Edinburgh Rugby young guns' big test as double World Cup-winning captain returns for Sharks

He has named 12 academy players and academy graduates in his matchday 23 to play the Sharks on Friday and included in the dozen is Tom Currie. The 21-year-old has been selected at No 8 and will make his first start since November after coming off the bench in last week’s narrow win over Zebre.

Currie comes in for Connor Boyle who suffered a concussion against the Italian side, as did Liam McConnell, who is replaced by Glen Young.

Double World Cup-winning captain on the bench

It’s a big test for Currie, who is the younger brother of Edinburgh and Scotland centre, Matt. He’ll be up against a highly competitive Sharks back row made up of South African international Phepsi Buthelezi and the Congolese-born brothers Vincent and Emmanuel Tshituka, the former of whom is also a Springbok. If that weren’t enough, the visitors have also named double World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi on the bench following a calf injury.

“Yes, it's a great opportunity for Tom,” said Everitt. “He did well off the bench last week and he's a guy that had a couple of starts in the first block of URC games and then, unfortunately, injury ruled him out.

“He's definitely one for the future. He's still young, 21 years old. It's a great opportunity for him against a world-class, international-quality loose trio. So, yes, it's a big moment for him to step up and show what he's capable of.”

The same can be said of Hector Patterson who will look to build on a fine debut last Friday. The young scrum-half signed his first pro contract through the week and retains the No 9 jersey for the Sharks game where he will lock horns with another World Cup winner in Jaden Hendrikse.

“It was always my plan to give him more than one start,” Everitt said of Patterson. “I don't believe that you give a player one opportunity and then take him away. He's got to grow in that position and he's got to grow in the competition and get experience at the URC level.

“It's great that he had a good game last week and a good debut at home. He showed a tremendous amount of potential, but he's also got a lot of work to do. The work that he has to do is on his fundamentals as well.

New halfback partner

“He looks comfortable and that's important. It looks like he's got a big match temperament and that's what you need.”

He will have a new halfback partner, with Cammy Scott taking over from the benched Ross Thompson at stand-off.

It’s a must-win game for the Sharks if they are to keep alive their slim hopes of making the play-offs and they are missing a host of injured international players, including Bongi Mbonambi, Eben Etzebeth, Trevor Nyakane, Grant Williams and Ethan Hooker. But they are able to bring back the outstanding Makazole Mapimpi on the wing. Fellow Boks Ox Nche and Vincent Koch join Kolisi on the bench.

How they’ll line up at Hive Stadium

Edinburgh Rugby v Hollywoodbets Sharks (BKT URC, Hive Stadium, Friday, 7.45pm)

Edinburgh: 15. Piers O'Conor; 14. Darcy Graham, 13. Mosese Tuipulotu, 12. Findlay Thomson, 11. Malelili Satala; 10. Cammy Scott, 9. Hector Patterson; 1. Pierre Schoeman, 2. Ewan Ashman, 3. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, 4. Marshall Sykes. 5. Grant Gilchrist (capt), 6. Glen Young, 7. Freddy Douglas, 8. Tom Currie. Replacements: 16. Dylan Richardson, 17. Boan Venter, 18. Paul Hill, 19. Callum Hunter-Hill, 20. Tom Dodd, 21. Charlie Shiel, 22. Ross Thompson, 23. Jack Brown.

Sharks: 15. Zekhethelo Siyaya; 14. Edwill van der Merwe, 13. Andre Esterhuizen (capt), 12. Siya Masuku, 11. Makazole Mapimpi; 10. Jean Smith, 9. Jaden Hendrikse; 1. Phatu Ganyane, 2. Fez Mbatha, 3. Hanro Jacobs, 4. Jason Jenkins, 5. Emile van Heerden, 6. Phepsi Buthelezi, 7. Vincent Tshituka, 8. Emmanuel Tshituka. Replacements: 16. Eduan Swart, 17. Ox Nche, 18. Vincent Koch, 19. Corne Rahl, 20. Nicholas Hatton, 21. Siya Kolisi, 22. Bradley Davids, 23. Marnus Potgieter.