Edinburgh have been dealt a further injury blow to their back three in a season that has seen them hampered by problems in that position.
Wes Goosen is the latest name to be added to the injury list and he will definitely miss this weekend’s game against Benetton, while he’d also be out for any potential URC play-off quarter-final.
He wasn’t ruled out for any longer than that just yet but the fracture in his foot could mean he wouldn’t play again this season even if Edinburgh made it through the first stage of the play-offs.
Goosen joins Darcy Graham, Emiliano Boffelli, Harry Paterson and Nathan Sweeney on the sidelines but there is one returning player with Jake Henry back involved after a spell out.
He’s likely to come back into the side but there’s other decisions to be made, particularly about who plays at full back.
Cammy Scott has played there before this season while Mark Bennett is also an option for Everitt or he could play Henry or Duhan van der Merwe in that role while keeping Matt Currie on the wing.
He refused to use the injury issues as an excuse for his side’s lack of bonus points this season though but did admit that losing players like Graham and Boffelli is obviously a big problem.
He said: "Wes has got a foot fracture - its one of the small bones in his foot - so unfortunately he's not available this week, and not available next week either. We'll see how that heals.
"So, once again, in the back-three we are a bit short, but we have busy who can come in to play there.
"Harry Paterson is not available this weekend. He's not made a full recovery yet, but we are hoping that he'll be available for the quarter-finals.
"We've got options at full-back. Mark Bennett has played there before, Cammy Scott as well, and James Lang - so we'll see how they all go in training this week and make a late call on Thursday.
"They are important players for us. Unfortunately, that's the nature of the game, and injuries do occur. You don't want the injuries all in the same position but that's what we've been been dealt with.
“As I've said before, we are fortunate to have guys who can step into those positions, but there is no doubt that losing worlds class players of the calibre of Darcy Graham and Emiliano Boffelli, and one of our nominees for player of the season in Wes Goosen, is tough for us.
"We'll make a plan. We're not looking excuses. We've got members of the squad who can fill those positions so we are not panicking.
“Obviously the X-factor that those good [players bring does create opportunities in attack. I wouldn't say that is the sole reason for the lack of bonus points, but it does play a part.
“Darcy played 10 games last year and scored 12 tries. We've also lost a guy like Blair Kinghorn. But we've created enough opportunities to get more bonus points so that is not an excuse."
Edinburgh travel to Italy this weekend knowing they can guarantee themselves a play-off with a win but it’s not an easy place to go.
Benetton have been strong at home with Glasgow Warriors the only team to beat them there in the URC this season.
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Edinburgh need to do that though and Everitt is looking forward to a straight shootout to see if his team make it into the play-offs, while they need to finish in seventh to earn a Champions Cup spot for next season too after the Sharks won the Challenge Cup to take the final league qualifying spot.
He continued: "The team is on a high. we've improved every week and are starting to really perform at the right time. It is a big challenge going to Benetton, but we know it is a challenge we can overcome.
“It is [like a cup final]. But it has been like that for the last several week. No one could afford to drop points and that was why the game against Munster at home was so important for us. Maybe an extra point out of that game would have made things a little easier going into this last round but it wouldn't have taken away the need to win.
"I think the guys are thriving on it and I think it brings out the best in us when you look at the performance in the EPCR when we had to go too Scarlets and win there, and we performed really well. Similarly, post-EPCR we had to perform really well to win those games at home in the URC to keep ourselves in the hunt and we were able to do that.
"So, this team can thrive under pressure. Fortunately we can draw on the experience of international rugby players who are able to do that, having been involved in World Cups and the Six Nations. It is all about the performance on the day."
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