Backline injuries pile up for Edinburgh before season start

Edinburgh have suffered two fresh injury blows to their back-three resources on the eve of the new United Rugby Championship season.

Wes Goosen, a beacon of consistency over the past three seasons and their first-choice full-back, has sustained a hamstring injury which will see him miss the start of the campaign.

The South African-born, New Zealand-raised back, who will qualify for Scotland on the five-year residency rule next summer, started Edinburgh’s first pre-season game against Ulster a fortnight ago.

But head coach Sean Everitt reported on Thursday the 30-year-old has sustained a “three-to-four week hamstring injury”.

Edinburgh open their URC campaign with a trip to Belfast to face Ulster next Friday, before a home game against Stormers and then a visit to Parma to tackle Zebre.

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25 Sep 26

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Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe is already set to miss those three games and will be sidelined until at least mid-October with a recurrence of the ankle issue which has hampered him for the past 18 months.

One possible alternative to Van der Merwe, former Scotland Under-20s wing Jack Brown, is likely to be ruled out for much longer after the 21-year-old sustained a knee injury playing in last Saturday’s hit-out for Edinburgh A against Ealing Trailfinders.

“He has injured his MCL and he’s got an interview with the orthopaedic surgeon on advice on the way forward,” said Everitt, who is also currently without another wing, Malelili Satala, who is recovering from an ankle issue.

With Goosen absent, Harry Paterson will start at full-back in Friday’s final pre-season game against Harlequins at the Twickenham Stoop, with Scotland’s top try-scorer Darcy Graham also making his first appearance of the new campaign.

Van der Merwe is one of nine Scotland internationals, among an injured list of 14 players, who will miss the start of the season, including locks Grant Gilchrist and Marshall Sykes, back-rower Luke Crosbie and tighthead D’arcy Rae.

Gilchrist will miss the opening block of games with a torn bicep, but Sykes will return to contact training next week after undergoing a shoulder procedure over the summer.

Crosbie has not played since last October owing to a serious hamstring injury, but the abrasive flanker has been tentatively pencilled in for a comeback within the next month.

“We’re hoping that he’ll return in the next three to four weeks,” Everitt said. “Obviously, the injuries that he’s had have required surgery, so we are cautious on his return.”

It is also hoped prop Rae, who started five of Scotland’s 12 Tests last season, will be available in the next two weeks, subject to a fitness update over the weekend.

Edinburgh’s issues at hooker also appear to be easing, despite Scotland cap Patrick Harrison being out until the new year after back surgery and Dylan Richardson (groin) also currently sidelined.

Ewan Ashman could be in contention for the URC opener against Ulster as he recovers from an Achilles problem picked up playing for Scotland in the Nations Championship in July.

“He has obviously been in some rehab over the off-season, from some niggles he picked up in the summer series,” Everitt said. “He’s back to full training and he’ll complete this week and we’ll see how he goes.”

Harris Morris, who sustained a nasty head gash in Edinburgh’s pre-season home friendly with Ulster, is expected to have recovered in time for the trip to Belfast next week.

Meanwhile, versatile Scotland back-rower Ben Muncaster, who has been out with knee and ankle injuries since April, will make his comeback off the bench against Quins.

“He’s a good ball-carrier for us and he’s a physical beast, so he can slot anywhere into the loose trio,” Everitt added. “There’s going to be healthy competition amongst those guys in that position, which is going to be good to see.”

Two more Scotland internationals, Magnus Bradbury and Freddy Douglas, will get their first pre-season outings on Friday, with Tom Dodd supplementing them in the back row and Liam McConnell joining Muncaster on the bench.

Meanwhile, new Glasgow signing Bayley Kuenzle will make his first appearance in a Warriors jersey in their pre-season friendly against Bath on Friday.

The former Western Force back will start at inside centre alongside Johnny Ventisei in a largely youthful side, with Scotland cap Fin Richardson coming in at tighthead prop for his first outing of the new campaign.

Glasgow open their URC campaign a week on Saturday, 26 September, with a trip to face Munster, when some of their Scotland frontline contingent could be drip-fed back in.