Time for a first detailed look at the ‘Official’ On Top Of The Moon Depth Chart for Edinburgh Rugby 2018/19. After plenty of player movements around the RWC, the capital club’s squad has pretty much settled down for the remainder of the season to come.
Here is the full OTOTM Depth Chart (click for large version):
Main squad facts and figures
Squad size:
- There are currently 42 full-time pros confirmed in this year’s squad (that’s including Callum Hunter-Hill who is on a season long loan at Saracens).
- There are also 3 Partnership contracts and 16 Scottish Rugby Academy stage 3 players.
- That compares to 44 + 0 + 15 at the same stage of last season.
- Overall the Edinburgh full-time squad averaged 44 players last season
- The club have also made use of short-term loans and contracts to provide cover (Murray Douglas this season; Lewis Wynne in 2018/19) while also giving game time to Scotland 7s squad members (Jamie Farndale and Ally Miller in both seasons; Mungo Mason in 2018/19 only) and even a Super 6 player (Heriots’ Dan Nutton).
Age:
- The full-time squad’s average age is 26.9 (2018/19 – 26.0).
- The average for the first team is 27.2 (2018/19 – 27.0).
- There were 4 players over the age of 30 at the start of the season (2018/19 – 6). This number may well take a big jump next year with 10 men currently aged 29.
- Willem Nel is the oldest player in the squad at 33 years and 7 months.
- Charlie Shiel (22 years and 0 months) is the youngest player in the full-time squad.
- Last season Jack Blain became the first player born in the 2000s to play for one of the Scottish pro teams. This will soon become the norm for Edinburgh and Glasgow debutants. Anyone else feel really old?
Caps:
- There are 24 capped players (21 Scots and 4 others) with 464 Test caps among them.
- That’s two less than last season when there were 26 capped internationals in the main squad of 44 players (23 Scots and 3 others).
Appearances:
- The players have a total of 2,113 Edinburgh appearances behind them.
- They include 7 men with more than 100 games for the club who account for just over 40% (876) of the previous matches played.
- Before the season started there were 6 players in the main squad who had yet to make their Edinburgh debut. All of them – Jamie Bhatti, Nic Groom, Nick Haining, Mesulame Kunavula, Eroni Sau and Mike Willemse – have taken their bows in the early part of the campaign. Sam Thomson (short-term loan) and Dan Nutton (emergency call-up from Super 6 side Heriot’s) have also made their first appearances.
- Among the current squad, Grant Gilchrist has the most caps for the club with 141, just ahead of Stuart McInally on 138.
- Matt Scott (89 previous games) may well be the next player to bring up his ton for Edinburgh.
Development:
- 19 of the main squad have progressed directly from the Scottish Rugby Academy or its predecessor, Elite Development Player contracts (45% of current full-time players – 48% last season).
- Of the remaining players:
- 5 came from other PRO14 clubs (3 from Glasgow);
- 4 from Super Rugby;
- 4 from the Top 14;
- 3 from the Gallagher Premiership;
- And there were 7 ‘others’ (Stade Nicois, Canterbury, Warringah, Fiji 7s [x2] and Scotland 7s [x2]).
- 8 of the players who came to Edinburgh from other clubs were involved in the EDP or SRA systems at some stage in their career.
Not Scottish Qualified:
- Forwards – 5 of 25 players in the main squad are not eligible to play for Scotland (20% – the equivalent figure was 16% last season).
- Backs – 5 of 17 players are not Scots qualified (29% – compared to 21% in 2018/19).
- Total – 10 of 42 players (24%). Last season 8 of 44 (18%).
- Nationalities – 5 in total.
- 32 players – Scottish (or Scottish-qualified)
- 5 players – South African
- 3 players – Fijian
- 1 player each – Italian, New Zealander
On Top Of The Moon 