Scotland release Van der Merwe to Edinburgh for crucial URC fitness run-out

Duhan van der Merwe will get a second chance to prove his fitness after Scotland released the wing to play in Edinburgh’s United Rugby Championship trip to Benetton on Saturday, a week before the November Nations Championship series opens against New Zealand at Murrayfield.

Van der Merwe lasted just 18 minutes of Edinburgh’s 31-10 home win over the Lions last Friday before being forced off with a dislocated finger — his first appearance back from an ankle problem. Despite that disrupted return, the wing was still named in Gregor Townsend’s 37-man Scotland squad for the November block, and Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt is confident he will be ready.

“He’s looking well,” Everitt said. “He trained with Scotland early in the week, just like the other internationals, and he’ll be with us today. He’ll come up to speed really quickly and he’s excited to get another opportunity. It didn’t last long on Friday night.”

Fellow wing Darcy Graham, who missed the Lions match with a tight calf, has not been released and remains with Scotland. Everitt confirmed Graham “hasn’t quite recovered” sufficiently to feature for Edinburgh but expects him to be available if required for the All Blacks Test. “We have guys that are in form at our club at the moment and we’re willing to back them,” Everitt added.

Flanker Liam McConnell is the other player released to Edinburgh, a decision that suggests the 22-year-old may not be in Townsend’s immediate plans for a starting role against New Zealand despite an impressive start to the season. Everitt was nonetheless enthusiastic about his return: “He’s really massive for us in the lineout, and he’s certainly been one of the form loose-forwards in Scotland.”

Prop Alec Hepburn returns at loosehead after three games out with concussion, while Harris Morris steps up from the bench to start at hooker. Flanker Freddy Douglas is also back at openside following his own concussion absence. Douglas leads the URC charts for turnovers with eight in three games, yet was considered unlucky — alongside No.8 and captain Magnus Bradbury — to miss out on a Scotland squad place entirely.

Veteran lock Grant Gilchrist and emerging talents including prop Ollie Blyth-Lafferty and scrum-half Hector Patterson also missed the cut, with only five Edinburgh players making Townsend’s squad. Scotland face New Zealand, Australia and Japan in successive Murrayfield fixtures next month.