EDINBURGH appear to have pick-pocketed two of the brightest young forwards in Scottish rugby from under the noses of their Glasgow Warriors rivals, with confirmation that Andrew Davidson and Marshall Sykes will both head east along the M8 ahead of the start of next season.
23-year-old second-row Davidson joins Edinburgh directly from Warriors, where he has been based for the last two seasons (following a two-year stint with Newcastle Falcons). Meanwhile, 20-year-old Sykes – a hybrid back-row/second-row – played for Ayrshire Bulls in the Super6 development league last year, whilst simultaneously training full-time with Warriors as part of Scottish Rugby’s Academy programme.
The pair will battle for game-time against established Scotland caps Grant Gilchrist and Ben Toolis (as well as provide cover during the international windows). Fraser McKenzie is also an option in the second-row at the capital club, while Lewis Carmichael is expected to be utilised predominantly in the back-row.
With the departures of Jonny Gray and Tim Swinson this summer having already been confirmed, Warriors now look dangerously thin on the ground in terms of second-row options. Leone Nakarawa and Kiran McDonald are out of contract and their futures are unclear, leaving Scott Cummings, Richie Gray, the untested Hamish Bain and Rob Harley shifting forward from the back-row, as Danny Wilson’s only guaranteed options in the engine-room of the scrum at the moment.
“We’re really excited to secure the signatures of both Andrew and Marshall – they’re two players that add further strength and depth to our squad," said Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill.
“Andrew gained plenty of experience down at Newcastle Falcons, while he’s been impressive in limited game time since his return to Glasgow.
“Marshall is still pretty raw, but he’s extremely hardworking and we believe that he has the potential to develop into a really talented lock or back-row.”
“We look forward to working with both players moving forward.”
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