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European Challenge Cup: Edinburgh v Wasps (Fri)

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Published in Rugby
Thursday, 05 December 2019 06:24

Scotland wing Darcy Graham returns from injury to make his first Edinburgh appearance of the season as they entertain Wasps in the Challenge Cup.

He takes the place of the injured Eroni Sau, while Scotland pair Matt Scott and John Barclay also miss Friday's game.

Wales back row Thomas Young is named on Wasps' bench after a long-term injury.

Will Rowlands and Charlie Matthews are the latest locks to be sidelined, so Theo Vukasinovic and Tim Cardall make their European debuts for Wasps.

Edinburgh sit top of Pool Three, two points ahead of the visitors, as director of rugby Dai Young makes eight changes in all to the English side's XV following their 38-3 Premiership thumping at Exeter Chiefs.

Tommy Taylor is at hooker with Tom Cruse dropping to the bench, while fit-again Sione Vailanu returns to the back row in place of Tom Willis.

Lima Sopoaga replaces Jacob Umaga at fly-half, while Malakai Fekitoa has recovered from a hand injury to play at centre in place of Jimmy Gopperth, who is among the replacements.

Rob Miller starts at full-back in place of Matteo Minozzi, while Josh Bassett is on the wing in place of Marcus Watson.

Lock Brad Shields, returning from injury, is named as among the replacements with Young, who has not played since March.

Graham, meanwhile, is making his first Edinburgh start since April as head coach Richard Cockerill makes seven changes after his side's 18-16 win away to Munster in the Pro14 for the first of back-to-back games against Wasps.

George Taylor and James Johnstone are named as centres in place of Mark Bennett and Scott, with Simon Hickey starting at fly-half and Jaco van der Walt dropping to the bench.

Jamie Ritchie returns from injury and Nick Haining from suspension to start in the back row in place of Bradbury and Viliame Mata, who drops to the bench along with Pietro Ceccarelli, whose place at tight-head prop goes to Scotland international Simon Berghan.

Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill: "It's going to be a great battle. Wasps are a good team, but we know that, if we put our best game on the field, we'll more than compete with them.

"However, if we're sloppy and inaccurate then they will punish us. They've got an All Black in the centre, they've got an All Black at 10 and they've got Jimmy Gopperth, a former All Black playing at 12. So they've got some real quality there."

Wasps director of rugby Dai Young: "If you get the results in these back-to-back games then you're in a strong position. If you don't then you're struggling.

"Edinburgh have shown over the last couple of seasons that they're a formidable team, so we're going to have to be at our best. We're going there to win, but I feel we do need to come away with something.

"They have a big kicking game. They do a lot of kick-chase games and pressurise you, so we expect we'll have to be very good in the air because they go to the air quite a lot with a real structured high-press chase.

"They have a very good set-piece and play a predominantly field-position-orientated game, while they've got a good drive and are a very good pick-and-go team, so we have to deny them entry into our 22."

Edinburgh: Kinghorn; Graham, Johnstone, Taylor, Van der Merwe; Hickey, Pyrgos; Schoeman, McInally (capt), Berghan, Toolis, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Watson, Haining.

Replacements: Willemse, Bhatti, Ceccarelli, Thomson, Mata, Groom, Van der Walt, Hoyland.

Wasps: Miller; Kibirige, Fekitoa, Le Bourgeois, Bassett; Sopoaga, Robson (capt); Zhvania, Taylor, Brookes, Vukasinovic, Cardall, J Willis, Carr, Vailanu.

Replacements: Cruse, West, Toomaga-Allen, Shields, Young, Johnson, Porter, Gopperth.

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