de Bruin, W Nel, M Sykes, G Young, B Vellacott, C Dean, N Sweeney.
Connacht: O McNulty; D Kilgallen, T Farrell, C Forde, J Porch; D Hawkshaw, C Blade; P Dooley, D Tierney-Martin, J Aungier, O Dowling, N Murray, C Prendergast, C Oliver, J Butler. Substitutes: D Heffernan, J Duggan, D Robertson-McCoy, D Murray, S Hurley-Langton, K Marmion, T Daly, S Jennings.
Munster v Glasgow: no rest for Fagerson brothers and Jamie Dobie starts on wing
Are there two players with the name Hamish Watson?
Missed out on my £2 donation again, sorry boys.
Yes, good looking team, but who is the back up Stand Off, James Lang?
Decent enough team – lets just hope the collective is as good as the sum of the parts. Nice to see Muncaster and Boyle both starting – 2 really good up and coming players who did really well last year but not had so much opportunity this year. Willed to play well as Connacht are in good form and tough on their own patch.