Edinburgh v Kings

First topic message reminder :

​Stand-off Jaco van der Walt returns to the starting XV to make his 50th appearance for the capital club as Edinburgh Rugby make 11 changes for tomorrow night’s Guinness PRO14 Conference B clash against Southern Kings at BT Murrayfield (Saturday 4 January, kick-off 7.45pm) – live on Premier Sports.

A rotated backline sees Van der Walt partnered with Henry Pyrgos at half-back, with an all-new centre pairing of Matt Scott and James Johnstone selected in midfield. Fijian international Eroni Sau returns on the wing.

In the forward pack, loosehead prop Jamie Bhatti gets the nod alongside hooker Mike Willemse in the front-row, as Scotland international lock Lewis Carmichael starts to make his eighth appearance of the season.

A revamped back-row combination sees John Barclay return from injury to feature at openside flanker, with Magnus Bradbury and Nick Haining named at blindside flanker and No. 8 respectively.


Ahead of the match, Head Coach Richard Cockerill, said: “We were obviously delighted with the derby win last weekend, but as we’ve spoken about all week in training, it means nothing if we don’t turn up and perform against Southern Kings tomorrow night.

“We are proud of our unbeaten home record at BT Murrayfield and we want to keep it that way. We are playing with confidence and determination, and hopefully that continues as we face a really tough and much improved Kings side.

“We’ve made a number of changes to the team, but it is still an experienced squad who are more than capable of putting in a winning performance.

“We’re excited to be back in front of our home support at BT Murrayfield and we very much want to start 2020 off with a win.”

The inclusion of Sau on the wing is the only alteration to an otherwise unchanged back-three as Blair Kinghorn and Duhan van der Merwe are one again selected in the starting line-up.

Scotland star Scott – who enjoyed an impressive 24-minute appearance from the bench in last weekend’s 1872 Cup derby win – links-up with Johnstone in midfield, as scrum-half Pyrgos – who skippers the side – is paired with Van der Walt at half-back.

Hooker Willemse – who faces his former side – packs down alongside Scotland internationalists Bhatti and WP Nel in the front-row, with locks Carmichael and Grant Gilchrist paired in the second-row.

A back-row trio of Bradbury, Barclay and Haining complete the pack.



Edinburgh Rugby team to face Southern Kings at BT Murrayfield in the Guinness PRO14
Saturday 4 January, kick-off 7.45pm – live on Premier Sports


15. Blair Kinghorn (85)



14. Eroni Sau (6)

13. James Johnstone (46)

12. Matt Scott (90)

11. Duhan van der Merwe (51)



10. Jaco van der Walt (49)

9. Henry Pyrgos (32) CAPTAIN



1. Jamie Bhatti (9)

2. Mike Willemse (12)

3. WP Nel (136)

4. Lewis Carmichael (40)

5. Grant Gilchrist (144)

6. Magnus Bradbury (73)

7. John Barclay (8)

8. Nick Haining (6)



Replacements: 16. Dave Cherry (18) 17. Pierre Schoeman (34) 18. Simon Berghan (74) 19. Ben Toolis (117) 20. Luke Crosbie (33) 21. Charlie Shiel (12) 22. Simon Hickey (29) 23. Mark Bennett (31)

Unavailable: Fraser McKenzie, Chris Dean, Viliame Mata, Jamie Ritchie, Stuart McInally

Much better. Keep ball in hand and stretch them.

Nice from Barclay. Redemption for dropping that sitter.

Hamilton agreeing with me - why take their 13 off!

Really stupid by Scott. Last thing we needed was a silly pen. We will do well to avoid a yellow at this rate.

Lazy from Matt Scott. Cockers is going to be raging.

Well that's another elbow to the head. Do we think that's a red as well?

This is a difficult one - Haining was in a bad position

Head on head - no pen.

Looks like head on head to me

Haining has been in the wars - don't think we'll see him back!

Actually that's head on head. It may have saved us a yellow though, as we must be getting close to last warning on breakdown pens.

Cockers will explode at half time!!

Yep, Edinburgh will be getting a shafting at halftime!

There is no way that should have been scored when a man down!

Sau has been solid today.

I'd like Shiel on at half time. There is hay to be made around the fringes.

We're just not the kind of team that can blow poor opposition away - we never make life easy for ourselves!

funnyExiledScot wrote:Sau has been solid today.

I'd like Shiel on at half time. There is hay to be made around the fringes.

And Pyrgos has been so so so slow

There is definitely still a mindset issue with Edinburgh, a bit like Scotland used to be, in that they struggle to win winnable matches. If they just played the phases here and made no mistakes they would walk this, but they are still not at that stage of their development yet.

Ruthlessness is not a concept that exists in Morningside, so it would seem. Leinster are very much private school Dublin based, but they had 4 tries v Connacht after 20 mins!

RDW wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:Sau has been solid today.

I'd like Shiel on at half time. There is hay to be made around the fringes.

And Pyrgos has been so so so slow

His defensive work has been uncharacteristically poor also. He isn't sweeping effectively. He's exactly what we don't need in this scenario.

BigGee wrote:Ruthlessness is not a concept that exists in Morningside, so it would seem.

You clearly haven't attended the Morningside Waitrose cheese counter on the Saturday before Christmas....

Good move from Kinghorn going for territory

Thanks goodness! Kinghorn has been effective.

Go through the phases then attack out wide - simples

Its easy when you just play the space and the numbers

VDW was literally being pinned down deliberately - poor decision

Another horribly slow and pointless box from Pyrgos, although VDW was clearly and obviously being held in there.

And another - given after she just said ball was available!

The ref is having a breakdown shocker. The ball was clearly available and she's being played by the Kings 9.

Yellow card coming for Edinburgh!

Right. Now let's capitalise.

Get of jail card played there!

Willemse has been our best player - he's been a great signing

Great carry from Crosbie

Another poor Pyrgos decision picking up there. Slowed momentum.

RDW wrote:Willemse has been our best player - he's been a great signing

Agreed. He's very useful.

funnyExiledScot wrote:Another poor Pyrgos decision picking up there. Slowed momentum.

It was a good decision but he's no George Horne - he was too slow to make anything from it!

BigGee wrote:Great carry from Crosbie

He's been quality all season. He really ought to have started this game.

Did I hear the ref say they have to drop to 13 because they don't have a replacement front row?

Seems a harsh rule.

RDW wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:Another poor Pyrgos decision picking up there. Slowed momentum.

It was a good decision but he's no George Horne - he was too slow to make anything from it!

I just don't get why he's still on. The game is won. BP in the bag. Shiel needs game time. No brainer.

Annoying that scrum is uncontested as we bring on Shoe. It would have been better to keep Bhatti on now that he doesn't have to scrum!

Poor from Kinghorn - he should have given it

Butchered by Kinghorn. Horrible.

Kinghorn spooned it then, he should have passed!

This is one of our worst performances in a long time.

Leinster would have been on 80 points by this stage!

Got to take your hat off to the Kings, they have kept at it.

Surely better times are coming if thy keep this kind of effort up.

Edinburgh struggling with Kings' maul tactics.

Seriously, how are we making this look so hard. Glasgow, who are not as good as us, put 50 points on these guys.....

Impressed at how difficult edinburgh are making a 2 man advantage look. Embarrassing!

I do like Scott on the gallop. Now, let's get Shiel on!!

funnyExiledScot wrote:Edinburgh struggling with Kings' maul tactics.

Seriously, how are we making this look so hard. Glasgow, who are not as good as us, put 50 points on these guys.....

That was the pre Benetton Glasgow as well!

Another poor option from Pyrgos. They have cover there, why kick it away??

Keep the ball in hand and we will score. Simple stuff. Thought Berghan was going to drop that!

finally! Haha