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Scotland hooker Dave Cherry may have played his last game for Edinburgh after being ruled out for six weeks with knee ligament damage.
The 34-year-old was not offered a new contract after seven years at the capital club and is moving to French club Vannes next season, having joined Edinburgh from another French side, Stade Niçois, in 2018.
Cherry enjoyed an international renaissance when he started all five games in this year’s Six Nations after being recalled to Gregor Townsend’s squad for the first time since being forced home early from the 2023 World Cup.
But he injured the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his knee late on in last Friday’s 18-17 URC defeat by the Sharks, which left Edinburgh in 11th place in the table, three points off the top eight.
Unless they qualify for the quarter-final play-offs, which will probably necessitate winning all three of their remaining games against Zebre (away), Connacht (away) and Ulster (home) – Cherry’s club season may already be over.
Fixture
United Rugby Championship
Zebre
Edinburgh
“We don’t want to call that now, but if it works out like that, it will be a pity because every player needs to have a farewell game,” said head coach Sean Everitt, confirming the hooker “won’t be available for six weeks”.
“Sport can be cruel, but let’s be optimistic about it. Hopefully that type of injury that he has, the players are able to play with it. So I’m holding firm that he will be available at the end.”
Edinburgh’s last regular-season game is against Ulster on 16 May. A six-week absence will also rule out Cherry should Edinburgh progress to the European Challenge Cup final on 23 May. They host Premiership leaders Bath in the semis a week on Saturday, 3 May.
While Cherry’s Edinburgh career may have ended prematurely, Everitt insisted that flanker Hamish Watson will still be at the club next season.
The 33-year-old’s future appeared in doubt when he was left out of four consecutive games in December and Everitt said Watson was “taking a backseat” as he opted to give younger players such as Freddy Douglas and Tom Dodd game-time in an already fiercely competitive back-row area featuring Scotland internationals Jamie Ritchie, Luke Crosbie, Ben Muncaster and Magnus Bradbury.
But while declining to give any details around a new deal, Everitt confirmed Watson, a 2021 British & Irish Lion who won the last of his 59 Scotland caps at the 2023 World Cup, will be extending his stay in the capital into a 15th season.
“At the moment, Hamish is around with us next season,” he said. “He’s performed very well for us over the last three or four months. We’re actually blessed for talent in that position at the moment and we do rotate this group.
“Hamish has had a lot of breaks during the Six Nations, then he came back and played his four games in a row, and it just shows that we are looking after the wellbeing of the player.
“He’s had a week off, and he’s going to bounce back this weekend in the starting jersey. It’s great, first of all, that he’s getting form at the right time and that we do have his experience to lean on. Hamish is staying at Edinburgh.”
Watson, along with Scotland wing Darcy Graham, returns to the starting side to face Zebre in Parma on Friday, a match brought forward 24 hours to avoid an official day of mourning following the death of Pope Francis.
The withdrawal of Scotland hooker Ewan Ashman with a shoulder issue meant Edinburgh travelled to Italy without 17 injured players, plus rested duo Pierre Schoeman and Jamie Ritchie.
In the absence of Cherry and Ashman, Paddy Harrison starts at hooker at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, with the inexperienced Harri Morris joining the bench.
There is also a first professional start for 19-year-old academy wing Jack Brown, in the continued absence of Duhan van der Merwe, Emiliano Boffelli and Wes Goosen.
Edinburgh team:15. Harry Paterson; 14. Darcy Graham, 13. Matt Currie, 12. James Lang, 11. Jack Brown; 10. Ross Thompson, 9. Ali Price; 1. Boan Venter, 2. Paddy Harrison, 3. D’arcy Rae, 4. Glen Young, 5. Sam Skinner, 6. Ben Muncaster, 7. Hamish Watson, 8. Magnus Bradbury (capt)
Replacements: 16. Harri Morris, 17. Robin Hislop, 18. Angus Williams, 19. Grant Gilchrist, 20. Freddy Douglas, 21. Charlie Shiel, 22. Cammy Scott, 23. Mosese Tuipulotu
