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Ben Healy pays price for 'directionless' Edinburgh display

Ben Healy of Edinburgh during the United Rugby Championship match between Edinburgh and Leinster at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo By Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Edinburgh fly-half Ben Healy has paid the price for their “directionless” display in last week’s URC mauling by the Lions and been cut from the match-day squad against the Stormers on Saturday.

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The Scotland international, who started the last two Tests of their summer tour against Chile and Uruguay, will instead be dispatched to play for Edinburgh’s A team against Bath United the same day in a bid to rediscover some form.

It is quite a comedown for the former Munster man, who started 23 of Edinburgh’s 24 games last season, playing all but 20 minutes of their 18 URC games, and was the league’s top points-scorer with 175 in his first season in the Scottish capital.

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      But the arrival of fellow Scotland cap Ross Thompson from rivals Glasgow this summer saw Healy restricted to a bench role in their opening two URC matches against Leinster and Bulls.

      The 25-year-old was handed a start against the Lions in Johannesburg, but such was the poverty of Edinburgh’s attack and general game management – they were 48-0 down by half-time before losing 55-21 – that Thompson has been swiftly recalled, with utility back Cammy Scott coming into the match-day 23.

      Head coach Sean Everitt has demoted both his half-backs among six changes, with co-captain Ben Vellacott dropped to the bench and Ali Price starting at scrum-half.

      Fixture
      United Rugby Championship
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      “We just felt that we were a bit directionless on attack,” Everitt said, explaining the change at 10. “We know that Ben has got a good skill-set and he’s led the team well.

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      “We just feel that Ross has obviously done a good job for us, and instead of Ben sitting on the bench behind Ross this weekend, we thought we’d send him down to Bath to play for the A team and get some more game time. Players that are in spinal positions within the team need to play.

      “Cammy Scott has done well in the A team over the last two weeks, so it’s good that he gets an opportunity on the bench. At the same time Ben Healy can get a good 80 minutes under the belt against Bath.”

      Asked what the message had been to Thompson and Price this week as Edinburgh seek to kick-start their season after three straight losses, Everitt said: “It’s just about giving the team direction on attack and bringing experience as far as game management is concerned.

      “We’re facing a similar defence system as we did against Leinster and I thought those two did really well against Leinster, so it makes sense that we return to those two players against a team like the Stormers.”

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      Elsewhere, Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe returns on the left wing in place of Ross McCann after missing the Lions match with a tight calf.

      Back-rower Ben Muncaster starts at openside for the first time, in place of the rested Hamish Watson, while hooker Patrick Harrison is handed only his third senior start for the club, with Ewan Ashman sidelined after a head knock against the Lions.

      Converted hooker Harri Morris, who made his debut as a back-rower in 2021, could make only his second senior appearance as a replacement.

      Lock Jamie Hodgson also gets a first start of the season – taking over from Marshall Sykes – alongside captain Grant Gilchrist in the second row, with Scotland back-rower Luke Crosbie poised to make his return from injury from the bench.

      Scotland full-back Harry Paterson, fit again after cutting his heel on the door of a sauna in pre-season, and tighthead prop Javan Sebastian, who had a quad injury, will both make their comebacks for Edinburgh’s A team against Bath’s second string.

      Edinburgh team v Stormers:
      15. Wes Goosen
      14. Darcy Graham
      13. Mosese Tuipulotu
      12. Matt Scott
      11. Duhan van der Merwe
      10. Ross Thompson
      9. Ali Price
      1. Pierre Schoeman
      2. Patrick Harrison
      3. Paul Hill
      4. Jamie Hodgson
      5. Grant Gilchrist (captain)
      6. Jamie Ritchie
      7. Ben Muncaster
      8. Magnus Bradbury

      REPLACEMENTS:
      16. Harri Morris
      17. Boan Venter
      18. D’arcy Rae
      19. Marshall Sykes
      20. Luke Crosbie
      21. Ben Vellacott
      22. Cammy Scott
      23. Matt Currie

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      Comments

      2 Comments
      M
      Mzilikazi 172 days ago

      Ireland should never have let Ben Healy go. A move to Ulster would have been my preference, as he was clearly not going to get the game time he needed there. This could be a tough season for him, in an Edinburgh team that have started the season in poor form.

      R
      RedWarrior 173 days ago

      Id there is such a thing as a must win on match day 4 then this is it. Good call replacing the half backs. It did look to me in Johannesburg that Edinburgh were fatigued amplified by the altitude.

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      JW 2 hours ago
      Razor has an about turn on All Blacks eligibility rules

      Yep, another problem!


      I think he would have, in the instance I mentioned, which wasn’t changing anything other than correctly applying todays eligibility quidelines. Which is an arbitrary construct, as the deal likely would have played out completely differently, but I just ‘allowed’ him to have 1 year sabbatically for his ‘loyalty’, rather than having some arbitrary number like 70 caps required.


      So if Richie had a 3 year deal, and the first year he was allowed to use him still, I don’t think he’d really not transition to Dmac being his main 10, as he’s obviously the only one he can use for the following two years, therefore likely his only real option for the WC (very hard for Richie to overtake him in such a short time). Richie would purely be a security net in a situation like I proposition where there are only small changes to the eligibility.


      The system is not working well enough though, as we don’t have the Rugby Championship or World Cup trophies, do we? Well on that last question, that’s all I’m really saying but I would not believe a word this author says, so it’s entirely a ‘what if’ discussion, but if the author is right and now they are actually going to be more flexible, I think that’s great yeah. Ultimately thought I think those two players were an anomaly signing their contracts and futures up so far ahead, especially of when they were performing. Both jumped at the opportunity of good contracts when their All Black prospects weren’t looking that bright.

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