Edinburgh Rugby's scars remain despite having shot at redemption
Ben Muncaster backed to bring energy to home pack
Sean Everitt has billed it as a shot at redemption and Edinburgh badly need a victory against the Stormers at Hive Stadium on Saturday after last week’s crushing defeat in Johannesburg.
It’s five months since the capital club won a game and although that period includes a long summer break, they are in danger of being dragged further into the mire.
They’ve been defeated in the opening three games of the current campaign and the final two of last season’s and they are playing a side this weekend that they’ve never beaten before.
You have to go back to 2017 for the last time Edinburgh lost six league games in a row but Everitt said he sensed a determination among the squad to “right the wrongs” of last week’s game at Ellis Park which the Lions won 55-21 after leading 48-0 at the break, a record first-half score.
“I suppose there’s an opportunity for redemption,” said the Edinburgh coach. “The guys are excited about turning it around this week. They’re embarrassed about the first 40 minutes, as we all were, but that’s behind us now. Six transition tries - you’ve got to put it behind you and move on. The scar will always be there until that record goes now.
“The boys were energised this week, coming back home and enjoying the cooler weather. And they’re definitely ready to make wrongs right.
“It’s going to be a great game on Saturday night. That’s a great time for a kick-off for us [5,15pm] and it’s an opportunity for the boys to pay back to the fans for what happened last week.”
Everitt was exasperated by his side’s failure to execute his game-plan in the first half against the Lions. They kicked the ball back to their opponents with maddening regularity, playing into the hands of a team who exploited every opportunity with some exemplary broken field running.
“I don’t think our team lacked character and passion,” added Everitt. “We made six rugby errors and I always look back at rugby errors, and not the lack of effort. If there was a lack of effort and a lack of character we wouldn’t have come back in the way we did against the Lions.
“We got back on track at half-time and won the second half, and I know that doesn’t count but, for me, that’s character. It’s easy to roll over and die in those situations.
“They guys are proud and they do have strong characters and, as you know, Edinburgh are really difficult to beat at home. We’ve got a good home record and I know that opposition teams coming here from South Africa and playing on 4G find it difficult, so we’re going to make the best of our advantage at home.”
Everitt has turned to Ben Muncaster in the hope of bringing more energy, one of six changes. He replaces the rested Hamish Watson in the back row.
“He’s a really explosive athlete,” said the coach of Muncaster. “He’s a good ball-carrier, he’s a good stopper and he gets himself into positions on the field through his high work rate. He’s certainly a guy we see as a future Scotland international.”
Jamie Hodgson comes in for Marshall Sykes in the second row and Paddy Harrison starts at hooker as Ewan Ashman recovers from a concussion. In the backs, Ali Price and Ross Thompson replace Ben Vellacott and Ben Healy at nine and ten and Duhan van der Merwe returns on the wing after recovering from a calf strain.
Damian Willemse starts at flyhalf for the Stormers who beat Zebre 36-5 in Parma last week and have not played in Edinburgh since they drew 20-20 with the hosts in October 2021. The last three matches between the sides have been played in Cape Town and all have been won by the Stormers.
Edinburgh Rugby v DHL Stormers (URC, Hive Stadium, Saturday, 5.15pm)
Edinburgh: Wes Goosen; Darcy Graham, Mosese Tuipulotu, Matt Scott, Duhan van der Merwe; Ross Thompson, Ali Price; Pierre Schoeman, Paddy Harrison, Paul Hill, Jamie Hodgson, Grant Gilchrist (capt), Jamie Ritchie, Ben Muncaster, Magnus Bradbury. Replacements: Harri Morris, Boan Venter, D’arcy Rae, Marshall Sykes, Luke Crosbie, Ben Vellacott, Cammy Scott, Matt Currie.
Stormers: Warrick Gelant; Angelo Davids, Ruhan Nel, Dan du Plessis (capt), Leolin Zas; Damian Willemse, Paul de Wet; Brok Harris, Andre-Hugo Venter, Neethling Fouche, JD Schickerling, Ruben van Heerden, Dave Ewers, Ben-Jason Dixon, Keke Morabe. Replacements: JJ Kotze, Sti Sithole, Sazi Sandi, Adre Smith, Marcel Theunissen, Willie Engelbrecht, Stefan Ungerer, Wandisile Simelane.
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU).
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