Edinburgh have finalised their bench for tonight’s Magners League match against Leinster at Murrayfield (kick-off 7.05pm).
David Denton, the Scotland under-20 cap, who was introduced against Ulster last weekend, remains in the squad as internationalist Alan MacDonald is not yet fully restored from the hip injury he sustained in the opening league match at Cardiff.
Edinburgh’s line-up tonight: Chris Paterson; Mark Robertson, Ben Cairns, Alex Grove, Tim Visser; David Blair, Mike Blair; Allan Jacobsen, Ross Ford, Geoff Cross, Esteban Lozada, Scott MacLeod, Scott Newlands, Roddy Grant captain, Ross Rennie. Substitutes: Andrew Kelly, Kyle Traynor, Jack Gilding, Craig Hamilton, David Denton, Greig Laidlaw, Tom Brown, John Houston.
David Denton in Scotland under-20 action
Meanwhile, as supporters will know from previous stories on this website, the President’s Suite at Murrayfield Stadium has undergone a facelift over the summer months, meaning it was out of action for the London Irish friendly on 27 August and the Magners League game against Munster on 10 September.
While this refurbishment work was taking place, Scottish Rugby carried out a full review of how the new facility will be used. It has been decided that bar facilities for Edinburgh home games should be sited in an alternative but comparable location.
As such, from tonight’s (Friday 24 September) fixture against Leinster new arrangements will be in place. The Premium Lounge, for Premium season ticket holders, will this season be located in the Murrayfield Boxes at the north end of the stadium. The Lounge will have dedicated bar and food facilities, and will continue to be visited by your favourite players post-match.
So far this season, bar facilities for season ticket holders and other Edinburgh supporters have been located in the Rowan Suite. Going forward, the public bar will continue to be hosted there.
For tonight’s match, season ticket holders are also invited to avail themselves of the Rowan Suite. We are, however, in the process of identifying an alternative dedicated facility for season ticket holders to enjoy, and hope to be in a position to make further information available shortly.
In the meantime, we are trying to make the Rowan Suite feel like a clubhouse, with Edinburgh branding put in place and additional bar service points introduced to reduce waiting time. With the help of Edinburgh supporters, we can make the match-night experience even more enjoyable.
Edinburgh chief executive Craig Docherty and Chairman Jim Calder will visit both the Murrayfield Boxes and the Rowan Suite on the night of the Leinster game to hear supporters’ views on how to make the transition to the new facilities as smooth as we possibly can.
