Edinburgh name all-new front row as forward power is put to the test

One of the key reasons for Edinburgh’s struggle in the  RaboDirect PRO12 last term was the drop-off in forward muscle when their internationalists were taken from the side. So, that has been a key area targeted by coach Michael Bradley in the summer and also lay behind his desire to face Northampton in the final pre-season friendly at Murrayfield tonight.

The Saints have boasted one of the most ferocious packs in European rugby for the past couple of seasons, starting with their big southern hemisphere front row, and Bradley is eager to see what kind of improvement his new trio of John Yapp, Andy Titterrell and Willem Nel could make to Edinburgh’s strength in depth.

He said: “Northampton provide quality opposition for us to measure ourselves against. They’re very strong with a good pedigree, and are a bit like Munster, who we play next week in the first league match of the season. It’ll be a good challenge for us as they may even play in a similar way.”

After a disappointing 21-3 defeat at Newcastle last Friday night, where Edinburgh defended reasonably well and were solid up front but only twice reached the Falcons’ 22, Bradley acknowledged that there remains a rustiness about his players that may not be helped by him making eight changes for tonight’s match.

Newly-capped Scotland full-back Tom Brown returns this week, but other tourists Tim Visser, Greig Laidlaw, Nick de Luca, Matt Scott and Ross Ford, as well as David Denton, are on what are called Individual Player Development programmes. These were agreed between the pro sides and Scotland management and mean most will not play until the start of the league. They will also have weeks during the season when they are rested.

Bradley is unfazed, having tailored pre-season around those considerations. “We’ve done a lot of contact work in training so we’re building it up for these players [Scotland internationalists] that way,” he said. “It’s a balance, a judgment call, but we’re comfortable with where we are with these players.

“The key thing for me after this match is that we have  everyone available for selection and we can pick the strongest possible panel.”

There remains a doubt over one new signing, Ben Atiga, who was withdrawn from the team to face Newcastle due to a hip flexor injury. Yesterday morning, the All Black centre had still not recovered 100 per cent but Bradley is hopeful he will be ready by kick-off time.

Sep Visser moves back to the wing and full-back Greig Tonks slips into outside centre as Bradley tests the versatility of his backs with Scotland centre Ben Cairns not due back from injury until October.

“We need to find out about different combinations,” Bradley said.

“We have Gregor Hunter and Richie Rees at half-back, John Yapp and WP in the front row, Stevie Turnbull coming back for the first time since January with Perry in a new second row, and Netani back at No 8 to work with Dimitri and Roddy.

“So we have all these combinations to look at and we’d like to see them tested, and playing Northampton is fantastic because whatever combination they put out they will be very strong.”

Though a newcomer, Tonks will be making his second  appearance on the Murrayfield turf tonight in an Edinburgh-Northampton match, only this time on the home side.

The 23-year-old from Nottingham came through the Leicester ranks but switched to Franklin’s Gardens two years ago and made his debut for the Saints at Murrayfield in the stunning Heineken Cup match in 2010, where Edinburgh scored three tries in the first half but lost the game 31-27.

Tonks qualifies for Scotland through his mother Lena Mackin’s family, who hail from Muirkirk in Ayrshire and, when Bradley enquired about him earlier this year, he was delighted  to move.

“I didn’t play too much at Leicester,” he said, “and although I played nearly 20 games in the Heineken Cup and Premiership at Northampton, it wasn’t as regular as I would have liked and to progress you have to be playing regularly at the top level.

“The goal now is to play for Edinburgh and ultimately progress through the Scottish system, but I’ve got to play as well as I can for Edinburgh first, and get a regular place in the team.

“Playing well and winning against my old club would be a great start.”

Edinburgh team to face Northampton at Murrayfield, tonight, kick-off 7:30pm

15 T Brown

14 M Penn

13 G Tonks

12 B Atiga/J Houston

11 S Visser

10 G Hunter

9 R Rees

1 J Yapp

2 A Titterrell

3 W Nel

4 P Parker

5 S Turnbull

6 D Basilaia

7 R Grant (capt)

8 N Talei

Subs

A Walker, R Hislop, L Niven, S Cox, R McAlpine, H Watson, C Leck, J Houston, J Farndale, D Fife, J King.