South African's add sparkle to Edinburgh's 150th big bash
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Edinburgh, rich in rugby tradition, has also proved to be rich in South African presence in the past few seasons, and the strong South African contingent will be at the forefront of Edinburgh’s push to celebrate their 150th anniversary year with victory against the champion DHL Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday.
The DHL Stormers beat Edinburgh Rugby in last season’s BKT URC quarter-final at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town, and while revenge would be sweet, every victory would make for a sweeter 150th year anniversary season.
DHL Stormers coach John Dobson earlier in the week spoke of his respect for the quality of Edinburgh and the strength of a side he said was capable of beating any team in the league.
Dobson’s title winners drew 20-all in last season’s league match-up in Edinburgh and acknowledged the difficulty his team had in subduing the visitors in the play-offs.
‘They are a very good side with a wonderful club history. South Africans have become more familiar with the club because of the South Africans playing for them in recent years and in WP Nel and Pierre Schoeman they have two bloody good props,’ said Dobson.
‘They have quality across the board, and they will be a tough nut to crack. It is a very special year for them, celebrating 150 years, so there will be that additional motivation each time they play.
‘They were a missed penalty away from a stunning victory against the (Vodacom) Bulls in Pretoria a week ago and they played some fantastic rugby in the second half. That second half performance was a credit to their conditioning and the pride they have for the jersey.’
Edinburgh, in preparation for the 150th anniversary, have embarked on a heritage journey to identify every single player and every match since the inaugural inter-city derby against Glasgow in 1872.
The two rivals will play for the 1872 Cup at Murrayfield on 30th December.
Edinburgh’s backroom staff have plotted the evolution of the club from its inauguration as a representative select to the professional club side that now plays domestically, in Europe and in South Africa.
Some 1300 players have worn the jersey and the extensive history of these players, many who would play for Scotland and the British & Irish Lions, will be acknowledged and detailed on the club's official digital and social media channels.
The Edinburgh match 23 that lost the thriller against the Vodacom Bulls included six South African-born players in props Nel and Schoeman, flyhalf Jaco van der Walt, fullback Henry Immelman and finishers Boan Venter and Luan de Bruin.
South Africa-born Kiwi Wes Goosen recently joined Edinburgh from the Hurricanes while South Africans Duhan van der Merwe, Cornell du Preez, Andries Ferreira, Allan Dell and Andries Strauss have also represented Edinburgh.
Van der Merwe, Du Preez, Dell, Van der Walt and Nel have also played for Scotland, while Van der Merwe toured South Africa in 2021 with the British & Irish Lions.
Nel and Schoeman, as the anchor of the Edinburgh scrum, will be central to the visitors success in upstaging the defending BKT United Rugby Championship champions in Cape Town. If they dominate the hosts up front on Saturday afternoon, Edinburgh's 150th birthday bash would have started with a bang.
