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Edinburgh flanker suffers new injury blow as prop backed for Scotland RWC squad
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The latest injury misfortune to strike the luckless Ben Muncaster will see the Edinburgh back-rower sidelined for 10 weeks, ruling him out of Scotland’s November series of Nations Championship matches.
Muncaster is to undergo surgery on ankle damage he suffered in his comeback outing a fortnight ago in Edinburgh’s final pre-season game against Harlequins.
The 24-year-old Scotland cap will miss at least the capital club’s next five games leading into the international window, starting with Friday’s home URC clash with Stormers, and is unlikely to return to action until December.
A breakthrough 2024-25 season saw Muncaster make his Test debut against Portugal and win two further caps as a replacement, against France at the end of the Six Nations (after missing the opening rounds with an ankle issue) and Samoa on their summer tour.
But he was restricted to just 10 games last season, a back problem delaying his start to the campaign before he suffered a knee injury on his first start in late November and then a season-ending ankle ligament injury in early April.
He returned to action as a replacement against Quins on 18 September, only to swiftly be forced out of action again.
“It’s been very bad luck for him,” said Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt. “I haven’t been in a franchise where a guy has been ravaged like that. It happens once in a while.
“Unfortunately, he’s been very unlucky. I think once this is done, hopefully that’s the end of it and he can move on and get some consistency on the field.”
With Scotland wing Darcy Graham already ruled out until Christmas with a ruptured bicep, hooker Patrick Harrison (back) sidelined until the new year and scrum-half Ben Vellacott not due back from shoulder surgery until December, Muncaster is the latest player to join Edinburgh’s long-term injury list.
While hooker Ewan Ashman, locks Grant Gilchrist and Marshall Sykes and full-back Harry Paterson are expected to return in the coming weeks, wing Duhan van der Merwe may not play for the club before the November Tests despite being “close to returning to training” from a persistent ankle issue.
Meanwhile Scotland tighthead D’arcy Rae, who featured off the bench in their opening 34-29 win at Ulster, has suffered a fresh setback and will see a specialist over recurring back and calf issues.
With Rae ruled out and Rhys Litterick, the Scotland-qualified former Cardiff tighthead who missed the whole of last season with an Achilles injury sustained on his debut, still working towards a return in the coming weeks, Friday presents another opportunity for 20-year-old Ollie Blyth-Lafferty to press his Scotland claims.
The 6ft 4ins, 135kg prop played 15 games – featuring 10 starts – in a breakthrough campaign last season including starts against the likes of Toulon and the Sharks.
The youngster was under consideration for Scotland’s Nations Championship squad in July before the national coaches decided another Junior World Championship with Scotland’s Under-20s would be more beneficial to his development.
But with the pecking order behind Scotland’s premier tighthead Zander Fagerson still fluid, Everitt believes Blyth-Lafferty can push himself into contention for the 2027 World Cup squad – which kicks off in a year’s time – with some strong early-season displays.
“I think in that position, definitely,” Everitt said. “The ball lies in his court. Obviously, we’re helping him during the week. I know that Gregor [Townsend] and the coaching team are also working with Ollie. We all know the potential that he has.
“He’s still very young as a tighthead but the growth and the opportunities he gets over the next five weeks are going to be really beneficial to him. He has made big improvements as well over the last year.
“Twelve months is a long time in rugby. I certainly think he would be in their discussions.”
Everitt believes the 20-year-old’s willingness to take on board feedback and work on aspects of his game will accelerate his progress.
“A feather in his cap is that he acknowledges where he needs to improve,” he added. “Sometimes players are reluctant to take advice and understand where they are in the pecking order. He’s certainly shown maturity with regards to that.
“He takes the criticism – or the work-ons – on board and he sticks to task. When you acknowledge what you need to do, you are halfway there to succeeding.”
The inclusion of Blyth-Lafferty is one of only two changes to Edinburgh’s 23 following their surprise opening win in Belfast, with Scotland and Lions prop Pierre Schoeman joining him in the front row for his first game of the season. Alec Hepburn and Paul Hill revert to the bench.
“A guy with that type of experience gives the youngsters around him confidence,” Everitt added of Schoeman. “He’s a leader in our group and the players have a huge amount of respect for him and take a lot of confidence out of him.
“He mixes really well during the day with different individuals, and I’m quite sure he’s patting the guys on the back and motivating them, giving them confidence for tomorrow night.”
Edinburgh team to face Stormers: 15, Piers O’Conor; 14. Malelili Satala, 13. Matt Currie (co-capt), 12. Kienan Higgins, 11. Geordie Gwynn; 10. James Grayson, 9. Hector Patterson; 1. Pierre Schoeman, 2. Harri Morris, 3. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, 4. Callum Hunter-Hill, 5. Glen Young, 6. Liam McConnell, 7. Freddy Douglas, 8. Magnus Bradbury (co-capt).
Replacements: 16. Jerry Blyth-Lafferty, 17. Alec Hepburn, 18. Paul Hill, 19. Euan McVie, 20. Tom Currie, 21. Conor McAlpine, 22. Cammy Scott, 23. Rory McHaffie.
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