Hugh Blake will finally make his first professional start in Scotland while last week’s Scotland 7s standout Damien Hoyland also makes his debut for Edinburgh in tonight’s Guinness PRO12 meeting with leaders Ospreys at Myreside.
Blake, called in to the Scotland squad before he’d played for Edinburgh although he’s only been involved in training so far, has played twice for Melrose and parts of a couple of A squad games since arriving from Otago on trial with Edinburgh in December.
The 22-year-old will finally get the chance to show Edinburgh fans what head coach Vern Cotter was so impressed with, and his fellow Scotland-qualified trialist from New Zealand Jade Te Rure will start at fly-half.
Blake is the only player released by Cotter from the national squad for tonight’s game.
Hoyland, one of the players of the tournament in Wellington last week as the Scotland 7s team reached the last eight, makes his first appearance for the club on the wing.
Edinburgh are in a run of six wins in their last eight games, while the Ospreys have as many as 20 players unavailable due to international duty and injury.
Wales Under-20 captain Rory Thornton will make his PRO12 in the second row but only James King has been released from the national squad to sit on the bench.
The match is being played at Edinbrugh’s former home ground of Myreside as the national stadium is being set up for Sunday’s 6 Nations match against Wales.
* Edinburgh Rugby (vs Ospreys, 8.05pm) Jack Cuthbert; Tom Brown, Sam Beard, Phil Burleigh, Damien Hoyland; Jade Te Rure, Grayson Hart; Rory Sutherland, Neil Cochrane, WP Nel; Anton Bresler, Ollie Atkins; Roddy Grant, Hugh Blake, Mike Coman (capt).
Replacements: Stuart McInally, Grant Shiells, John Andress, Fraser McKenzie, Tomas Leonardi, Alex Glashan, Tom Heathcote, Andries Strauss.