Sean Everitt will be forced to dig deep into his squad this weekend with injuries aplenty and the gradual return of international players.
However, the head coach does not see this in a negative light, he welcomes and praises it.
“The injuries haven’t been kind to us and that’s the nature of the game, but we’ve got some guys stepping up.”
“This weekend you will see a youthful team combined with experience which is exciting for Scottish rugby. That’s what everyone wants to see”
One way he’s showing this is by giving young loosehead, Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, the opportunity to show what he’s got. This comes after D’arcy Rae recently went under the knife for an ongoing ankle injury. With an estimated recovery time of six to eight weeks this could be a springboard moment in Blyth-Lafferty’s career.
Sean said: “We’re excited for him because there’s been a lot of talk around him. He’s a monster of a rugby player.”
“He’s worked incredibly hard at his game, and it was just sooner rather than later for us now.”
Young players
The growth of Edinburgh’s squad depth and development of its young players adds a strong and positive argument to the SRU’s decision around Everitt’s future in what some argue is a clear cut case. He suggests even though results have gone against them the club is still moving in a positive direction.
The coach continued: “I think at the end of the day, you’ve got to look at the improvements that have been made, and I’m talking about how the team has evolved, as well as how we finished off at the end of last year
“I think we’re in a starting time now where our squad is evolving. From when I got here to where we are now it’s very different.
“I think it’s exciting times in the evolution of the club and I’d like to be part of it.”
Edinburgh forwards Liam McConnell and Harri Morris are the most recent products of this system. We saw them both win a first cap for Scotland against USA in the autumn Nations. Both showed promise of a bright future, especially McConnell, as he picked up an assist and showed what he can bring with several tremendous carries.
