ALL players who figured in Edinburgh rugby's biggest win of the season, by 38-8 against Connacht last time out, were today included in a 27-strong squad for Friday's Magners Celtic League clash with Cardiff, also at Murrayfield.
While Nick De Luca and Ross Rennie retired hurt during the Connacht tussle, after suffering a high tackle and a head knock respectively, coach Andy Robinson feels sufficiently encouraged by their progress to include them.
Prospects, then, of an
unchanged line-up for the first time this season remain alive since those unavailable due to national sevens calls are not currently figuring. A notable absentee will be prop Allan Jacobsen, who has a groin muscle injury.
Edinburgh are reluctant, however, to set a time scale on the internationalist's absence due to the fact he returned ahead of schedule from a calf strain sustained at the start of last Autumn's World Cup.
Included in the Edinburgh squad for the first time is hooker Sean Crombie, who made three appearances from off the bench for Border Reivers in 2006-07. Crombie has recently been a mainstay of the Boroughmuir side who won the Scottish Hydro Electric Premiership.
Also listed is teenage second row Fraser McKenzie, from Dunfermline via Heriot's and who sat on the bench against Leinster last season without getting on to the pitch.
Meanwhile, flanker Alan MacDonald's season could be over after fracturing a cheekbone while Ross Ford (ankle) and Roland Reid (hamstring) are also receiving treatment.
Major doubts for Cardiff are prop Gary Powell and back rower Robin Sowden-Taylor both of whom were injured in last weekend's 35-17 defeat at Llanelli which allowed Edinburgh to leapfrog them to third in the table.
The full article contains 292 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
