Edinburgh team that toppled Toulouse ready to make history
Edinburgh Rugby head coach Michael Bradley has selected the same starting XV that toppled Toulouse in the Heineken Cup quarter-final for tomorrow’s semi-final clash with Ulster at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin (kick-off 5.45pm).
The coach rested a number of players for last weekend’s trip to Cardiff and has reverted to a refreshed and readied version of the side that made history in front of a 38,000 crowd at Murrayfield earlier this month.
Lock Steven Turnbull’s bench replacement of Stuart McInally is the only change to the 23-man match-day squad.
The back-row has been unable to recover from the hamstring strain he sustained a fortnight ago against Leinster so Turnbull, who returned from an ankle injury last weekend, earns selection in the biggest match in the club’s history.
Edinburgh Rugby head coach, Michael Bradley, said: “The size of the occasion and the backing from fans has not been lost on the players.
“They take great pride in representing Edinburgh Rugby and know how much it means to the supporters to be at this stage in the competition.
“Tomorrow’s match will be a huge test. The hype, the intensity, the crowd, and the fact that we’re away from home all have a bearing on the size of tomorrow’s challenge.
“On top of those elements are, of course, our opponents, Ulster. They are one of the in-form sides in Europe and will take great confidence from their two league wins over us already this season, on top of their away win over Munster in the quarter-final.
“Our form in this competition is such that we can rightly approach this match with a lot of confidence. The character and resolve of the players has been well tested in this competition and we have prevailed.
“It’s a one-off game and the underdog tag is one we wear well as a team. Edinburgh Rugby have shown that we are force to be reckoned with on big occasions and are relishing our first semi-final in this competition.”
Between four and five thousand Edinburgh Rugby fans are expected to make the trip to the Emerald Isle and form part of a near sell-out crowd at the country’s national stadium.
Official capital city fanzones have been set up in Edinburgh and Dublin as Heineken Cup fever grips the two nations locked in an all RaboDirect PRO12 semi-final.
The Ballsbridge and neighbouring Berkeley Court hotels will be taken over by black and red while, in Edinburgh, the Murrayfield Hotel and the Three Sisters venues will cater for families and young adult audiences respectively.
The winner tomorrow will face the victor of ASM Clermont Auvergne v Leinster at the Stade Chaban Delmas (Sunday 29 April, kick-off 4pm) in the Heineken Cup final at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday 19 May.
Edinburgh Rugby team to play Ulster in the Heineken Cup semi-final at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin (kick-off 5.45pm) – LIVE ON SKY SPORTS
15 Tom Brown
14 Lee Jones
13 Nick De Luca
12 Matt Scott
11 Tim Visser
10 Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN
9 Mike Blair
1 Allan Jacobsen
2 Ross Ford
3 Geoff Cross
4 Sean Cox
5 Grant Gilchrist
6 David Denton
7 Ross Rennie
8 Netani Talei
Substitutes
16 Andrew Kelly
17 Kyle Traynor
18 Jack Gilding
19 Steven Turnbull
20 Roddy Grant
21 Chris Leck
22 Phil Godman
23 Jim Thompson







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