Edinburgh make nine changes for Stormers clash with three enforced as decision made on Scotland trio

Edinburgh have made nine personnel changes following last week’s 54-17 loss to the Lions in Johannesburg.

It was the club’s heaviest league defeat of the season and head coach Sean Everitt has wielded the axe for this Saturday’s game against the Stormers in Cape Town.

Edinburgh, who have conceded 94 points in their last two matches, are 13th in the United Rugby Championship with five rounds of fixtures remaining. Their chances of making the top eight and a place in the end-of-season play-offs are hanging by a thread.

Edinburgh Rugby head coach Sean Everitt has made nine changes to his starting line-up for the match against Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday. | AFP via Getty Images

The team is boosted by the arrival in South Africa of three of their most experienced Scotland internationals and Darcy Graham, Pierre Schoeman and Grant Gilchrist go straight into the starting side, replacing Jack Brown, Boan Venter and Glen Young who are all benched.

Ben Vellacott and Mosese Tuipulotu are also dropped to the bench, with Charlie Shiel and James Lang taking their places at scrum-half and inside centre, respectively.

Further changes are forced upon Edinburgh by injury. Harry Paterson is ruled out with a quad problem and is replaced at full-back by Piers O’Conor, tighthead prop D’arcy Rae has a calf injury, opening the door for Paul Hill and Ben Muncaster suffered a concussion against the Lions and is replaced by Liam McConnell.

Ewan Ashman will start at hooker for Edinburgh, with Dylan Richardson moving to openside flanker in place of Freddy Douglas who is named among the replacements.

“We know it will be a tough challenge at DHL Stadium on Saturday, but we’ve had a good training week and are in a good place to get a special result at the weekend,” said Everitt.

“The Scotland guys being back is obviously a boost, but we’ll need everyone at the top of their game to turn over the Stormers on their own patch.”

Edinburgh Rugby (v DHL Stormers, URC, DHL Stadium, Saturday 5pm)

15. Piers O’Conor (15)

14. Darcy Graham (92)

13. Matt Currie (70)

12. James Lang (88)

11. Malelili Satala (5)

10. Ross Thompson (39)

9. Charlie Shiel (89)

1. Pierre Schoeman (145)

2. Ewan Ashman (48)

3. Paul Hill (29)

4. Marshall Sykes (92)

5. Grant Gilchrist (228)

6. Liam McConnell (19)

7. Dylan Richardson (10)

8. Magnus Bradbury CAPTAIN (148)

Replacements

16. Jerry Blyth-Lafferty (3)

17. Boan Venter (102)

18. Angus Williams (30)

19. Glen Young (64)

20. Freddy Douglas (19)

21. Ben Vellacott (91)

22. Mosese Tuipulotu (24)

23. Jack Brown (10)