Nathan Fowles joins Edinburgh Rugby on loan deal

Sale Sharks scrum-half Nathan Fowles has joined Edinburgh Rugby on a short-term deal. Picture: Twitter/@EdinburghRugby

The 21-year-old England Under-20 star has joined Alan Solomons’ side as a result of injuries and players on international duty.

Richie Gray’s injury and Tim Swinson’s inclusion in the Scotland squad, along with Alex Toolis and Fraser McKenzie being loaned to Glasgow Warriors, has left Solomons with a selection dilemma for tonight’s match with Ulster at BT Murrayfield.

Dougie Fife and Tim Visser both return from national team duty while Tom Heathcote - who earlier this week agreed a summer move to Worcester Warriors - moves up from the bench.

Fowles wears number 21 and starts on the bench, along with Ollie Atkins, Hugh Blake and Jade Te Rure, who all featured in last week’s win over Ospreys.

Team to play Ulster: 15 Jack Cuthbert 14 Dougie Fife 13 Sam Beard 12 Phil Burleigh 11 Tim Visser 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Grayson Hart 1 Rory Sutherland 2 Neil Cochrane 3 W P Nel 4 Anton Bresler 5 Ben Toolis 6 Roddy Grant 7 Hamish Watson 8 Mike Coman (captain)

Replacements 16 Stuart McInally 17 Grant Shiells 18 John Andress 19 Ollie Atkins 20 Hugh Blake 21 Nathan Fowles 22 Jade Te Rure 23 Andries Strauss