37
ULSTER
RUGBY
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.
Edinburgh Rugby began last season with news of
the appointment of Alan Solomons as head coach
TONIGHT’S
OPPOSITION
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
TICKET OFFICE
Tel
0131 346 5180
Edinburgh Rugby (official)
edinburghrugby
EdinburghRugbyTV
