Darcy Graham recovery lifts Edinburgh for Glasgow game as Mike Blair has special message for players

Edinburgh have been lifted by the return of Darcy Graham for Saturday’s must-win derby against Glasgow Warriors at Murrayfield.

The capital side look set to attack their local rivals with Graham on one wing and Emiliano Boffelli on the other as they seek the victory which would secure a place in next season’s Heineken Champions Cup.

Graham has been missing for five weeks after picking up a thigh injury in training in the build-up to the Challenge Cup match against Bath but Mike Blair is hopeful he will be fit to face Glasgow.

“He has been moving pretty well and he has been out training so we will see how he comes through but he is looking good at the moment,” said the Edinburgh coach. “It was his upper quad but he should be available for selection.

“It was an injury he had had before so we were a little bit more cautious with it.”

Graham and Boffelli were in devastating form for Edinburgh before the Six Nations and the pair will look to exploit the wide open spaces of Murrayfield this weekend. The match has been switched to the international stadium to meet demand and a crowd of between 20,000 and 25,000 is expected.

Boffelli, who joined Edinburgh in the summer after spells with Jaguares and Racing 92, has been a quality acquisition, combining a potent attacking threat with an immaculate kicking game.

“He has been excellent and grown as the campaign has gone on,” said Blair. “His English is getting a lot better and that helps with his conversation with his team mates on the pitch.”

It’s the final game of the URC league season and both clubs have already secured their place in the play-offs, but Saturday’s match will determine who they will meet in the last eight, with the losers heading to Dublin to face Leinster. The