Edinburgh pull out the big guns for coach's return to the Sharks

Edinburgh welcome Scotland internationals Duhan Van Der Merwe, Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman and Jamie Ritchie back into their starting XV for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship clash with Sharks in Durban.

The quartet sat out the first match of their double-header in South Africa against Stormers last weekend as they were rested following their involvement in the Six Nations.

Head coach Sean Everitt has made five changes in total to the team that lost 43-21 in Cape Town, with centre Chris Dean also added to the line-up.

“It’s great to welcome back some more of our Scotland internationalists,” Everitt told the Edinburgh website.

“Guys like Jamie and Pierre bring a lot of quality and experience to the pack, and they’ll be raring to go after getting a bit of time off after the Six Nations.”

Veteran prop WP Nel retains his place in the front row after announcing his intention to retire at the end of the season.

Everitt, whose side are sixth in the URC table, added: “We’ve spoken this week about remaining resilient and sticking to our game plan, while staying strong mentally when coming under pressure.

“Sharks are strong at home but we’re ready for the challenge and look forward to the opportunity of representing our city and fans while here on South African soil.”

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