Harry Paterson will take over the Edinburgh No 14 jersey from the rested Darcy Graham against Sharks at Hive Stadium tomorrow [Friday] night. Image: © Craig Watson - www.craigwatson.co.ukHarry Paterson will take over the Edinburgh No 14 jersey from the rested Darcy Graham against Sharks at Hive Stadium tomorrow [Friday] night. Image: © Craig Watson –
www.craigwatson.co.uk

HARRY PATERSON will make only his third Edinburgh appearance of the season and his first since 25th January when the highly-rated back three man takes over the No 14 jersey from the rested Darcy Graham for Friday night’s URC Round 15 home clash against a star-studded Sharks assemble.

The 23-year-old has been plagued by injury since his impressive Scotland debut as a late call-up to play France during the 2024 Six Nations, managing just four Edinburgh appearances and two more caps against Canada and Uruguay last summer, in the intervening 14 months.

Elsewhere, Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt has promoted Ben Muncaster from the bench to the run-on XV at openside flanker in place of the also rested Hamish Watson.

Johnny Sexton given British & Irish Lions coaching role

Elis Martin Q & A: ‘We haven’t even reached a quarter of the potential that women’s rugby has’

Edinburgh v Bath: Ali Price gets ready to cross swords with Finn Russell

Meanwhile, Pierre Schoeman and D’Arcy Rae are promoted from the bench to starting props, with Boan Venter named as a replacement and Javan Sebastian missing out through concussion. With Paul Hill still missing with a back issue, Angus Williams is named as tight-head replacement.

The other change is at scrum-half where the soon to depart Ali Price replaces co-captain Ben Vellacott, who is out with a foot injury picked up against the Bulls last week, and Charlie Shiel is added to the bench.

“Tomorrow night is another exciting opportunity for this team, in part three of the ‘Biltong series’,” said Everitt, referencing that his players are hunting a third home win on the bounce against South African opposition having despatched Lions and Bulls in the quarter-final and semi-final stages of the EPCR Challenge Cup during the last fortnight.

“The Lions and Bulls were stern tests and we know tomorrow night will be no different,” he added. “We know they will have 12 springboks in their starting line up and a few on the bench, so we know the challenge they will bring. We will have to will front up as we have in the previous two successful weeks.”

Among the household names in the Sharks line-up are double World Cup winners, including second-row and team captain Eben Etzebeth, back-row Siya Kolisi (who captained both the World Cup winning Springbok teams in 2019 and 2023), winger Makazole Mapimpi, tighthead prop Vincent Koch, centreLukhanyo Am and hooker Bongi Mbonambi,

 

Edinburgh Rugby (versus Sharks at Hive Stadium on Friday @ 7.35pm – live on Premier Sports): W Goosen; H Paterson, M Currie, J Lang, R McCann; R Thompson, A Price; P Schoeman, E Ashman, D Rae, S Skinner, G Gilchrist ©, J Ritchie, B Muncaster, M Bradbury. Subs: D Cherry, B Venter, A Williams, G Young, F Douglas, C Shiel, C Scott, M Tuipulotu

Sharks: A Fassi; E Hooker, L Am, A Esterhuizen, M Mapimpi; Jordan Hendrikse, Jaden Hendrikse; O Nche, B Mbonambi, V Koch, E Etzebeth ©, E van Heerden, P Buthelezi, V Tshituka, S Kolisi. Subs: F Mbatha, N Mchunu, H Jacobs, J Jenkins, J Venter, G Williams, S Masuka, J Julius.

 

Unavailable for Edinburgh: Mark Bennett (quad), Emiliano Boffellli (hamstring), Connor Boyle (knee), Robert Carmichael (wrist), Luke Crosbie (pec), Tom Dodd (shoulder), Darcy Graham (rest), Jamie Hodgson (tricep), Paul Hill (back), Javan Sebastian (concussion), Matt Scott (neck), Marshall Sykes (foot), Duhan van der Merwe (ankle), Ben Vellacott (foot), Hamish Watson (rest), Lewis Wells (ankle).

 

 

Our Edinburgh-based experts advise both individuals and businesses across a range of sectors, providing accountancy, audit and assurance, business advisory, tax and VAT services. Founded in 1855, Saffery is the 15th largest accountancy firm in the UK by turnover and has had a presence in Edinburgh for over 30 years. Website: www.saffery.com

   

Johnny Sexton given British & Irish Lions coaching role