FRIDAY PREVIEW: It’s a comfort prize for dropping your home on the high desk, however Europe’s Problem Cup nonetheless carries with it a specific amount of ‘status’.
Europe’s Spherical of 16 motion kicks off with two titanic Second Tier clashes, as Edinburgh hosts the Lions and Part Paloise welcomes Tub.
The Scots secured a house knockout spot with a formidable win over Black Lion in Spherical 4, having overwhelmed Aviron Bayonnais and Vannes, however misplaced to Gloucester.
The Lions additionally secured a formidable win within the closing pool match, beating the Dragons 60-10 in South Africa – having overwhelmed Part Paloise, however misplaced to Ospreys and Montpellier Hérault within the pool levels.
Edinburgh and Lions met earlier this season in United Rugby Championship motion, with the South Africans working out 55-21 winners in Johannesburg, however the Scots made it one spherical additional than them in final season’s Problem Cup as they fell on the quarterfinal stage.
Concurrently, Part Paloise hosts Tub, who certified after ending fifth of their Champions Cup pool.
The French facet had a combined pool stage, beating Newcastle Falcons and Dragons, however dropping to the Lions and Ospreys.
Nonetheless, they do boast the competitors’s high factors scorer to this point within the type of Alex Desperes with 52.
Tub’s solely victory within the Champions Cup got here at residence to Clermont Auvergne, though they’ve overwhelmed Part Paloise on all three earlier events in Problem Cup motion.
Friday presents the Lions with a really perfect alternative to arrest a slide that noticed the Ellis Park-based facet slip from second within the URC standings to 14th.
The Lions are additionally coming off a ‘demoralising (0-42) whitewash by the hands of Glasgow Warriors final week, whereas Edinburgh have been buoyed by a win over Benetton and has all their Scottish internationals again.
Lions defence coach Jaque Fourie stated after final week’s ‘horrific’ loss to Glasgow they anticipate higher situations within the Scottish capital – solely a ‘mild breeze’ (gusts of solely 35 km/h versus final week’s 80 km/h).
“We nonetheless want to enhance in all facets of our recreation,” he advised @rugby365com.
“Edinburgh can be assault facet.
“We have to play a heads-up recreation.
“Glasgow confirmed us the best way to carry out in these situations, so hopefully we are able to exit and have efficiency.”
Final week’s horror present additionally compelled the teaching employees to rethink their alternatives.
Springbok scrumhalf Morne van den Berg returns to the beginning XV after becoming a member of the squad final week in Glasgow and having to look at from the sidelines.
At inside centre Rynhardt Jonker replaces errant midfielder Marius Louw, the latter dropping all the way down to the alternative bench.
Amongst the forwards, SJ Kotze, Franco Marais and Jarod Cairns will all get begins in opposition to Sean Everitt’s Edinburgh.
On the bench, Jaco Visagie and Izan Esterhuizen are in line for recreation time for the primary time on this three-match European journey.
Edinburgh coach Sean Everitt has made 4 modifications to the facet that beat the Dragons final trip, with Scotland worldwide hooker Dave Cherry making his first begin for the reason that Six Nations.
Fullback Wes Goosen will earn his fiftieth cap for Edinburgh.
The ever-present flyer reaches his half-century within the week he signed a brand new two-year contract extension with the capital membership, having loved a stellar 2024/25 marketing campaign.
Goosen has bagged three tries within the Problem Cup to this point this season and can look to proceed his stable kind in opposition to the lads from Johannesburg.
(Jaque Fourie previews the Lions’ journey to Edinburgh …)
“Per week is a very long time within the recreation,” the Lions defence coach stated, including: “After such a efficiency the staff needs to get again on the sphere and play once more – set the report straight.
“For us it’s about getting again on the sphere and begin successful once more.
“We should press the reset button. All of the gamers and administration wish to do nicely,” he stated about their present dropping streak.
He stated Edinburgh is working into some spectacular kind – having gained two of their final three matches, together with an away win over Munster at Musgrave Park, within the metropolis of Cork.
Fourie stated it will be significant that the gamers stick with the techniques and pitch up.
“After we began taking part in [against Glasgow], we appeared just like the staff we wish to be,” he advised @rugby365, including: “It’s about getting possession, getting over the benefit line and going by way of the phases – placing the opposition beneath stress.
“We should get the ball within the fingers of gamers like Krappie [Van den Berg] and Quan [Horn] to allow them to do their magic.
“Defensively we’ve to cease their momentum.
“Then scoring counter-attack tries – these are issues we’re good at.
“We should return to what makes the Lions the Lions.”
The Edinburgh coach, Everitt, admitted the Lions pose a critical menace.
“We’re in a knock’-out week, each week, so we’re in the identical state of affairs as we had been final yr’,” he added.
“The Lions defence is robust and so they confirmed that within the second half in opposition to Glasgow.
“They’ve obtained some X-Issue gamers there that may flip the sport round in a short time which we discovered in Johannesburg.”
* In the meantime the Premiership pace-setters, Tub, made seven modifications from the facet that performed in opposition to Harlequins in Spherical 13 of the Premiership final weekend.
Archie Griffin comes into the entrance row as tighthead prop alongside hooker Tom Dunn and loosehead prop Beno Obano.
Quinn Roux returns within the engine room to accomplice fellow lock Ross Molony, contemporary from the Irishman scoring Tub’s third attempt within the win in opposition to Quins.
Josh Bayliss is one other change at No.6 while openside flank Sam Underhill makes his first begin in a Tub jersey following two substitute appearances after recovering from ankle surgical procedure. Miles Reid strikes to No.8.
Scrumhalf and captain Ben Spencer is joined by Ciaran Donoghue with the younger flyhalf making his European debut and first look for the reason that Premiership Cup Closing.
Will Butt and Max Ojomoh begin at inside centre and outdoors centre, respectively. Will Muir, who scored two tries final Saturday in opposition to Harlequins, begins once more on the wing with Joe Cokanasiga, additionally a try-scorer in that recreation, patrolling the alternative touchline.
Ruaridh McConnochie completes the beginning XV at fullback.
Named amongst the impression gamers, hooker Kepueli Tuipulotu and props Francois van Wyk and Kieran Verden, set to play his first recreation for Tub in Europe, are the alternative entrance row.
Ewan Richards, who captained Tub to Premiership Cup success, is joined by Ted Hill and Jaco Coetzee as the opposite forwards on the bench. Scrumhalf Tom Carr-Smith and fellow again Orlando Bailey full the six-two break up.
Additional-time protocol
Within the occasion of a drawn match on the finish of regular time in the course of the knockout stage, further time will likely be performed – consisting of two durations, every of 10 minutes plus any stoppage time in every interval.
If the scores stay tied on the finish of additional time, the winner will likely be decided as follows:
(a) the staff that has scored essentially the most tries within the match (together with further time) shall be deemed the winner; or,
(b) if equal on tries, it will likely be determined by a place-kick competitors.
All of Friday’s groups and predictions comply with beneath …
Edinburgh v Lions
(Edinburgh Stadium, Scotland – Kick-off: 20.00; 19.00 GMT; 21.00 SA time)
Prediction
@rugby365com: Edinburgh by eight factors
Groups
Edinburgh: 15 Wes Goosen, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Matt Currie, 12 James Lang, 11 Ross McCann, 10 Ross Thompson, 9 Ben Vellacott (captain), 8 Magnus Bradbury, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Jamie Ritchie, 5 Grant Gilchrist (captain), 4 Sam Skinner, 3 Paul Hill, 2 Dave Cherry, 1 Pierre Schoeman.
Replacements: 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Glen Younger, 20 Freddy Douglas, 21 Ali Worth, 22 Cammy Scott, 23 Jack Brown.
Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Richard Kriel, 13 Manuel Rass, 12 Rynhardt Jonker, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Gianni Lombard, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn (captain), 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Jarod Cairns, 5 Darrien Landsberg, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Franco Marais, 1 SJ Kotze.
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 Izan Esterhuizen, 20 Siba Qoma, 21 Nico Steyn, 22 JC Pretorius, 23 Marius Louw.
Referee: Ludovic Cayre (France)
Assistant referees: Evan Urruzmendi (France) & Vincent Blasco Baque (France)
TMO: Denis Grenouillet (France)
Part Paloise v Tub
(Stade du Hameau, France – Kick-off: 2100; 1900 GMT; 2000 UK Time)
Prediction
@rugby365com: Pau by 5 factors
Groups
Part Paloise: 15 Aymeric Luc, 14 Eliott Roudil (captain), 13 Olivier Klemenczak, 12 Fabien Brau-Boirie, 11 Aaron Grandidier Nkanang, 10 Axel Desperes, 9 Thomas Souverbie, 8 Carwyn Tuipulotu, 7 Thibaut Hamonou, 6 Joel Kpoku, 5 Lekima Tagitagivalu, 4 Thomas Jolmes, 3 Harry Williams, 2 Youri Delhommel, 1 Ignacio Calles.
Replacements: 16 Romain Ruffenach, 17 Hugo Parrou, 18 Siate Tokolahi, 19 Remi Picquette, 20 Jimi Maximin, 21 Reece Hewat, 22 Dan Robson, 23 Tumua Manu.
Tub: 15 Ruaridh McConnochie, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 13 Max Ojomoh, 12 Will Butt, 11 Will Muir, 10 Ciaran Donoghue, 9 Ben Spencer (captain), 8 Miles Reid, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Josh Bayliss, 5 Ross Molony, 4 Quinn Roux, 3 Archie Griffin, 2 Tom Dunn, 1 Beno Obano.
Replacements: 16 Kepu Tuipulotu, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Kieran Verden, 19 Ewan Richards, 20 Ted Hill, 21 Tom Carr-Smith, 22 Orlando Bailey, 23 Jaco Coetzee.
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant referee: Rob McDowell (Scotland) & Finlay Brown (Scotland)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
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* Extra reporting: @ChallengeCup_
