Winless Edinburgh make bold No.10 call for crunch fixture

Edinburgh have handed fly-half Cammy Scott only his third senior start and first for nearly two years for Friday’s vital URC game against Benetton at Hive Stadium.

The 24-year-old former Scotland Under-20 international started the first game of Sean Everitt’s tenure in the 2023-24 season against Dragons at full-back and was given a first start at 10 – his only one until now – in a European Challenge Cup fixture away at Clermont in December 2023.

But his first-team game-time has since been confined to brief appearances from the bench, with no starts and only 55 minutes in six replacement outings last season.

With first-choice Ross Thompson missing Edinburgh’s opening two URC games with a toe injury, and Scott sidelined by a hamstring issue, Ben Healy started the defeats against Zebre and Munster at No.10.

Thompson is named on the bench against Benetton after coming through his first week back in training, with a fit-again Scott promoted to the starting role and Healy left out of the 23.

Fixture

United Rugby Championship

Edinburgh

43 - 0

Full-time

Benetton

All Stats and Data

“I wouldn’t say it is a big call,” said head coach Everitt. “Cammy has been in the system for two years. He has played a lot of A team rugby and done well. If you remember the game against Zebre last year (when a late comeback secured a 25-25 draw), he came on and actually turned that game around.

“He has improved his kicking game and worked incredibly hard on the deficiencies in his game. He commands respect, he is strong defensively and runs the attack really well. I think it’s a great opportunity for him and exciting for us that a young 10 is coming through in Scottish rugby.

“Cammy and Ross both went really well in pre-season but they never got an opportunity to represent Edinburgh in the first couple of games. For us it is about giving them a run to get everyone in contention.”

Scott will start at half-back alongside Charlie Shiel, who at 27 has featured 76 times for the club since his debut in January 2019, but only managed 22 starts in that time.

Shiel, the son of former Scotland centre Graham, will get his first start of the season against Benetton, with the in-form Ben Vellacott on the bench.

“I think what’s hampered Charlie over the last few seasons is the lack of consistency,” Everitt said. “He certainly has improved in that area, and his kicking game has improved as well.

“We know that he’s got X-factor and he’s a dangerous player as well with ball in hand. We saw that against Connacht [a 31-21 win in Galway at the end of last season] when he scored that scintillating try, and he’s really dangerous in open space.

“Although he might not have had consistent time over the years, he’s got an opportunity now to earn that and it’s great for us to build depth in that position.”

The other change to the starting XV sees veteran Scotland lock Grant Gilchrist come into the side for his first game of the season, with Marshall Sykes rested.

Loosehead prop James Whitcombe takes over on the bench from Boan Venter, who is given a week off after his Springboks exploits in the Rugby Championship, while Ross McCann joins the replacements in place of Harry Paterson, who is following HIA protocols after a head knock in the 21-20 loss to Munster.

Flanker Ben Muncaster is unlikely to feature before Scotland’s autumn Tests – he is also doubtful for next week’s game in Cardiff – after rolling his ankle against Munster.

“It is not as serious as it has been in the past, it is just about how quickly he can recover from a bad ankle sprain,” Everitt explained.

“He just seems to get going and back on the field, then off it again. He has struggled with some continuity which is not great for him, but it doesn’t make him a bad rugby player. What he did in the short time he was on the field was impressive. The injury shouldn’t keep him out of all the November Test series, but an extra game or two would have helped him build up some form going into it.

“He hides the disappointment with us, but I know he is disappointed deep down. It is what it is. He has had a few experiences of this in the past, so he is well aware of what he has to do. I think he is just thankful it is not serious.”

Having lost their first two matches and seen a first home game against Ulster postponed amid Storm Amy, Edinburgh – six points off the top eight – need to kick-start their season against an in-form Benetton side, who have already beaten Glasgow and thrashed the Lions 41-15 last week.

Edinburgh XV: 15 Wes Goosen; 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Piers O’Conor, 12 James Lang, 11 Duhan van der Merwe; 10 Cammy Scott, 9 Charlie Shiel; 1 Pierre Schoeman, 2 Ewan Ashman, 3 D’Arcy Rae, 4 Sam Skinner, 5 Grant Gilchrist, 6 Liam McConnell, 7 Dylan Richardson, 8 Magnus Bradbury (capt).
Replacements: 16. Paddy Harrison, 17. James Whitcombe, 18. Paul Hill, 19. Glen Young, 20. Freddy Douglas, 21. Ben Vellacott, 22. Ross Thompson, 23. Ross McCann