'World-class' Graham one of three Lions tourists back for Edinburgh

Edinburgh welcome back three British and Irish Lions to their starting side for Friday’s URC fixture against Ulster with Darcy Graham making his return from an ankle injury.

The Scotland wing was forced off with the issue just 17 minutes into his Lions debut, which he marked with an early try, against First Nations & Pasifika on 22 July after joining the tour as a replacement.

But the 28-year-old has recovered in time to join fellow Lions Duhan van der Merwe and Pierre Schoeman, who both came off the bench in Edinburgh’s opening defeat by Zebre Parma last weekend, in the team to face Ulster.

“It’s great to have Darcy back with his experience,” said head coach Sean Everitt. “He’s a world-class player, he’s very creative in his style of play, and he gives the team energy, so the team will take a lot of confidence out of having him on the right wing.”

As well as the reintroduction of that trio, Everitt makes two further changes to his side.

Darcy Rae starts at tighthead prop with Paul Hill nursing a calf niggle picked up in Parma. Edinburgh will make a late call as to whether Hill or Angus Williams takes the No.18 shirt, depending on how Hill comes through training on Thursday.

There is also a change in the back row, where former Scotland and Lions flanker Hamish Watson starts at openside in place of Luke Crosbie, with Freddy Douglas joining the replacements.

Crosbie misses out with a hamstring strain, with Everitt hoping the Scotland flanker’s absence is for “just this week”. “He hasn’t been available medically for this weekend,” he said.

Ben Healy continues at fly-half with Ross Thompson, who started 22 of Edinburgh’s 26 matches last season, still recovering from a toe injury picked up in Edinburgh’s final pre-season game against Ealing.

Thompson is now likely to miss two more rounds of URC games, with Everitt pencilling in their trip to Cardiff on 25 October – the final round before the autumn internationals – for his possible return.

Edinburgh team to face Ulster:
15. Wes Goosen
14. Darcy Graham
13. Piers O’Conor
12. James Lang
11. Duhan van der Merwe
10. Ben Healy
9. Ben Vellacott
1. Pierre Schoeman
2. Ewan Ashman
3. D’arcy Rae
4. Marshall Sykes
5. Grant Gilchrist
6. Liam McConnell
7. Hamish Watson
8. Magnus Bradbury CAPTAIN

Replacements
16. Paddy Harrison
17. James Whitcombe
18. Angus Williams/Paul Hill
19. Sam Skinner
20. Freddy Douglas
21. Charlie Shiel
22. Findlay Thomson
23. Harry Paterson