Two years after he signed with Edinburgh and was catapulted into the Scotland national team, Darryl Marfo has left the capital club to seek playing possibilities elsewhere.
The loose-head prop was something of an emergency signing for Richard Cockerill when he took charge at Edinburgh in 2017, but within a couple of months he was playing international rugby by virtue of his mother being born in Ayr.
Marfo played in all three November tests against Samoa, New Zealand and Australia in 2017 and 12 times in all for Edinburgh, but an injury cost him his place in early 2018 and he has been unable to feature since.
The club and player have mutually agreed to a parting of the ways before the end of the contract he signed after his meteoric start.
“For Marfs it is an opportunity,” said Steve Lawrie, Edinburgh’s assistant coach. “We recognise that he has not had a lot of rugby, he plays in a position we have a lot of strength in, and it was just felt between the club and Darryl that it was best for him that he sought opportunities elsewhere.
“Darryl has trained really hard, he’s played really well when he’s had a chance as well – he had that great stint when he was in the national squad and played some of his best rugby – but it is now just a case that it was in his best interests that he moves on.
“Jamie Bhatti is with us now and he has played really well. We’ve got Pierre Schoeman and Rory Sutherland, so we’ve got a lot of guys in that position who are performing as well.”
Edinburgh meanwhile are still waiting on John Barclay to complete concussion protocols but think he could feature in this weekend’s game against Wasps at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.
“John is just undergoing the usual protocols, but he’s got a chance for Saturday,” said Lawrie of the former Scotland captain, who announced last week he was quitting international rugby and will therefore be available to the club during the Six Nations campaign.
“That has definitely been discussed!” said Lawrie. “John is an important part of our make-up, he brings a lot of experience to the squad.
“He’s a former Scotland captain and done a lot of things at the top end – so we recognise that particularly during that window when guys are away with Scotland he is going to be an important figure.”
