Edinburgh have been challenged to kick-start their hectic festive schedule with a positive performance and result against Castres in Sunday’s Heineken Cup clash at Murrayfield (kick-off 2pm).
The game is the first of three holiday season fixtures which were today described as “massive” by head coach Rob Moffat, who will next week turn his attentions to the back-to-back Greaves Sports 1872 Cup derbies against Glasgow Warriors at Firhill on Monday 27 December and Murrayfield on Sunday 2 January 2011.
Sunday’s visit from Top 14 cracks Castres gives Edinburgh the opportunity to gain revenge for the 21-16 defeat they suffered against the same opposition in southern France last weekend.
Moffat has given the bulk of the side who featured on that occasion the opportunity to make instant amends, limiting himself to three changes to the starting line-up.
Tim Visser, who missed the trip across the channel with a stomach bug, comes in on the wing in place of Jim Thompson, the former Heriot’s player dropping to the bench. In the back row, meanwhile, Stuart McInally will make his first Heineken Cup appearance, with captain Roddy Grant moving to openside flanker. Craig Hamilton will pack down at lock after Fraser McKenzie picked up a minor back strain.
On the replacements bench, there are places for Simon Webster, who made a try-scoring return to the Edinburgh fold last weekend, and for Nick De Luca, who has yet to feature this season because of a groin complaint.
Moffat today welcomed back the Scotland centre and urged his men to give both themselves and the Murrayfield crowd a timely boost ahead of the showdowns with the Warriors. He said: “It’s great to have Nick back and available for selection, because he’s a really influential member of the squad and a positive presence in the dressing room.
“He’s had to show patience so far this season, but I know he’s really chomping at the bit to get some rugby under his belt and everyone at the club is delighted he’s now at the stage to do so.
“Sunday’s game is all about getting a win in the Heineken Cup and getting some momentum to take into the Glasgow matches.
“We haven’t been far away in any of our European matches to date, but our ambitions are much higher than picking up losing bonus points. We’ve got a good record at home in the Heineken Cup over the last couple of years, and we really want to add another win to that sequence.
“It’s vital for us and the support that we prove we can win at this level and give ourselves a boost ahead of a massive couple of weeks.”
Edinburgh have won four of the last five Heineken Cup matches staged at Murrayfield, the positive run beginning with a bonus-point 32-14 win over Castres in January 2009.
Moffat continued: “We played really well that day and showed a lot of ambition in attack. If we perform to the same level, giving ourselves the right platform to build, I’ve every confidence we’ll get the result that everyone is looking for on Sunday.”
EDINBURGH TEAM TO PLAY CASTRES IN HEINEKEN CUP POOL 1 AT MURRAYFIELD ON SUNDAY 19 DECEMBER (KICK-OFF 2PM)
15 Chris Paterson
14 Lee Jones
13 Ben Cairns
12 John Houston
11 Tim Visser
10 David Blair
9 Greig Laidlaw
1 Allan Jacobsen
2 Ross Ford
3 Geoff Cross
4 Steven Turnbull
5 Craig Hamilton
6 Scott Newlands
8 Stuart McInally
7 Roddy Grant (captain)
SUBSTITUTES
16 Andrew Kelly
17 Kyle Traynor
18 David Young
19 Esteban Lozada
20 Alan MacDonald
21 Nick De Luca
22 Jim Thompson
23 Simon Webster
