Edinburgh coach Sean Everitt believes he has a possible world-class prop on his palms who can develop alongside related traces to South Africa World Cup winners reminiscent of Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira, Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe.
Ollie Blyth-Lafferty is just 19 and has but to play a single minute of senior rugby as he awaits his debut off the bench in Saturday’s URC match in opposition to Ospreys at Hive Stadium.
Earlier this week Everitt described the Scotland Below-20s tighthead, who’s 6ft 4in tall and weighs 136 kg (twenty first 6lb), as “a monster of a rugby participant”.
An ankle harm sustained by Scotland prop D’arcy Rae, who might be sidelined for 2 months, has opened the door for Blyth-Lafferty, whose elder brother Jerry – a hooker – can also be a part of Edinburgh’s academy.
Everitt admits he’s excited to see how the youthful sibling fares as he embarks on a three-year plan to make him one of many world’s elite tightheads.
“I believe the discuss Ollie has been there since I’ve been right here – that’s almost two and a half years in the past – so I believe he’s fairly used to that,” Everitt mentioned.
“I believe in my time as a coach, we’ve had a younger ‘Beast’ coming via the ranks at Sharks, in addition to a Ntuthuko Mchunu [for Stormers] simply recently that grew to become a Springbok a 12 months in the past. All of them went via it as nicely.
“It’s about understanding the place they’re and likewise understanding that whereas we’re utilizing this chance for them to develop as rugby gamers, they’re additionally being chosen to carry out. And I believe Ollie is aware of that.
“He’s acquired a aggressive spirit as nicely and he’s extremely formidable, rightfully so. It’s nice we’ve acquired a man with these ambitions inside our group. It’s additionally nice we’ve recognized him and we’ve acquired a plan for him over the following three years and that plan begins tomorrow.”
Definitely Scotland may do with extra choices at tighthead, the place they’re nonetheless overly reliant on Glasgow’s Zander Fagerson, who’s the nation’s most capped prop with 76.
Regardless of his tender years, Everitt believes Blyth-Lafferty has the identical uncooked potential as among the main props of current classic.
“Clearly, there’s a chief age for a prop to come back via, however there’s additionally guys which can be distinctive of their positions,” he mentioned. “From my expertise, in case you return to South Africa, a younger Thomas du Toit performed as a 19-year-old in opposition to the Crusaders, which at the moment was just about an All Blacks workforce, and beat them.
“Then you definately’ve acquired a younger Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe that performed for the Stormers on the age of 19 as nicely. I believe that these guys are few and much between, and we see Ollie in that mould.
“There’s acquired to be technique across the choice and the coaching he will get on a Tuesday within the scrum classes in opposition to Boan Venter and Pierre Schoeman actually does expedite that progress and it does give him confidence.
“So I’m actually excited for the teen. Everyone knows that he’s acquired the flexibility to be a world-class tighthead. There’s a little bit of an extended street to go earlier than he will get there. His largest problem is staying on target, and that’s a problem for any teen. It’s how level-headed you may keep and the way processed you stay in attempting to realize your objective and never deviate from it, not relaxation in your laurels.
“Generally it could possibly come sooner quite than later. He’s solely going to be taught being in huge video games. If it goes nicely tomorrow, it might be a run of lengthy alternatives within the jersey.”
Though Edinburgh will face a vastly under-strength Ospreys facet shorn of over 20 gamers both on Wales obligation or unavailable via harm, Everitt envisages that Blyth-Lafferty may also be concerned over the following month as they deal with French sides Toulon and Castres within the European Champions Cup and Glasgow in a festive URC double-header.
“You may’t simply give a participant one shot, I don’t imagine in that,” he added. “We’re going to take a look at taking part in him a second time and hopefully a 3rd time and a fourth time. That’s the best way he’s going to get higher. Possibly at occasions he’ll get it mistaken, however we have to perceive he’s nonetheless studying. There’s by no means an excellent time and there’s by no means a foul time. I simply assume that now’s the proper time, no matter whether or not there’s accidents or not.”
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In the meantime, Everitt insists wing Duhan van der Merwe is set to return to high type and reclaim his place within the Scotland workforce for the Six Nations.
The enormous speedster discovered himself omitted for the primary time in his Scotland profession when Gregor Townsend paired Kyle Steyn with Darcy Graham for his or her two largest video games of the autumn in opposition to New Zealand and Argentina.
Van der Merwe did rating two tries in Scotland’s opening autumn Take a look at in opposition to USA and one other in opposition to Tonga final weekend to nudge one away from Graham on the high of the all-time checklist together with his thirty fifth Take a look at attempt.
However since struggling an ankle harm in late March which noticed him unable to play for 12 weeks earlier than a comeback within the British & Irish Lions’ pre-tour warm-up Take a look at in opposition to Argentina in Dublin, the 30-year-old has struggled to hit the height of his powers.
“He’s clearly upset within the type that he’s proven,” Everitt mentioned. “Everyone knows the place Duhan needs to be. He needs to be the most effective wingers on the earth and perhaps he’s fallen off a bit.
“However being the competitor that he’s, he needs to get again and be the most effective and he’s acquired a string of video games now the place he can construct some continuity.
“I believe that’s what’s been missing in his rugby during the last most likely 9 months, for the reason that harm that he picked up earlier within the 12 months. He hasn’t strung video games collectively.
“He acquired thrown into the deep finish for the Lions in opposition to Argentina, didn’t get as a lot recreation time as he would have favored [on tour in Australia] after which got here again and performed the primary recreation of the season in opposition to Zebre away off the bench.
“Then he acquired injured once more [a heel issue which forced him off against Benetton]. So it hasn’t been nice for him, however he’s acquired a possibility now over the following 10 weeks to construct some momentum and get himself into high type for the Six Nations – hopefully sooner quite than later for Edinburgh Rugby too.”
Whereas Graham and Scotland hooker Ewan Ashman are rested in opposition to the Ospreys, Van der Merwe plus two different frontline Scotland gamers – prop Pierre Schoeman and lock Grant Gilchrist, who captains the facet – will begin the match.
Everitt additionally revealed that Scotland centre Matt Currie, who has but to play this season after struggling with vertigo, could also be near a comeback.
“Matt has made huge enhancements over the break in November,” the pinnacle coach added. mentioned. “With that harm, we are able to’t have a timeline to it, however all I can say is that he has been in coaching and has performed contact and hopefully he’s not too distant from being up for choice.”
However fellow centre Mosese Tuipulotu, recovering from surgical procedure on a severe knee harm sustained in opposition to Connacht in Could, has seen his return date moved again from late December till mid-January.
