{"id":446600,"date":"2025-09-23T19:44:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T19:44:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/446600\/"},"modified":"2025-09-23T19:44:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T19:44:07","slug":"edinburghs-midfield-options-stretched-ahead-of-season-kick-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/446600\/","title":{"rendered":"Edinburgh’s midfield options stretched ahead of season kick-off"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cBen Healy<\/strong> is back from his [knee] injury, so we\u2019re fortunate that we\u2019ve got three international quality fly-halves available to us, and he will step up to hopefully continue in the form that he produced in the first URC season that I was here [2023-24],\u201d said the coach, who then indicated that the 26-year-old\u2019s lack of game-time last season was not so much about form as match fitness.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was unfortunate for Ben. He\u2019s struggled with the tendinopathy in his knee since early in the year. So we\u2019ve been managing that conservatively over time, and he didn\u2019t get the minutes that he wanted in the latter part of the URC, but obviously there\u2019s an opportunity now with his full recovery that he can build some consistency, which will be great for us if he can produce the form that he has [shown in the past] and which earned him a Scottish call-up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Everitt said it is not possible at this stage to predict when centre Matt Currie<\/strong> will return to action, explaining that:\u00a0 \u201cWe were away in Lensbury [for a pre-season training camp] and he had symptoms of vertigo. So not ideal for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve done a lot of reading and research on Will Jordan<\/strong> [the New Zealand full-back] who had a similar condition. It is something that you cannot put a timeline on. So we\u2019ll just wait and see. It could be a week, it could be eight months like Will Jordan. We\u2019re not sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt must be a frustrating time for him but we are around him and supporting him and he\u2019s doing his rehabilitation. It\u2019s not as though he\u2019s not involved in rugby. He\u2019s doing conditioning in the gym and hand-eye coordination. So hopefully he\u2019ll be back sooner rather than later.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Currie, McCaig and Mosese Tuipulotu<\/strong> (out until December with a knee injury) all missing for the foreseeable future, Edinburgh are beginning to look stretched at centre, with James Lang<\/strong> and Piers O\u2019Conor<\/strong> the only senior squad members who could be described as specialists in the 12 and 13 jerseys \u2013 but Everitt says he would have no qualms about calling on academy prospect Fin Thomson<\/strong> as he did when Edinburgh took on Connacht towards the tail-end of last season.<\/p>\n

\u201cFin\u2019s been in our system for quite a while now,\u201d said Everitt. \u201c\u201dHe got a good few minutes against Bundee Aki<\/strong> when we were playing against Connacht and he did really well in that position. He\u2019s had good minutes in the friendlies that we\u2019ve played and he\u2019s shown some good touches on the ball, so I think he\u2019s one for the future and it\u2019s great that we\u2019ve got a youngster like that coming in and covering us there.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we do have utilities. Ross McCann<\/strong> can play 13 and has played 13 in the URC before. If the push comes to the shove, we can move a guy like Wes Goosen<\/strong> to 13.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everitt also confirmed that summer Lions tourists Duhan van der Merwe<\/strong> and Pierre Schoeman<\/strong> will be in the selection mix this weekend, although it is still at leas a week too soon for Darcy Graham.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cDuhan and Pierre will be good to go. They are up for selection. We\u2019ll just have to manage their load on the weekend. Looking forward to seeing them back. They\u2019re not only good rugby players, but they also add a lot to the environment as well. They offer a lot of leadership. And as we all know, they\u2019re world-class players.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, Everitt played down but didn\u2019t totally dismiss rumours that Edinburgh are looking at trying to recruit Scotland scrum-half Ben White<\/strong> when his contract with Toulon runs out at the end of the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no news on Ben White. We\u2019re interested in any international that we can bring back to Edinburgh, especially in a specialist position. But at this stage, there\u2019s nothing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Edinburgh\u2019s currently injured players \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n