Van der Merwe ends 18-month injury nightmare with Edinburgh return against Lions

Duhan van der Merwe returns to action for Edinburgh in their URC fixture against the Lions at Hive Stadium on Friday, ending an 18-month battle with an ankle injury that has severely disrupted his club and international career.

The 31-year-old Scotland wing has not featured for Edinburgh this season after continuing to manage the ankle problem that first surfaced in March 2024. He underwent surgery in an attempt to be available for the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, but despite scoring five tries in five non-Test appearances, he never forced his way into the Test side. On his return, the ankle continued to trouble him, limiting him to just 11 games for Edinburgh last season and costing him his first-choice status for Scotland across the autumn internationals, the Six Nations, and the opening Nations Championship fixtures.

Van der Merwe did start Scotland’s most recent match, against Fiji on 18 July at Murrayfield, before heading back into rehabilitation. Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt explained that the surgery required more recovery time than the Lions schedule allowed.

“When you have ankle surgery, you’ve got to give the ankle enough time to recover from that,” Everitt said. “Obviously, he was rushed back to be included in the British and Irish Lions trip. Maybe he didn’t have the right preparation for that, so it’s been an ongoing niggle for him.”

Everitt was effusive about what he has seen from Van der Merwe in training ahead of the Lions fixture. “He’s been training exceptionally well and seems to be full of confidence. He’s been our star performer at training over the last couple of weeks. It’s great that he’s fully fit now and ready to go. He’s put a bit of energy around the squad as well and a bit of vibe in training.”

Friday’s game carries added significance beyond the URC standings. Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend is due to name his squad on Monday for the November Tests against New Zealand, Australia, and Japan, meaning Van der Merwe has one opportunity to press his case. Everitt was measured about the prospect of an immediate international recall, however.

“It’s probably too soon to talk now,” he said. “He needs some game minutes under his belt to show that he’s back to his best form. The more minutes he accumulates, the more opportunities he’s going to get to be selected. I’m sure the Scotland management will be having a close look at him this weekend.”

Van der Merwe’s return comes with a caveat for Edinburgh: long-time Scotland colleague Darcy Graham is absent after picking up a calf strain during Edinburgh’s Challenge Cup opener last Friday.