Jamie Ritchie's Scotland captaincy bid set back by Edinburgh's team selection

Jamie Ritchie appears to have been dealt a blow in his bid to retain the Scotland captaincy for the upcoming Guinness Six Nations after he was only named on the bench for Edinburgh’s Challenge Cup match away to Scarlets on Friday.

National team head coach Gregor Townsend indicated that he was open to changing his skipper for the championship as the 27-year-old flanker – who has led the Scots since summer 2022 – has been hindered by a shoulder problem sustained at the World Cup and then a jaw problem he suffered against Glasgow at the end of this month.

With competition for starting berths in the back-row intensifying, Townsend – anticipating Ritchie’s return to the team against Scarlets after three weeks on the sidelines – said on Tuesday that he needed to see the 27-year-old flanker “put his best foot forward” in what will be the last club match before the Six Nations begins.

However, his chances to make an impact and reassert himself ahead of the Six Nations are diminished slightly by the fact his involvement on Friday is set to come as a substitute.

Ritchie’s fellow Scotland internationals Luke Crosbie and Duhan van der Merwe both return to the starting XV for the match in Llanelli, where a bonus-point win will guarantee Edinburgh a place in the knockout stages of the tournament.

“We’ve named a strong and experienced 23 for an important game in our overall season,” head coach Sean Everitt told the Edinburgh website.

🏰🟠 Your Edinburgh team to face Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets tomorrow night!

📺 Watch live on @S4C & https://t.co/uAreK8pULX#ChallengeCupRugby pic.twitter.com/nZUa7cgXu4

— Edinburgh Rugby (@EdinburghRugby) January 18, 2024

“We know we need a positive result and we’ll be going all out to achieve that tomorrow night.

“We’re delighted to welcome Duhan, Luke and Jamie back to the squad after missing last week’s Gloucester match.

“They all possess game-changing skillsets, and their experience will be key in helping us deliver a match-winning performance.

“Scarlets are strong at home and both sides know each other well from league competition. It will be an 80-minute battle where we’ll need to be on it from the very first whistle.”

Edinburgh team vs Scarlets – Friday 19 January (kick-off 8pm)

15. Emiliano Boffelli (34)
14. Chris Dean (141)
13. Matt Currie (28)
12. James Lang (46)
11. Duhan van der Merwe (83)
10. Ben Healy (11)
9. Ben Vellacott (49) CO-CAPTAIN

1. Pierre Schoeman (107)
2. Dave Cherry (81)
3. WP Nel (196)
4. Sam Skinner (15)
5. Grant Gilchrist (197) CO-CAPTAIN
6. Luke Crosbie (92)
7. Hamish Watson (147)
8. Viliame Mata (126)

Replacements

16. Ewan Ashman (11)
17. Boan Venter (55)
18. Angus Williams (25)
19. Glen Young (34)
20. Jamie Ritchie (104)
21. Tom Dodd (5)
22. Ali Price (7)
23. Cammy Scott (5)