Edinburgh Rugby explain Matt Currie wing switch and target bonus-point win over Scarlets

Options are thin on the wing as Edinburgh deal with injuries

The talk at the start of the season was about how Edinburgh would be able to accommodate their glittering array of back-three options.

With Blair Kinghorn, Duhan van der Merwe, Emiliano Boffelli, Darcy Graham and Wes Goosen all vying for a starting berth, new coach Sean Everitt was going to have some tough choices to make. Fast forward six months and Everitt is casting around for players to fill the slots such has been the injury toll. Matt Currie, who has been highly impressive at both inside and outside centre in recent weeks, is being redeployed as a winger for Saturday’s home game against the Scarlets because even the young replacements are injured now.

Harry Paterson, outstanding on his Scotland debut against France during the Six Nations, is still out with an ankle problem while Jake Henry, who has played four games in a row after making his debut against the Stormers, is the latest to join the casualty list, sidelined by a hamstring issue. He joins Emiliano Boffelli (back) and Graham (groin) on the treatment table. Kinghorn, of course, departed for Toulouse in November which has left van der Merwe and Goosen to hold the fort, and they will be assisted this weekend by Currie as Edinburgh look to reignite their United Rugby Championship campaign. Everitt is confident the centre can adapt to the switch, which will allow James Lang to return to the team to partner Mark Bennett in the centre.

“Matt Currie has carried a big load this season, but we just felt that with the games coming up it would be good to try him on the wing,” said Everitt. “I know that he played there last season and got good feedback, so it is an experiment more than anything else. Matt has got pace. If you look at the try he scored which was then disallowed against the Sharks, he showed great pace there and he’s been in great form for us. He’s carrying a lot of confidence and he’s willing to give it a go, so that is brilliant for us.”

Henry has been sent for a scan and Everitt is hopeful the young winger will be able to return in a couple of weeks. He has looked bright and dangerous in recent weeks after a torrid time with long-term injuries early in his career.

Edinburgh have made seven personnel changes in total for a game Everitt admitted fell into the “must-win” category. The club lie ninth in the URC standings with five rounds remaining but it is so tight that only five points separate the sides in fifth and 11th place. There is an all-new front-row as Boan Venter, Dave Cherry and Javan Sebastian replace Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman and WP Nel who are all on the bench. Sam Skinner and Hamish Watson have been rested so Jamie Hodgson and Luke Crosbie are selected in the second and back row respectively. With Lang returning, the other change in the backs sees Ali Price starting at scrum-half ahead of Ben Vellacott.

Everitt is looking for bonus point victory, something which has eluded Edinburgh for the most part this season. “We’re playing at Hive and we perform well at Hive so we expect nothing less than a win,” said the coach. “We would like five points out of the game and it’s something that has been lacking over the season but it’s something we have been working on to get over the line.”

Matt Currie has been in good form for Edinburgh but will move from centre to the wing for the match against Scarlets in the United Rugby Championship. (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group)

Edinburgh Rugby v Scarlets: URC, Hive Stadium, Saturday, 7.35pm. TV: live on: Premier Sports.

Edinburgh Rugby: Wes Goosen; Matt Currie, Mark Bennett, James Lang, Duhan van der Merwe; Ben Healy, Ali Price; Boan Venter, Dave Cherry, Javan Sebastian, Jamie Hodgson, Grant Gilchrist (capt), Jamie Ritchie, Luke Crosbie, Viliame Mata. Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Pierre Schoeman, WP Nel, Marshall Sykes, Connor Boyle, Ben Vellacott, Cammy Scott, Chris Dean.

Scarlets: Ioan Nicholas; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Eddie James, Tomi Lewis; Sam Costelow, Gareth Davies; Kemsley Mathias, Ryan Elias (capt), Sam Wainwright, Alex Craig, Sam Lousi, Taine Plumtree, Dan Davis, Vaea Fifita. Replacements: Shaun Evans, Wyn Jones, Harri O’Connor, Morgan Jones, Carwyn Tuipulotu, Archie Hughes, Dan Jones, Ryan Conbeer.

Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU).