Richardson: The hybrid man fuelling Edinburgh’s fight

Dylan Richardson is living something of a double life at the moment, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

The 26-year-old Edinburgh Rugby and Scotland forward has successfully navigated a remarkable positional switch, transitioning from openside flanker to hooker and back again, all while under the guidance of his current coach, Sean Everitt.

Richardson spent his formative years in South Africa playing on the flank, even representing his country at U20s level in that position. He converted to hooker toward the end of his time with the Hollywoodbets Sharks, but since reuniting with Everitt in the Scottish capital this summer, he’s temporarily returned to the openside.

This hybrid role, which allows him to cover both positions, has proven invaluable. Richardson, who qualifies for Scotland through his father and earned his first Test cap in 2021, believes this versatility is essential in the modern game.

“Seven is always natural for me; I don’t have a problem with it. I’m a natural flank,” Richardson says. “Hooker is something I have to work on. So even though I am playing seven now, I am still working at hooker every day. I am doing throwing and lineouts with the boys all the time.”

He views this constant training as a strength: “I am a hooker at training, but I am a seven on the weekend, which is quite cool. Being a hybrid player is kind of the go-to now. You see players like Deon Fourie who can switch from two to six; it’s an awesome attribute to have. It’s just another quiver in my bow.”

Richardson scores his first try at Hive Stadium

Richardson’s versatility immediately paid dividends last weekend. Playing on the flank, he scored two tries in Edinburgh’s comprehensive 43-0 bonus-point victory over Benetton Rugby at Hive Stadium. It was an electric atmosphere that he clearly relished.

“It was awesome. The fans were incredible,” he shared. “With the bagpipes going when you come in, it gave me such an amazing vibe. I absolutely loved it and can’t wait to play there again.”

The win was crucial, securing Edinburgh their first BKT URC victory of the season after two narrow road defeats against Zebre Parma and Munster Rugby. Richardson credits the team’s resolve for the bounce-back performance.

“A lot of teams would maybe go into their shells after tough losses like that in such close games, but we knew we had to take responsibility and ownership for it,” he explained.

“The performance you saw against Benetton was based on the good environment and culture we have built, and the boys trusting in that. It was just hard work from the boys, a bit of grunt work, some go-forward.”

Richardson’s relentless work ethic hasn’t gone unnoticed by coach Sean Everitt, who is delighted to have the six-times capped player – and now Scotland autumn internationals squad member – in his ranks.

“He is an amazing rugby player with an incredible work-rate,” Everitt said of Richardson.

“He is very industrious. He trains exceptionally hard, and he puts a lot of effort into his rugby, more so than most. It’s just great to see him getting rewarded for everything that he’s done to get here.”

As Richardson settles into his new home in Scotland and prepares for next month’s Tests against the USA, New Zealand, Argentina, and Tonga, that commitment is clearly paying off.