RUGBY NEWS: SCOTLAND AND Lions scrumhalf Mike Blair will make his first start of the new Magners League season when lining out for leaders Edinburgh against European champions Leinster at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Blair has previously come off the bench in his side’s victories over Connacht and Ulster in what has been an unbeaten start to the new campaign for Edinburgh. Coach Rob Moffat, who took over from Andy Robinson, the latter now with Scotland, enthused: “Greig Laidlaw has played very well so far this season and we are pleased with him.
“But Mike came on last Friday and made an impact. He is our captain and everybody knows just how good he is. We just felt this was a good week for Mike to start. He has had his pre-season later than others, so in many respects he is still getting into the season.”
Centre Nick De Luca also starts for the first time, reclaiming the number 12 jersey from John Houston. Moffat explained: “Nick did well off the bench and we thought it was time he started. John Houston has played very well and probably played his best game last Friday night, but we thought the time was right for Nick to start this week.
“We are looking to carefully manage the whole squad over the course of the season because there is a lot of rugby to be played in the Magners League, Heineken Cup and in international rugby as well. You’ve got to look at the whole season. We cannot just rely on 25 players in order to achieve that. Last season I believe we used 36 players, so I’m sure we will use that amount again.”
The Edinburgh coach is relishing the prospect of a tilt at the European champions. Last season the two sides met in the pool stages of that competition with Leinster winning both at the RDS and Saturday’s venue. “This week we face a completely different challenge against a team like Leinster and a lot of their big name players should be back this weekend.
“Historically, we’ve played well against Leinster here at Murrayfield and both teams tend to want to play open, attacking rugby which will make it an exciting encounter for spectators. Leinster have developed their game over the past two or three seasons and they are far more physical than they used to be.
“It is a chance for us to keep moving on. It was a good win at Ulster last weekend, but, in many respects, it was not a good performance. I think it should be a cracking game and we just want to keep winning and entertain our supporters in the process.”
Blair’s promotion means that Laidlaw drops to the bench while Alan MacDonald, who missed the Ulster match, returns to blindside flanker. Simon Cross, Ross Rennie, David Callam, Simon Webster and Jim Hamilton are still sidelined through injury.
Victory for Edinburgh on Saturday would see them equal the record mark of Leinster and Munster in the tournament of 10 successive victories.
Meanwhile, today’s A interprovincial between the Ulster Ravens and Munster A at Shaw’s Bridge (3.30) has been given an added resonance because of the upcoming British and Irish Cup, which starts in November.
The new tournament consists of 12 teams from the English Championship, six from the Welsh Principality Premiership, the A sides of Irish provinces Munster, Leinster and Ulster and three Scottish sides. The 24 teams have been divided into four pools of six and play each other once.
Leinster have been drawn alongside Exeter Chiefs, Cornish Pirates, Newport, Plymouth Albion and the Thistles, Munster with Coventry, Bristol, Heriot’s, Neath and Nottingham while the Ulster Ravens will oppose Aberavon, Bedford, Llanelli, London Welsh and Moseley. The tournament begins in November.
Connacht’s Mike McComish, who was sin-binned in their season-opening encounter with the Ospreys at the Sportsground, has had his yellow card rescinded by Magners League officials.
