Edinburgh face 'tough' Duhan van der Merwe call as mini-crisis emerges before Bulls

Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe will miss Edinburgh’s United Rugby Championship quarter-final against the Bulls on Saturday, but his head coach Sean Everitt has assured he will be fit for the semi-finals, should they make it.

The British and Irish Lions wing has travelled to South Africa with his side despite being sidelined for two months with an ankle injury. However, his head coach believes he is still a “few days away” from being match-fit, but will be available for a potential semi-final against the Sharks in Durban.

Van der Merwe’s absence means the Edinburgh team remains largely the same from the one that triumphed over Ulster in the final round of the regular URC season, with only one change.

Centurion Jamie Ritchie returns to the starting XV for what could be his final Edinburgh appearance before he moves to Perpignan. He will replace Ben Muncaster, who has dropped to the bench.

Fixture

United Rugby Championship

Bulls

42 - 33

Full-time

Edinburgh

All Stats and Data

With a hamstring injury keeping Grant Gilchrist out, and Glen Young staying home for the birth of his child, the club are facing a mini-crisis in the second-row department, with no cover on the bench. No.8 Magnus Bradbury will therefore shift into the engine room if required at Loftus Versfeld.

“We know the Bulls are always a massive physical threat, especially here at Loftus,” Everitt said.

“To compete, and to win, we will need to be at our absolute very best – that means bringing passion and intensity, but crucially, it also demands composure and clinical discipline for the full 80 minutes.

“We’ve been building momentum steadily throughout the season, and the players have worked incredibly hard to put ourselves in this position. There’s a real belief and confidence within the squad right now, and we’re in a good spot mentally and physically to tackle this challenge head-on.

“Winning a URC knockout match on the road would be a significant achievement for this club. It’s something we’ve been working towards, and the opportunity to make history is a powerful driver for us. We’ve got a fantastic group of players who are hungry for success, and we’re determined to put in a performance that reflects the ambition of Edinburgh Rugby.”

On van der Merwe’s status, he added: “Duhan has been back training with us here in Pretoria this week, and he’s feeling good. However, he’s probably still a few days away from being ready to return to full match action. We’re managing his return carefully to ensure he’s fully prepared when he does step back onto the field.

“It was always going to be a tough one, you know. We brought him along. There’s a possibility of a semi-final in Durban [versus the Sharks] so bringing him along made sense.

“It’s not that he couldn’t be on the bench, it’s just that he finished his return to play yesterday and with Harry Paterson and Darcy Graham and obviously Wes Goosen in really good form, it didn’t make sense to play him after just three training sessions on the field.

“We’d rather have a 100% fit Duhan next week. He’s come through the week well, so physically he’s good. Obviously, just lacking a bit of match fitness.

“He’ll be ready to go next week. It will give him a second opportunity on the field to prepare really well.”

Edinburgh XV
15. Wes Goosen
14. Darcy Graham
13. Matt Currie
12. James Lang
11. Harry Paterson
10. Ross Thompson
9. Ali Price
1. Pierre Schoeman
2. Ewan Ashman
3. D’arcy Rae
4. Marshall Sykes
5. Sam Skinner
6. Jamie Ritchie
7. Hamish Watson
8. Magnus Bradbury (c)

Replacements
16. Paddy Harrison
17. Boan Venter
18. Javan Sebastian
19. Liam McConnell
20. Ben Muncaster
21. Conor McAlpine
22. Ben Healy
23. Mark Bennett