Blair Kinghorn backed by Edinburgh to perform against Benetton as Toulouse deal confirmed

Kinghorn, 26, has agreed a deal for three seasons and will join his new club on December 4, meaning he is available to play two more games for Edinburgh, against Benetton and Ulster.

Speaking before the transfer was announced, Everitt said he expected the player to perform for Edinburgh with his customary professionalism. “It probably is distracting for him during the week, but this is not something that would have come up overnight or over the last few days,” said the coach. “These rumours might have happened a couple of weeks back, and he has still performed, being a professional. And in the modern day we have to accept and trust that his mind is on the job at hand, which is to play rugby - and play as best as he can against Benetton and Ulster.

“So I don’t doubt his ability and his commitment to the club. He’s been here for nine years, he’s been a standout player for this club over that period of time, and he’s extremely popular in Edinburgh. So I don’t think that he’ll put himself first and let the people down that have supported him throughout his career.”

Kinghorn, 26, was contracted to Edinburgh until the end of the season and they will receive a six-figure sum from Toulouse by way of compensation. He joined the capital club from school and Friday’s match will be his 139th in the colours of his home-town team. But the chance to play in the Top 14 has proved too good an opportunity to turn down for a player who is in his prime and won his 50th Scotland cap at the recent Rugby World Cup.

Toulouse, the only club to have won the European Champions Cup five times, are one of the stellar names in world rugby and the move will offer Kinghorn the chance to rub shoulders with the game’s elite, including France captain Antoine Dupont and his half-back partner Romain Ntamack who will both become team-mates. The challenge awaiting Kinghorn was not lost on Everitt who believes Toulouse are recruiting the player as part of a drive to recapture the Champions Cup, a trophy they regard as something akin to personal property but one they have not lifted since 2021.

“Toulouse have been one of the best clubs in the world for some time now,” said Everitt. “Even when they weren’t winning, in the Pro14 everyone spoke about Toulouse. And the quality of the player that they have there now is unbelievable. They’ve pretty much got the French national team. We also saw that when those French internationals don’t play for Toulouse, they don’t do as well. So it will certainly strengthen them. Because they want a player like Blair, it obviously puts down a statement that they want to win the Heineken Cup - they haven’t done that for some time now. We’ll just wait and see what the outcome of that is.”

While recently redeployed at full-back by club and country, Kinghorn spent the previous two seasons as a stand-off and can also play on the wing and his versatility will have appealed to Toulouse who already have France’s first choice full-back Thomas Ramos on their books. The Scot could potentially make his debut in the Champions Cup match against Cardiff at Stade Ernest Wallon on December 9.

Friday’s game with Benetton will be Kinghorn’s last at home for Edinburgh and he is part of a strong-looking team as he says farewell to the supporters. It will be a special occasion too for Jamie Ritchie who will make his 100th appearance for the club. Like Kinghorn, Ritchie joined Edinburgh straight from school and this is the Scotland captain’s tenth season with the capital team.

There will be a first Edinburgh start for Ali Price. The Scotland scrum-half, who moved on loan from Glasgow Warriors, made his debut off the bench in the win over Bulls last Friday but is preferred to Ben Vellacott as the starting nine this week.

Price’s inclusion is one of four changes made by Sean Everitt, the Edinburgh coach. Matt Currie returns from injury to start at outside centre as Mark Bennett misses out after picking up a hamstring strain in training earlier this week. Dave Cherry is handed a start at hooker after coming off the bench in recent weeks, while Luke Crosbie returns to the fray at No 8 in place of Bill Mata, who remains in concussion protocol. Summer signing and stand-off Tim Swiel is named among the replacements, and could make his competitive debut for Edinburgh. English-born, but raised in Cape Town, Swiel is well known to Everitt having worked under him at the Sharks. The experienced 30-year-old has also played for Western Province, Harlequins, Newcastle Falcons and DHL Stormers.

Edinburgh are looking to end their run of three home games with a third win on the bounce before heading back out on the road to play Ulster in Belfast next Saturday. Benetton suffered their first defeat of the season when they lost 26-12 to Glasgow last weekend and they have not won in Scotland since beating Edinburgh at Myreside in September 2017. This a fixture in which home advantage has proved key, with the last seven meetings between the sides having all been won by the hosts. Benetton have Tongan international centre Malakai Fekitoa back in their starting XV and there is place on the bench for Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, the former Edinburgh and Scotland scrum-half.

Edinburgh v Benetton (Hive Stadium, BKT United Rugby Championship, Friday, 7.35pm. TV: live on Viaplay)

Edinburgh: 15. Blair Kinghorn; 14. Wes Goosen, 13. Matt Currie, 12. James Lang, 11. Duhan van der Merwe; 10. Ben Healy, 9. Ali Price; 1. Pierre Schoeman, 2. Dave Cherry, 3. WP Nel, 4. Glen Young, 5. Grant Gilchrist (capt), 6. Jamie Ritchie, 7. Connor Boyle, 8. Luke Crosbie.

Replacements: 16. Ewan Ashman, 17. Boan Venter, 18. Angus Williams, 19. Marshall Sykes, 20. Tom Dodd, 21. Ben Vellacott, 22. Tim Swiel, 23. Chris Dean.

Benetton: 15. Rhyno Smith; 14. Paolo Odogwu, 13. Malakai Fekitoa, 12. Marco Zanon, 11. Ignacio Mendy; 10. Jacob Umaga, 9. Andy Uren; 1. Thomas Gallo, 2. Giacomo Nicotera, 3. Giosuè Zilocchi, 4. Edoardo Iachizzi, 5. Eli Snyman, 6. Alessandro Izekor, 7. Michele Lamaro (capt), 8. Lorenzo Cannone.

Replacements: 16. Bautista Bernasconi, 17. Mirco Spagnolo, 18. Tiziano Pasquali, 19. Riccardo Favretto, 20. Toa Halafihi, 21. Henry Time-Stowers, 22. Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 23. Giacomo Da Re.

Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU).