Boffelli switched to full-back as Graham wings in for Edinburgh

Edinburgh coach Mike Blair believes he has a back three full of pace and attacking threats after switching Emiliano Boffelli to full-back for Saturday night’s 1872 Cup clash with Glasgow Warriors.

The Argentine international has been in cracking form all season, mainly from a wing berth, but the return from injury of Darcy Graham has persuaded Blair to reshuffle his back field, with Graham and Damien Hoyland filling the wing slots.

Boffelli’s selection at 15 means Jaco van der Walt drops to the bench. The stand-off has filled inatfull-backfollowinganinjury to Henry Immelman.

“Boffelliisanaturalbackthree player,” said Blair. “Jaco has done well in that role, but Emiliano has been outstanding for usthisseasonandgivesussome solidity at the back. It means we haveaquickandbalancedback three and Jaco has done a good job at 15 in the meantime and shown that is a position he can play comfortably.

“Boffelli’s played at 15 a lot and he likes playing at 15, so that will work well for us. We see the backthreeplayersasbeingfairly interchangeable. Darcy has playedalittlebitat15anddamo hasplayedalittlebitat15aswell. They are similar types of roles.”

Graham’s return after a thigh muscle injury will pep up the Edinburgh attack and Blair admitted he was tempted to bring him back for the Challenge Cup quarter-final against Wasps..

“Darcy has been excellent for us this season,” said Blair. “He is a top-quality international player.

“For the Wasps game he was touch and go and if it had been the last game of the season with no game to come for three months we might have risked him but we have the Glasgow game and the [URC] quarterfinal to go and he has been able to get some extra work in and he is looking in good condition now.”