| LAIDLAW THRILLED BY CALL-UP |
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| Wednesday, 14 January 2009 | |
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Greig Laidlaw admits he is thrilled to be starting for Edinburgh against Castres in the Heineken Cup at Murrayfield on Friday evening (16 January, kick off 7.30pm) and says he is determined to seize his chance at scrum-half. The 23-year-old has been an understudy to captain Mike Blair for the vast bulk of the campaign and he has only recorded one start so far this season at Newport Gwent Dragons in September. But head coach Andy Robinson has handed the former Jed-Forest back the number nine jersey for the visit of Castres and Laidlaw says he is planning to make the most of the opportunity. Tickets are available by calling 0131 346 5180 Laidlaw said: “I’m delighted to be starting, especially in the Heineken Cup which is the biggest club competition in the northern hemisphere. “Even if we can’t realistically qualify for the knock-out stages, we are going out there to win the game and finish as high up the Pool as possible. “It is a hard task to dislodge Mike (Blair) from the team; there is no hiding from that fact. Mike is one of the top scrum halves in the world at the minute. “I am always striving to push my standards up so I can compete for the scrum half position and to take my chance when it comes along.” Laidlaw’s inclusion is one of five changes to the starting line-up that defeated Ulster last week with first team regulars Blair and Jim Hamilton provisionally named amongst the replacements. Lock Hamilton may miss the match through injury, so versatile player Roland Reid is on stand-by. Nick De Luca returns to the side after being relegated to the bench last week while prop Gavin Kerr, lock Ben Gissing and blindside flanker Scott Newlands are all added to the pack. As a result, club captain Simon Cross switches across the back row to fill the vacant number seven jersey because Roddy Grant is ineligible to play in the Heineken Cup. But Cross insists he is looking forward to the challenge and says that operating at openside is not alien territory for him. Cross said: “I played at openside a lot during my early days at Edinburgh. So it is a position that I’ve got a lot of experience playing in and I almost won an international cap as a seven. “It will be a different challenge to last week, but I’m looking forward to getting back out on the pitch again.” Chris Paterson returns to the squad after a month’s lay-off with a rib injury and he is provisionally joined on the bench by Alan MacDonald; should he recover from a head knock in time. If MacDonald does not get the all-clear to play then hooker-cum-flanker Steve Lawrie will take his place on the bench. Prop Kyle Traynor, hooker Andrew Kelly and centre John Houston make up the rest of the replacements. On the injury front, Matt Mustchin (ankle) is still unavailable and he is joined in the treatment room by long term casualties Ross Rennie (knee), Fraser McKenzie (hamstring), David Callam (hip), Mark Robertson (groin), Ryan Grant (groin) and Steven Turnbull (ankle). Prop Geoff Cross, who has been a virtual ever present so far this season in the front row, has been rested. Edinburgh Rugby Club squad to play Castres Olympique in the Heineken Cup at Murrayfield (Friday 16 January, kick off 7.30pm) 15 Hugo Southwell 14 Andrew Turnbull 13 Ben Cairns 12 Nick De Luca 11 Simon Webster 10 Phil Godman 9 Greig Laidlaw 1 Allan Jacobsen 2 Ross Ford 3 Gavin Kerr 4 Craig Hamilton 5 Ben Gissing 6 Scott Newlands 7 Simon Cross 8 Allister Hogg (captain) Substitutes: Andrew Kelly, Kyle Traynor, Jim Hamilton or Roland Reid, Alan MacDonald or Steve Lawrie, Mike Blair, John Houston, Chris Paterson. |
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