McHaffie scores on debut as Edinburgh edge Stormers — SkimNews
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- Edinburgh beat the Stormers 17-13 at Hive Stadium, making it two wins from two to open the URC season following last weekend's bonus-point victory at Ulster.
- Rory McHaffie, a 19-year-old substitute on his home debut, gathered James Grayson's pass off the deck and beat the cover defence for the match-clinching try after Edinburgh battered the Stormers line.
- Liam McConnell disrupted Stormers set-piece play all night, stealing three lineouts against the throw in the first half alone, with the young flanker also disrupting the Stormers' final attacking lineout to secure the win.
- Siya Kolisi made his first Stormers appearance in over five years, but it was Edinburgh replacement prop Paul Hill who scored the opening try from a lineout steal by Jerry Blyth-Lafferty.
- Hacjivah Dayimani powered over from a dominant Stormers scrum to briefly give the visitors the lead, while a Wandisile Simelane try was ruled out for a touch-in-goal after Piers O'Conor's last-ditch defence.
- Head coach Sean Everitt told BBC Scotland that the win, achieved with 11 players aged 22 and under against a side packed with recent Springboks, will build belief that is 'more important than the league points.'
Why it matters: Edinburgh's victory over a Stormers squad featuring Springbok captain Siya Kolisi gives the club a perfect 2-0 start to the URC season — a stark contrast to last year's opening struggles. With 11 players aged 22 and under contributing, coach Sean Everitt singled out the result as a belief-builder, framing squad depth and youth development as competitive currency this early in the campaign.
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