Bradbury leads Edinburgh Rugby’s home finale

Head Coach Sean Everitt today named the Edinburgh Rugby side for tomorrow night's BKT United Rugby Championship home finale against Connacht at Hive Stadium (Friday 15 May, kick-off 7.45pm) .

The men in blue feature four changes to the starting line up as the club looks to close out the 2025/26 campaign with a fourth consecutive victory at the club’s annual Change The Game fixture, which aims to raise a landmark £70,000 for Official Charity Partner It’s Good 2 Give – a total the clubs hopes to reach and announce on the night.

Club captain Magnus Bradbury returns to the starting XV at number 8 in place of Tom Currie, who is named among the replacements.

Marshall Sykes comes into the second row with Grant Gilchrist ruled out with a finger injury sustained in last weekend’s bonus-point win over Dragons RFC at Rodney Parade.

Tom Dodd slots in at blindside flanker, with Glen Young moving into the second row alongside Sykes, while Piers O’Conor completes the changes in place of Mosese Tuipulotu at outside centre.

Some 15 players in Friday’s 23-man squad have come through Edinburgh Rugby’s academy system, underlining the club’s commitment to homegrown talent – with an average age of 25 and seven players aged 21 or under included in the matchday group.

Head Coach Sean Everitt said: “The competition for places in this squad has been fierce and I’ve loved seeing that fight for the jersey throughout this last block of games.

“Three wins on the bounce has taken real character and real commitment – and what’s driven that, I think, is how much these players care. They care for each other, they care for this city and they care deeply about our supporters.

“What’s also excited me is the growth we’ve seen. Our younger players in particular have been outstanding and they continue to step up and impress every time they get the chance.

“To have the opportunity to make it four wins in a row, in front of our own fans, in a fixture that means so much to the club off the pitch as well as on it – that’s a brilliant way to close out our season. We want to send our supporters away with something to smile about.”

The same back three that faced Dragons last Saturday retains its place, with Scotland’s all-time leading try-scorer Darcy Graham and British & Irish Lion Duhan van der Merwe – who crossed for a brace at Rodney Parade on his return from injury – flanking full-back Harry Paterson.

O’Conor, whose form at full-back has been a feature of Edinburgh’s recent run, is deployed in the midfield alongside academy centre Findlay Thomson, 21, who makes his fourth straight start having impressed throughout this closing block of games.

The half-back pairing is unchanged, with stand-off Ross Thompson continuing alongside scrum-half Hector Patterson, also making his fourth consecutive start.

In the front-row, hooker Ewan Ashman – who has claimed the BKT Player of the Match award in three straight games – continues alongside fellow British & Irish Lion Pierre Schoeman (loosened prop) and 20-year-old tighthead Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, with 21-year-old Freddy Douglas completing the loose trio.

Edinburgh Rugby team to face Connacht at Hive Stadium in the BKT United Rugby Championship
Friday 15 May (kick-off 7.45pm) – live on Premier Sports

15. Harry Paterson (28)

14. Darcy Graham (97)
13. Piers O’Conor (20)
12. Findlay Thomson (5)
11. Duhan van der Merwe (113)

10. Ross Thompson (44)
9. Hector Patterson (3)

1. Pierre Schoeman (150)
2. Ewan Ashman (53)
3. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (14)
4. Marshall Sykes (97)
5. Glen Young (69)
6. Tom Dodd (21)
7. Freddy Douglas (24)
8. Magnus Bradbury (150) CAPTAIN 

Replacements

16. Jerry Blyth-Lafferty (5)
17. Boan Venter (107)
18. Paul Hill (34)
19. Callum Hunter-Hill (35)
20. Euan McVie (2)
21. Tom Currie (7)
22. Charlie Shiel (93)
23. Jack Brown (13)

Unavailable: Charlie McCaig (knee), Rhys Litterick (achilles), Rob Carmichael (wrist), Luke Crosbie (hamstring), Sam Skinner (hamstring), Paddy Harrison (back), Wes Goosen (hand), Matt Currie (hamstring), Mikey Jones (bicep), Ben Muncaster (ankle), James Lang (ankle), D’arcy Rae (calf), Ben Vellacott (shoulder), Grant Gilchrist (finger), Dylan Richardson (hand).