Borders rugby star Darcy Graham’s bid to get back on ball looks set to be hit by hold-up

Darcy Graham playing for Scotland at 2023's Rugby World Cup versus Romania in Lille in France in September (Pic: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

The Edinburgh winger has yet to play for his club this United Rugby Championship season, having been sidelined by a hip injury since Scotland’s 36-14 loss to Ireland at the Rugby World Cup in France back on Saturday, October 7.

The 26-year-old has taken advantage of that enforced time out to have long-standing knee issue rectified too but is hoping to be fit again and available for selection next month.

The former Hawick player had been targeting Edinburgh’s match away to Ulster on Saturday, December 2, for his comeback but it’s now looking like he might have to wait until the following Friday’s European Professional Club Rugby Challenge Cup tie at France’s Clermont Auvergne.

“It’s coming along really good,” said Graham. “It’s been an ongoing issue now for almost 11 months with my knee, and after the world cup, I just needed to get it sorted.

“I’ve been in a bit of pain for the past year and I’ve just cracked on with it, but I’d had enough and just needed to get it sorted out.

“It’s good that it’s sorted now so I can get back to playing with the boys. It feels like ages since I’ve been playing.”

Graham’s knee issue stems from medial cruciate ligament rupture sustained during Edinburgh’s 38-17 loss at home to Munster in December last year.

A metal screw was inserted into the knee affected as part of his treatment for that injury, enabling him to return to playing in March, but it had been causing him discomfort, so after going off against Ireland in Paris with an injured hip requiring recovery time, he decided to kill two birds with one stone and get his knee fixed too.

New Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt explained: “A screw in his knee was causing irritation, and that’s been removed since the world cup.

“He’s feeling a lot better, but at this stage it’s doubtful he’s on track to play against Ulster.

“We’re not sure. If it’s not Ulster, it’ll definitely be Clermont.”

Graham, capped 39 times since making his international debut in 2018, scoring 24 tries, just three short of fellow ex-Green Stuart Hogg’s all-time record of 27, has been with Edinburgh for six years.