Everitt said: “We’re excited to get into matches after a lot of work on the training pitch. It has been a productive pre-season, and we’re looking forward to seeing some of the work in action on Friday night. A lot of the younger guys have worked hard in the last few weeks and shown that they deserve a run-out for the senior side. There’s a lot of potential, so we’re looking forward to seeing what they can do in Belfast.”
Whitcombe and Litterick start at loosehead and tighthead respectively, alongside 21-year-old academy hooker Jerry Blyth-Lafferty. Young is joined in the second-row by academy youngster Christian Lindsay, with the 18-year-old set for his first senior involvement having come through the ranks at Loretto School.
In the back-row, Everitt opts to start with the youthful trio of Ollie Duncan (blindside flanker), Freddy Douglas (openside), and Tom Currie (number eight) having all featured together for Scotland under-20s.
Thompson is partnered at half-back by academy scrum-half Hector Patterson, 20, who starts after an impressive set of displays at the World Rugby U20 Championship earlier this summer. The midfield is made up of academy inside-centre Findlay Thomson, 21, and GB Sevens’ Matt Davidson who starts at 13 and who has been trainimg with Edinburgh during the Sevens off-season.
In the back-three, Jack Brown, 20, starts at full-back, alongside wingers Lewis Wells and Ross McCann.
Edinburgh team (to face Ulster at the Affidea Stadium on Friday, kick-off 7:35pm): J Brown, L Wells, M Davidson, F Thomson, R McCann, R Thompson, Hector Patterson; J Whitcombe, J Blyth-Lafferty, R Litterick, C Lindsay, G Young, O Duncan, F Douglas, T Currie
Replacements: M Jones, H Morris, A Williams, E McVie, S Skinner, L McConnell, H Watson, M Bradbury, C McAlpine, C Scott, R McKnight, C McCaig, M Satala