Edinburgh v Scarlets: home hopes boosted by release of four Scotland men

Darcy Graham in action for Edinburgh. Image: © Craig Watson - www.craigwatson.co.uk

FOUR Scotland squad members – David Cherry, Grant Gilchrist, Darcy Graham and Jaco van der Walt – are back in the Edinburgh squad to play Scarlets tomorrow after being released from international duty. Cherry is on the bench, while the other three start a match that, as head coach Richard Cockerill said, the home team have to win to keep alive their hopes of a top-three finish in Conference B.

“It’s not overstating it to say this is a huge game for both sides in the context of the conference and the teams’ aims to qualify for next season’s European Champions Cup,” Cockerill said. “Scarlets are in the driving seat in the qualification race. However, mathematically speaking, our destiny is still very much in our own hands and we can keep it that way by winning tomorrow.

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“It’s a must-win match for us and for them too. They’ll be coming here looking to get revenge for our win in Wales earlier in the season and cement their place in the race for Europe.

“It’s up to us to throw everything at this match and, with the postponement of the Scotland match, we’re able to bring four players back into the fold to help us plan and prepare to do exactly that.”

Edinburgh (v Scarlets at BT Murrayfield, Saturday noon): D Hoyland; D Graham, J Johnstone, G Taylor, E Sau; J van der Walt, N Groom; P Schoeman, M Willemse, L Atalifo, M Bradbury, G Gilchrist, N Haining, A Miller, V Mata. Substitutes: D Cherry, B Venter, M McCallum, A Ferreira, L Crosbie, C Shiel, N Chamberlain, C Dean.

Scarlets: J McNicholl; T Prydie, T Morgan, S Hughes (captain), S Evans; D Jones, D Blacker; P Price, M Jones, P Scholtz, M Jones, S Lousi, U Cassiem, J Morgan, S Kalamafoni. Substitutes: T Davies, K Mathias, A Jeffries, T Ratuva, E Kennedy, W Homer, A O’Brien, P Asquith.

Referee: B Blain (Scotland).