Preview: Edinburgh v Connacht
Edinburgh coach Andy Robinson will welcome back a host of Scotland internationals for Good Friday's Magners League clash against Connacht.
Edinburgh coach Andy Robinson will welcome back a host of Scotland internationals for Good Friday's Magners League clash against Connacht at Murrayfield.
Scotland captain Mike Blair and flanker Ally Hogg, who both scored tries in Saturday's defeat in Italy, will play start.
Simon Webster, Hugo Southwell and Craig Smith, who all played in Scotland's final Six Nations match, also come back but prop Allan Jacobsen misses out after suffering a groin injury.
Scotland hooker Ross Ford is also ruled out because of ankle ligament damage he suffered in the Calcutta Cup win the previous weekend.
However, centre Nick de Luca and number eight Dave Callam will return from injuries which kept them out of Scotland duty.
“We are extremely pleased to be able to welcome back the Scotland contingent immediately after the Six Nations,” said Robinson.
“Friday's home match against Connacht is the first of our final six matches in the Magners League and it is important we produce a good performance.
“We realise that Connacht is going to be a difficult test and, after assessing their recent performances, we are under no illusions they will prove to be tough opponents.
“But we are expecting a decent crowd for this match and it would be ideal if we could mark the Easter weekend with a home win.”
Meanwhile, Connacht coach Michael Bradley has made three changes to his starting line up, with both John Lyne and Andrew Browne set to make their first competitive starts for the province.
Lyne, who has recovered from his calf injury which left him sidelined for the majority of the season, performed well in last weeks 'A' match against Ulster and is playing for the first time for Connacht since appearing against Harlequins in preseason.
Browne, who has been pivotal in helping Galwegians reach the semi final of the AIB Cup, last played for Connacht against Munster in December and is partnering captain Andrew Farley in the second row for the first time since September.
In the backs, Tim Donnelly starts at fly-half with the rest of the backline remaining unchanged since Connacht's last match against Leinster three weeks ago.
Connemara fly-half Troy Nathan is also included among the replacements for the first time, having been training with the squad since November.
Form: Edinburgh are winless in their last three matches in all competitions but did draw 10-all last time out against the Dragons at Rodney Parade in the Magners League on 29 February. Connacht have lost their last three games in all competitions, whilst their only away win since September 2006 was 60-0 against Spanish outfit El Salvador in the European Challenge Cup on 13 January. Connacht have not won in Scotland since a 29-15 victory at the now defunct Border Reivers in the Magners League on 1 September 2006. Connacht have not beaten Edinburgh since a 16-13 win at Murrayfield in March 2005.
The Teams:
Edinburgh: 15 Hugo Southwell, 14 Simon Webster, 13 Ben Cairns, 12 Nick De Luca, 11 John Houston, 10 Phil Godman, 9 Mike Blair, 8 David Callam, 7 Ross Rennie, 6 Allister Hogg (c), 5 Ben Gissing, 4 Craig Hamilton, 3 Craig Smith, 2 Andrew Kelly, 1 Gavin Kerr.
Replacements: 16 Augusto Allori, 17 Steve Lawrie, 18 Simon Cross, 19 Matt Mustchin, 20 Ben Meyer, 21 Calum MacRae, 22 Andrew Turnbull.
Connacht: 15 Gavin Duffy, 14 Keith Matthews, 13 Matt Mostyn, 12 Mel Deane, 11 Aidan Wynne, 10 Tim Donnelly, 9 Conor O'Loughlin, 8 Colm Rigney, 7 Jonny O'Connor, 6 John Muldoon, 5 Andrew Farley, 4 Andrew Browne, 3 Robbie Morris, 2 Adrian Flavin, 1 John Lyne.
Replacements: 16 Joe Merrigan, 17 Brett Wilkinson, 18 Ronan Loughney, 19 David Gannon, 20 Michael McCarthy, 21 Conor McPhillips, 22 Troy Nathan.
Date: Friday 21 March, 2008
Kick-off: 19:30 GMT
Venue: Murrayfield
Referee: James Jones (Wales)
Touch judges: Andy MacPherson (Scotland), Alan Forrest (Scotland)
TMO: Iain Ramage (Scotland)
Assessor: Jim Fleming (Scotland)