Duhan van der Merwe is back in the Edinburgh Rugby starting XV for Friday’s BKT United Rugby Championship match against the 10bet Lions, marking his return after missing the start of the season with an ankle injury.
The British & Irish Lion comes back into the side in place of Malelili Satala, with Edinburgh making four changes to the starting XV for the 7.45pm kick-off at Hive Stadium on Friday 23 October.
Edinburgh make four changes for Lions test
The return of van der Merwe gives Edinburgh an important boost out wide as they prepare for a tough home fixture. Sean Everitt said the Lions present a difficult challenge, pointing to their strong set piece and their threat in transitions, and stressed that Edinburgh will need an accurate performance to get the result.
Marshall Sykes is among the other notable names in the selection picture. He is approaching his 100th appearance for Edinburgh Rugby, a milestone Everitt described as a big moment for a player who has shown huge commitment to the jersey. The head coach said everyone at the club is proud of that achievement.
The selection comes after a mixed recent spell for Edinburgh. Against Zebre Parma, Sykes sustained a bicep injury, while last weekend against Toulon, Geordie Gwynn scored his first Edinburgh try and Darcy Graham returned to action before picking up calf tightness.
For Edinburgh, van der Merwe’s return is the clearest headline. His presence strengthens the back line for a match that should be a useful early-season marker, especially with the team looking to build rhythm after losing one of its key attacking threats to injury at the start of the campaign.
