Edinburgh Rugby teenager's cameo praised as quarter-final throws up another South African visitor

Edinburgh's Freddy Douglas is congratulated by Wes Goosen after winning an important turnover in the EPCR Challenge Cup round of 16 win over Emirates Lions. | SNS Group

He may be only 19 but Freddy Douglas is a fast learner and his growing maturity is becoming increasingly evident in a series of cameos for Edinburgh.

The teenage back-rower came off the bench for the third week running to help push his team into the quarter-finals of the EPCR Challenge Cup with a 24-12 win over the Emirates Lions.

Douglas, who made his full Scotland debut earlier this season before he had even played a competitive match for his club, was only on the field for around 12 minutes on Friday. Nevertheless, he made a significant contribution, winning a brilliant turnover which helped lay the foundation for the home side’s fourth try, scored by fellow sub Ali Price.

Edinburgh's Freddy Douglas is congratulated by Wes Goosen after winning an important turnover in the EPCR Challenge Cup round of 16 win over Emirates Lions. | SNS Group

It put the game beyond the Lions and sealed Edinburgh’s place in the last eight where they will host another South African side, the Bulls, next weekend.

“It was a great turnover by Freddy. We all know that he's good at that,” said Sean Everitt, the Edinburgh head coach.

“I think the good thing about Freddy is the maturity that he's showing in his decision-making at the breakdown which is awesome.

“Against Treviso, he left a couple alone, then he went in for the right one, and on Friday night it was the same. He doesn't go poaching and pushing the boundaries.

“I'm happy for him, and he's made an impact every time he's come onto the field.”

It was only Douglas’ fifth competitive outing in an Edinburgh jersey. An ankle injury stymied his progress slightly but it has already been a season to remember for the local boy. He made his Scotland debut off the bench in the 59-21 win over Portugal in the autumn and followed it up with a man-of-the-match performance for Scotland A against Chile a week later.

He then signed his first professional contract with Edinburgh and made his debut for the club in the home win over Benetton. His first start followed, against Gloucester, but Douglas was then injured. He came storming back in the Under-20 Six Nations Championship, playing against England and then stealing the show with two tries in the win over Wales.

He then scored a brilliant try in the narrow defeat by France in Paris which had the French press likening him to Jonah Lomu. He has returned to club duties with Edinburgh where he is learning from some of the best in the business, understudying the likes of Hamish Watson, Jamie Ritchie and Magnus Bradbury, and will have a big role to play as the capital club pursue a URC play-off place as well as progress in the Challenge Cup.

The Bulls, who beat Bayonne 32-22 in France in the last 16, are likely to pose a stiffer test than the Lions. Last season’s United Rugby Championship runners-up currently sit third in the URC table and beat Edinburgh earlier in the season 22-16 at Loftus Versfeld.

Ali Price scores Edinburgh's fourth try in the 24-12 win over the Lions. | SNS Group

Everitt’s men will have home advantage in the quarter-finals and James Lang believes they are a far sturdier proposition now than when they went to South Africa in the autumn and followed the loss to the Bulls with a chastening 55-21 URC defeat to the Lions.

“We’re a different team to that of six months ago,” said Lang. “There has been so much growth in this team over the last few months, there’s a lot of belief. We’re definitely going to ride this and hopefully go further, but as I said the focus is just on the next game.

“Hopefully we can come out next week and put in a better performance again in front of our home crowd.”