Blair Kinghorn's full-back potential spelled out as Edinburgh plan to keep him settled

Twenty months after being labelled a potentially world class stand-off, Blair Kinghorn has been told he could become “one of the best full-backs in the world” by new Edinburgh coach Sean Everitt.

It’s a bold statement and it’s hard not to have a degree of sympathy for Kinghorn, whose two-year hiatus as a No 10 would appear to be well and truly over. The 26-year-old started three of Scotland’s four World Cup games in the No 15 jersey and will wear it again when he makes his first Edinburgh appearance of the season in Saturday’s home game against the Emirates Lions.

Kinghorn did not start a game at full-back for either club or country during seasons 2021-22 and 2022-23 but has now returned to the back field where he played for the vast majority of his professional career before the stand-off experiment. Stuart Hogg’s sudden retirement on the eve of the World Cup left Scotland with a gaping hole at 15 and Kinghorn stepped in. The recruitment of Ben Healy from Irish rugby has also meant Edinburgh have a first-class stand-off, with the former Munster man also providing back-up to Finn Russell at national level after switching allegiance to Scotland.

Everitt would now like Kinghorn to have a settled run at full-back and has spoken to national coach Gregor Townsend about the player. Asked if he saw Kinghorn chiefly as a 15 this season, Everitt said: “Yes I do. I’m not saying he won’t play 10 – I see him as a 15 who can back up 10. I think it would be great for Blair to settle in a position and I certainly see Scotland using him as a 15 going forward and it will be an opportunity for him to get more game-time in that position, specialise as a 15 and potentially become one of the best full-backs in the world.

Blair Kinghorn, centre, with Ben Healy, left, during an Edinburgh Rugby training session at the Hive Stadium where they will face the Lions on Saturday. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

“He’s really good under the high ball, he’s got deceptive pace, he enjoys the counter-attack, he’s good with ball in hand and obviously kicks the ball really well. So, he’s all-rounded and suited to that position.”

It was Townsend and Mike Blair, Everitt’s predecessor, who drove Kinghorn’s switch to stand-off, with the former Edinburgh coach stating in March 2022: “I believe that Blair is a potential world class 10 but I also believe it is going to take him a little bit of time to get there.”

Kinghorn, a supremely gifted athlete, has said he feels more comfortable at 15 and will have the opportunity to start there against a Lions team who have got the better of Edinburgh in each of the last two seasons. He is one of four players returning to the capital side for the first time since the World Cup and replaces Cammy Scott. The other changes see newly reappointed co-captain Grant Gilchrist come in for Jamie Hodgson at lock and Hamish Watson and Bill Mata taking the places of Cameron Neild and Tom Dodd in the back row.

Sevens specialist Ross McCann continues on the wing for Edinburgh but will return to the Great Britain squad after the Lions game. “He’s got bigger things to think about – the Olympic Games, which is exciting for him,” said Everitt. “But he’s certainly impressed us in his short stay with Edinburgh.”