RUGBY HEINEKEN EUROPEAN CUP: Pool Two: Edinburgh v Castres OlympiquePRIDE IS the primary spur for both teams ahead of tonight's game in the Scottish capital. Edinburgh managed to do something earlier in the campaign that a previously unbeaten Leinster couldn't in the last round of matches; beat Castres at Stade Pierre Antoine.
The French side are without French international secondrow and captain Lionel Naillet, while they have also elected to leave former All Blacks Carl Hoeft and Chris Masoe on the bench, along with ex-Wallaby centre and brother of Toutai, Steve Kefu.
There is no place in the match 22 for French scrumhalf Sebastien Tillous-Borde. Record points scorer Romain Teulet will partner scrumhalf Kevin Senio, while the team will be captained by secondrow Colin Gaston.
Edinburgh coach Andy Robinson has opted to leave scrumhalf Mike Blair and Chris Paterson on the bench but welcomes centre Nick de Luca back after injury. His partnership with Ben Cairns could be one that translates to the national side for the upcoming Six Nations Championship.
Ally Hogg leads the team from number eight and the pack includes former Leinster player Ben Gissing.
Robinson has been forced to delve deeply into the squad, promoting Roland Reid and Steve Lawrie to replace injured pair Jim Hamilton (groin) and Alan MacDonald (head knock). Following the withdrawal of Hamilton and MacDonald, Edinburgh’s treatment room now contains nine players including lock Matt Mustchin, who underwent surgery yesterday for ankle ligament damage.
Mustchin’s unavailability added to the injuries of Fraser McKenzie (hamstring) and Steven Turnbull (ankle) means Edinburgh are without a recognised secondrow forward on the bench.
Despite there being nothing at stake in the game, Castres would like a victory to take home that might give them a little impetus in what is proving a difficult season domestically.
Edinburgh, though, are unlikely to be that forthcoming and will be favourites to record a first home win of their European campaign.
EDINBURGH:H Southwell; A Turnbull, B Cairns, N De Luca, S Webster; P Godman, G Laidlaw; A Jacobsen, R Ford, G Kerr, C Hamilton, B Gissing, S Newlands, S Cross, A Hogg (capt). Replacements:A Kelly, K Traynor, R Reid, S Lawrie, M Blair, C Paterson, J Houston.
CASTRES OLYMPIQUE:T Bouquie; L Milford, C Sika, T Sanchou, M Bourret; R Teulet, K Senio; G Lensing, R Terrain, F Staibano, R Capo Ortega, C Gaston (capt), L Tomiki, S Malonga, J Tekori. Replacements:A Giorgadze, C Hoeft, D Saayman, K Kulemin, C Masoe, S Kefu, P Bonnefond. Referee:James Jones (Wales)
