Edinburgh Rugby youngster Matt Scott (centre) and Grant Gilchrist (lock) will make their competitive debut at Murrayfield tonight in the season opener against Cardiff Blues (kick-off 7.30pm).
Both men played significant parts in the club’s pre-season wins over Sale Sharks (28-22) and Newcastle Falcons (20-17) and have earned their first taste of RaboDirect PRO12.
Black and Red Radio caught up with Matt Scott who spoke on his selection.
He said: “Michael [Bradley] has shown a lot of faith in giving me a start. It’s going to be a tough game, Cardiff are well established in the PRO12 but I’m just delighted to get an opportunity and show what I can do in front of the home fans.
“The coach hasn’t been scared to through a lot of the young guys in and I think we’ve coped with it well, which is show by my and Grant Gilchrist’s first competitive start. We’re just trying to grab that chance and get a positive result on Friday.
“I’m more of a ball playing 12 than a straight up and down crash ball 12 but Edinburgh like to play a wide expansive game we see that as an advantage, for example if Phil [Godman] it’s natural for me to slip into stand-off.”
Matt Scott will make his debut at inside-centre
Edinburgh Rugby head coach Michael Bradley has made three personnel changes to the side that defeated Newcastle Falcons (20-17) for tomorrow night’s curtain-raising visit of Cardiff Blues in the opening match of the RaboDirect PRO12 at Murrayfield.
The match is Bradley’s first competitive encounter at the capital club since he took the helm at the beginning of the summer and, having come through back-to-back pre-season victories, excitement is building towards the first home game.
Edinburgh Rugby team: Jim Thompson; Lee Jones, Simon Webster, Matt Scott, Tim Visser; Phil Godman, Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN; Kyle Traynor, Steven Lawrie, Lewis Niven, Grant Gilchrist, Steven Turnbull, Sean Cox, Roddy Grant, David Denton Substitutes: Andrew Kelly, Robin Hislop, Jack Gilding, Esteban Lozada, Hamish Watson, Chris Leck, Gregor Hunter, John Houston
Not available through injury: Tom Brown (dead leg), Ben Cairns (knee)
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Season tickets are priced at £35 for under-18s, £90 for students/senior citizens and £180 for adults. For more information visit www.edinburghrugby.org, call 0131 346 5180 or visit the Murrayfield Ticket Centre (just off Roseburn Street) in person.
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Purchasers of Edinburgh Rugby AnyGame tickets get access to the unreserved sections of Murrayfield’s east stand and east stand concourse bar, as well as the all-new perimeter standing area which get you right on top of the action!
Edinburgh Rugby youngster Matt Scott (centre) and Grant Gilchrist (lock) will make their competitive debut at Murrayfield tonight in the season opener against Cardiff Blues (kick-off 7.30pm).