Edinburgh have received a massive boost ahead of their trip to Leinster this weekend with star man Duhan van der Merwe available for selection.
Edinburgh have made a brilliant start to their URC campaign with two wins from two and they’ll be bolstered by Van der Merwe’s return.
The 28-year-old endured a frustrating World Cup with Scotland but he was awarded the Rugby World Try of the Year Award this week for his breathtaking solo effort against England in the Six Nations.
Fellow Scotland international Pierre Schoeman will also return after an extended break due to a family bereavement and Edinburgh assistant attacking coach Rob Chrystie believes it highlights their strength in depth.
“We’ll see where we end up - the team has not been announced yet,” Chrystie said. “They’ve added loads to training. They’ve come back in and they look really keen to get going, which is excellent to see, and they’ve definitely added to the group.
“Yeah, exactly right. We challenged the guys who were not away at the World Cup - we said ‘We’ve got to make it tough for these guys when they come back, create competition for places and drive the standards’.
"They’ve definitely done that. As a result of getting over the line, it has created competition for places. But we know where we’re at. We’ve got a lot to work on.”
All of Edinburgh’s World Cup contingent have returned to the capital with the exception of Emiliano Boffelli. The versatile back featured for Argentina in their bronze medal defeat to England and he’s been afforded extra time off in his homeland.
In Boffeli, Van der Merwe and Darcy Graham, Edinburgh possess three world-class back-three players and Chrystie insists it will enhance their chances of maintaining their positive start to the season.
“Yeah, he’ll get a little bit of a break, but he’s keen to get back into the mix as well,” Chrystie confirmed on Boffelli. “He’s had a tough shift at the World Cup and he definitely deserves a little bit of a break. But he’s keen to get back in amongst it as well. We’ve got a big run of games coming up and it is going to take everybody to be involved. When we get these guys all back together training the standards are going to get higher and higher, which is exactly what we want.”
Edinburgh’s talented collection of backs is being led impressively by new arrival Ben Healy. The Scotland international has been faultless from the kicking tee so far and Chrystie has been pleased with his acclimatisation to his new surroundings.
“Ben has been excellent,” he added. “He definitely knows his rugby. You can tell he studies the game. He’s added loads to the group. Ultimately if you want to step in and drive the bus you’ve got to perform - and I think he’s performed pretty well so far. He’s done well.”
