Sam Hidalgo-Clyne could play for Edinburgh this weekend

Sam Hidalgo-Clyne: Made one appearance off the bench. Picture: SNS

The scrum-half headed to the showpiece event as one of the names on everyone’s lips, but he was restricted to just one appearance from the bench against South Africa during the pool stages.

This was due to the form of captain Greig Laidlaw and his understudy Henry Pyrgos and, having not been involved in a matchday squad since 3 October, the 22-year-old has been training with Edinburgh in recent days and is likely to travel to Italy with them for Saturday’s encounter with Zebre in the  Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in  Parma.

The return of last year’s Pro12 young player of the season will be a boost to head coach Alan Solomons, especially with fellow scrum-half Sean Kennedy still struggling with a back problem and unlikely to be risked at the weekend.

Against Ulster last Friday night, former Scotland under-20 cap Murdo McAndrew provided cover on the bench for starting No 9 Nathan Fowles.

Meanwhile, having returned home from the World Cup after the USA match due to injury at the end of last month it looks like Edinburgh’s second-row forward Grant Gilchrist will be out until the middle of November.