Latest on Ritchie, Mata as Edinburgh issue pre-season injury update

Recent URC quarter-finalists Edinburgh have started their pre-season for the 2022/23 campaign and head coach Mike Blair has now provided an injury update on Jamie Ritchie (hamstring), Nick Haining (shoulder), Viliame Mata (knee), Henry Immelman (knee), Boan Venter (knee) and Luan de Bruin (hamstring).

“The long-term injury list is looking a lot lighter at the moment which is fantastic," said Blair on the Edinburgh club’s website after their return to work following a 2021/22 season that ended in quarter-final defeats to the Stormers in the URC and to Wasps in the European Challenge Cup.

“Jamie Ritchie is back running and we expect him to be back in full training in the next couple of weeks. Nick Haining had an operation on his shoulder over the summer. He has worked hard to rehab that and we expect him to be back in the next couple of weeks too.

“It seems like a long time since we have seen Bill Mata, but he is back running at the moment and looking great," continued the Edinburgh coach. "Bill is looking lean and fit.

"With such a long-term injury like his, you have got to make sure the planning for his return is spot on so he has come back in great shape and not restricting himself. He is running at the moment, so we hope to see him back in training soon.

“Henry Immelman has fully recovered and is in great shape. He could have probably played the week after the end of the season, so he is now in full training. Boan Venter has worked hard over the summer as well to rehab his knee and isn’t far off from returning to training either.

“Luan is the only one that might be a bit longer but again, we expect him to be back in training soon which is great. That long term injury list is now a lot shorter and our job now is to get them ready so when they do come back, they don’t skip a beat and they are going to be the best players on the pitch.”