EDINBURGH have signed stand-off Ben Healy from Munster on a two-year deal. The 23-year-old, who qualifies to play for Scotland through his grandparents and who rejected an offer to join Glasgow two years ago, will arrive in the capital during the summer.
He is expected to provide back-up to Blair Kinghorn in the crucial No 10 slot competing against Charlie Savala, with the future of Jaco van der Walt unclear at the moment.
“Edinburgh is a hugely welcoming club with a really tight-knit playing squad,” said Healy. “It’s also been great to see the club move into a new home in DAM Health Stadium which looks to have a brilliant atmosphere.
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“Having played against them several times it’s clear how much they want to play. They’ve really developed their game under Mike and I believe that style will suit me. I’m looking forward to putting myself into a new environment and seeing how I go.
“I’d like to thank everyone at Munster for their support over the last few seasons. I’ve loved every minute of my time playing with the club, but I felt now was the right time to take on a new and exciting challenge in Edinburgh.”
Edinburgh Rugby head coach Mike Blair said: “We’re absolutely delighted to secure Ben’s [Healy] signature. He’s a quality playmaker who brings excellent game management and kicking ability to our already talented group of 10s.
“He’s kicking at goal at over 90% accuracy so far this season while his performances – from both the bench and in starts for Munster – have been hugely impressive. He’s got great calmness around the way he dictates play and influences matches.
“With Ben being Scottish qualified, that was another important factor in the decision to bring him in, and I know he’ll be really excited to hit the ground running at a new club, and in a new city, while competing for a place in our squad.
“All of us at the club are looking forward to welcoming Ben to Edinburgh this coming summer.”
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Finally, we can put Kinghorn at outside centre..!
Or even better inside centre?!
He was offered a contract at Munster but would have been 3rd or 4th fiddle to the lads (Carbery/Crowley etc.) in front of him. I’ve watched him play a lot over here in Ireland and he has a great repertoire. A much more complete 10 than BK by a country mile.
If I was MB, I would be switching BK to 15 and develop a second string 10 that doesn’t waste BK’s obvious talents.
In terms of international caps…I’d be confident that’s part of the deal. Why else would he move, if not for a guarantee of test rugby. He is way down the list in IRFU terms for a full cap.
I personally think that Munster/IRFU have made an error here as he is far superior to Carbery and is on terms with Crowley. It would mean that Ireland would have four great choices competing at test level for the 10 position post-Sexton/RWC.
Great bit of business for Edinburgh/Scotland and for Healy himself. Quite excited to see how he goes.
I just hope Toony doesn’t play silly buggers here and gives him the opportunity.
Glad the development department is pulling its weight via Academy and Super 6 providing a stream of players packaged and ready to play pro rugby. I despair at what this is costing financially and in terms of moral.
See below. Suggest you follow rugby and what’s going on !!
Wasn’t Super 6 supposed to sustain the Pro sides?? Can’t be much fun for young players grafting to try to break into the mythical pathway system just to fall further and further down the reckoning no matter how hard you work….
Didn’t you realise Bruce Houston developed through Heriot’s Super 6 side has signed for Edinburgh. Stand off, will take time to develop. !!
Great signing for Edinburgh, presuming that he has now confirmed his allegiance to Scotland – expect him to be capped this 6N to secure him. Can’t see him there as understudy to Kinghorn, he will quickly establish himself as first choice 10 with the much more rounded game he provides. So… interestingly where does that leave Kinghorn as he potentially isn’t 1st choice 10,11,14 or 15???
Can’t agree, seen the guy many times, decent but no world beater on the evidence so far. Edinburgh need a top class TH far more than another fly-half. I’d guess this move was foisted on them by the powers that be.
Healy’s cap in the 6N just got more likely as I see that Hastings requires surgery.
Hastings is about to have shoulder surgery, Thompson is still injured and barely played, so I think Russell, Kinghorn and Healy will all be called up up to the 6N squad.
Only curve ball might be whether Townsend manages to entice Fin Smith to opt for Scotland too.
Fin Smith has been included in Borthwick’s squad. It doesn’t mean he’ll get a game, but he might.
Ooh, can you imagine the difference if the Edinburgh pack had a narly, in your face Peter O’Mahony 😯
He is the type of player that Edinburgh do not possess, but desperately require.
Until the pack is sorted, and I mean in your face front up for 80 mins, Edinburgh are always going to be mid table, middle with the very occasional big scalp, but that’s about the best we can hope for 🤷♂️🏉
I am hoping that Sam Skinner might become that.
Sam Skinner was definitely meant to bring that. Skinner and Gilchrist is possibly the starting 2nd row for Scotland and we have 3 other capped locks so were not short here. Apart from tighthead, on paper Edinburgh have one of the strongest squad of forwards in the league but somehow were not getting the best out of them.
BK is talented but has been poorly used by GT with the help of Blair. He’s a talented player but back 3 not 10 and this signing pretty much admits that is the case. Hopefully with the 10 pressure off he can thrive in the back 3 and Healy can ensure our very dangerous runners get more of the ball in the space they need. A really good signing for Edinburgh as many have said now we need to fix the front 5 issues – despite signs to the contrary, WP cannot play until he is 65!! And we need a really gnarly lock a modern day Nathan Hines!!
Weegie fans are relieved that Healey has signed for Edinburgh – means that the rumours about the SRU raiding Warriors to fill Edinburgh weaknesses didn’t happen.
Yet anyway. Pyrgos is in his twilight, Sheil never favoured and Vellacott has his fans but really isnlt consistently good enough. Meanwhile the Weegies have Price, Horne and Dobie……….watch this space
One day in the next decade Edinburgh will recruit and develop a young Scottish halfback, from School through to international. And that will be one more than the last decade
Excellent signing, feel a bit for JVDW (I’m not sure if got a proper chance). Healy must start for Edinburgh and its either him or Hastings as #2 to Russell. Interesting to see if he goes straight into 6N squad, I’d include him, BK further down the pecking order
I guess Finn is now number 5 in Townsend’s list.
We need one or two new taller forwards some of them are getting tired looking and old there is to many small backs except Darcy he is a eception one of my here,s.
That is a top signing. I firmly believe that Healy is exactly the 10 Edinburgh need and it opens the way to them challenging for trophies at last.
Once he has the starting shirt, he won’t relinquish it. He is streets ahead of anything Edinburgh have there at the moment and he’s not much older than Savala.
Agree Healy ahead of rest of the tens hardly see him as just back up for kinghorn, tell me what Urc team or English premiership side would have kinghorn as first choice flyhalf?
Sign Healy, sign Duhan VDM, re-sign Matta, re-sign Boffelli, build a brand new stadium. Meanwhile down the M8……….
Either Glasgow need a new accountant or the SRU need to have their balance scales calibrated by trading standards.
Glasgow must be signing Estebeth and Dupont to balance things up!
Healey is a good signing, but its quite amazing that Edinburgh can find the cash to sign that lot and not find a enough to sign McCallum -the TH they so desperately need but wouldn’t cost much at all.
It is incredible that neither Edinburgh or Glasgow has offered McCallum a contract.
He was playing well, both teams and Scotland are not exactly brimming with options in that position so it seems a no-brainer.
Politics again?
@Garry, Glasgow started the season with Fagerson, Bergan, Walker and Pieretto. All good options. Pieretto out iwth a long term injury so Sordoni as short term cover – before Worcs went under and McCallum available
Edin on the other hand have Nel and very very little else. Their lack of action is inexplicable
No idea but McCallum didn’t thrive at Edinburgh (what young props do?), looked like he was doing alright for himself and now has a trial with Montauban to rescue his career. Might be ProD2 but if he can cut it as a prop there he’ll force his way back into the conversation
Big Al, should he not be considered for the 6 nations squad? Where are Hastings and Thomson in terms of form and injuries? Which leaves Kinghorn as back up to Russell…. ?
Hastings is back for Gloucester I believe but Thompson is still out and barely with a game to his name this season.
I reckon for RWC Russell is nailed on and Kinghorn as good as, playing role of super-sub utility back to cover 10/11/15.
Which leaves Healy in a three-way tussle with Hastings and Thompson for the last place.
Hastings is now missing the 6N so hopefully this means he’ll be in the squad.
Great move for Edinburgh. He’s made many impressive performances for Munster in the last 2 seasons, often as a replacement and he has a prodigious boot on him. I think he nailed a last minute penalty against Edinburgh a few seasons ago. I’m surprised Munster have let him go as I thought he was always their 2nd choice after Carberry and he’s still young.
When he arrives he will need to get serious game time so clearly Jaco will depart but will Kinghorn remain as a stand off? with Savala also on the books.
He slipped to 3rd choice this season behind Jack Crowley – fans on Munster forum rate him highly though and most wanted Healy and Crowley kept and Carbery moved on.
I think it’s highly likely Healy will move ahead of Kinghorn as Edinburgh’s FH in short time. JVDW will be moved on after the summer.
Seems like a good move for all involved. Is this another nail in the coffin of the Kinghorn at 10 experiment! Presumably the lad will get significant game time when Kinghorn is with the Scotland squad for the 6 nations.
Or is he not arriving until the summer?
next season of course