Munster Rugby v Edinburgh Match Programme
United Rugby Championship | We take a look at tonight's URC opposition and get the lowdown on their season so far with a tough challenge ahead come kick-off at Thomond Park. Get the latest news from around the province on and off the field with the activities stepping up each week as restrictions lift across the country. We hear from Academy prop Mark Donnelly on his journey so far and take at look at the representative sides in Six Nations action. The positive updates continue on the contract front with the latest players signing up to Munster, and finally we get the inside track from Stephen Larkham and Simon Zebo as we look forward to returning to Thomond Park tonight.
United Rugby Championship | We take a look at tonight's URC opposition and get the lowdown on their season so far with a tough challenge ahead come kick-off at Thomond Park.
Get the latest news from around the province on and off the field with the activities stepping up each week as restrictions lift across the country.
We hear from Academy prop Mark Donnelly on his journey so far and take at look at the representative sides in Six Nations action.
The positive updates continue on the contract front with the latest players signing up to Munster, and finally we get the inside track from Stephen Larkham and Simon Zebo as we look forward to returning to Thomond Park tonight.
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THE LOWDOWN<br />
THE FORM GUIDE<br />
<strong>Edinburgh</strong> have won 6 and drawn 1 of their 10<br />
games in the URC this season, and currently sit on<br />
34 points, in 4th position behind Ulster, Leinster<br />
and Glasgow Warriors. They have defeated<br />
Scarlets, the Vodacom Bulls, Zebre Parma,<br />
Dragons, Benetton and Cardiff Blues, drawing<br />
against the DHL Stormers in Round 3 and losing<br />
to Benetton by just one point in Round 2 and<br />
Ospreys in Round 11 on a scoreline of 23-19. Last<br />
weekend, Mike Blair’s side travelled to Dublin to<br />
play Leinster and suffered their third defeat of the<br />
season on a scoreline of 26-7.<br />
<strong>Edinburgh</strong> will play Section Paloise in the next<br />
round of the European Challenge Cup on April 8,<br />
having defeated Saracens and Brive in the pool<br />
stages.<br />
THE SQUAD<br />
Eight <strong>Edinburgh</strong> players were named in the<br />
Scotland team that played Wales last Saturday<br />
in Cardiff, including <strong>Edinburgh</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> cocaptain<br />
Grant Gilchrist at lock, Darcy Graham on<br />
the wing, props WP Nel and Pierre Schoeman,<br />
and hooker Stuart McInally who formed an all-<br />
<strong>Edinburgh</strong> front row. Hamish Watson lined out<br />
at flanker, alongside incoming summer signing<br />
Sam Skinner. Magnus Bradbury and Blair<br />
Kinghorn were named on the bench. <strong>Edinburgh</strong><br />
added Argentinian international backs Emiliano<br />
Boffelli and Ramiro Moyano to their ranks ahead<br />
of this season. Versatile back James Lang and<br />
lock Glen Young both moved to the Scottish<br />
capital from Harlequins alongside scrum-half<br />
Ben Vellacott from Wasps and prop Luan de<br />
Bruin from Leicester Tigers. Former Ulster<br />
hooker Adam McBurney was also added to the<br />
<strong>Edinburgh</strong> roster ahead of this season.<br />
THE COACHING TICKET<br />
Former <strong>Edinburgh</strong> club captain Mike Blair was<br />
appointed head coach of <strong>Edinburgh</strong> ahead of the<br />
2021/22 season. The former Scotland captain and<br />
British & Irish Lion made over 150 appearances<br />
for the club (2001-2012) and returned after a fiveyear<br />
term with the national team, where he was<br />
recruited by head coach Gregor Townsend to<br />
occupy a dual role with Glasgow Warriors in 2017.<br />
He joined Glasgow as assistant coach in 2016<br />
MUNSTER V EDINBURGH | 18.02.22 | THOMOND PARK<br />
and operated in that capacity until 2019 – helping<br />
the club reach the PRO14 semi-final and Grand<br />
Final (2018 and 2019) and two Champions Cup<br />
quarter-finals (2017 and 2019) – before focusing<br />
fully on the Scotland national team from 2017.<br />
Blair’s backroom teams includes former Scotland<br />
7s head coach Calum MacRae as defence coach,<br />
2020 Olympic Gold winning Fiji Sevens head<br />
coach Gareth Baber as skills and assistant attack<br />
coach and former <strong>Edinburgh</strong> hooker Stevie Lawrie<br />
as assistant forwards coach.<br />
SEASON STATS:<br />
Appearances: 8<br />
Tries: 4<br />
Penalties: 4<br />
Conversions: 12<br />
Mike Blair<br />
EMILIANO BOFFELLI<br />
Age: 27<br />
Position: Full-back<br />
Born: Rosario, Argentina<br />
Weight: 91kg<br />
Honours: Argentina (31 caps)<br />
ONE TO WATCH<br />
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