Ulster Rugby vs Edinburgh

TONIGHT’S OPPOSITION

Edinburgh Rugby began last season with news of the appointment of Alan Solomons as head coach

and rounded off 2013/14 with the announcement of lock Grant Gilchrist as Scotland captain for the third and fourth summer tour Tests, against Argentina and South Africa. Despite a year of patchy results, the capital club equalled their highest league placing since the Celtic competition expanded to a PRO12 in 2010/11, on top of three Heineken Cup pool wins (something achieved only twice in the last ten years). A fair amount of activity towards the end of the previous and during the close season has seen a new-look squad emerge. In addition to welcoming a clutch of youngsters, the promotion of a number of the club’s Elite Development Players (EDPs) into the senior squad means Edinburgh Rugby have enough young Scots coming through to field close to a full Scottish under-23 team. This is balanced by a new-look leadership group with Grant Gilchrist, Matt Scott and David Denton added to the likes of Alasdair Dickinson, Mike Coman, Ross Ford and Andries Strauss. Together this underlines Solomons’ approach of building a sustainable club through the club’s academy, and growing an inspirational and winning rugby culture for current and future Scottish rugby players. New signings over the summer ranged from back row Jamie Ritchie, last season’s Scotland under-18 captain who was brought in on a full contract straight from school, to lock Fraser McKenzie. The powerful second row returned to the club where he began his professional career after spells with Sale Sharks and Newcastle Falcons. Scotland stand-off Tom Heathcote arrived from Bath and, fresh from the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games where he was a member of Scotland 7s’ squad, came Chris Dean. His fellow under-20 international, winger, Damien Hoyland, was brought in from domestic Cup winners Melrose. Nick McLennan and Simon Berghan, both Scottish qualified from New Zealand, bring experience in the backs and front row respectively while prop, Alan Dell, was brought in along with lock Anton Bresler from South Africa.

An intense pre-season programme culminated in two warm-up games at the end of August. The opener, against Leicester Tigers at Melrose, was a close-fought affair with just one point in it at the final whistle, when an injury time penalty saw the visitors win, 11-10. Eight Edinburgh Rugby players made their debut in the match, including Gala prop and EDP Rory Sutherland, experienced former Ulster tight-head John Andress who arrived from Worcester Warriors and USA Eagles winger, Brett Thompson. Mansfield Park, home of Hawick RFC, was the venue for the final friendly, and it was same place, same opposition, same winners as Edinburgh Rugby defeated Newcastle Falcons (21-15). A brace from winger Tim Visser, with the extras added by Greig Tonks and Tom Heathcote, sealed the victory in a game which also saw the debut of another EDP, Magnus Bradbury, in the back row. The business end of the season, however, kicked off against Munster at Thomond Park. A determined Edinburgh side kept the visiting support on the edge of their seats as a Jack Cuthbert try, with the extras added by stand-off Tom Heathcote, edged a 14-13 win. One week later an opening home fixture, on the new hybrid surface at BT Murrayfield, against Connacht, saw that score reversed as the home side were defeated, 13-14, in the dying minutes by a try from Willie Faloon. A comprehensive defeat away to Ospreys was undoubtedly a setback to what had been a solid start to the season and despite a challenging first half at BT Murrayfield last Friday, the team fought back to register a draw against the visiting Scarlets. Edinburgh will be hoping progress continues this evening and next week at home against Dragons before the club kick off their European Rugby Challenge Cup campaign in Bordeaux on 17th October. Also pooled with fellow French Top 14 side Lyon and Aviva Premiership contenders London Welsh, the run-up to Christmas and the 1872 Cup derby double-header with Glasgow Warriors is set to prove challenging and thrilling in equal measures, with youth very much to the fore.

CLUB STATS //Location Edinburgh, Scotland //Founded 1970 //Ground BT Murrayfield Stadium //Capacity 67,144 //Last Game Scarlets (H) 20-20 (D) Friday 26th Sept 2014 at 19:35 //Next Game Newport Gwent Dragons (H) Saturday 11th Oct 2014 at 14:40 //Recent Form L W L L D

STAFF // Coach Alan Solomons // Captain Mike Coman

CONTACT Murrayfield Edinburgh Scotland Tel

0131 346 5252

Fax 0131 346 5269 Email info@edinburghrugby.org

TICKET OFFICE Tel

0131 346 5180

www.edinburghrugby.org

Edinburgh Rugby (official)

edinburghrugby

EdinburghRugbyTV

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www. ulster rugby.com

ULSTER RUGBY