Edinburgh are eating up most of the possession in the early stages, putting the South Africans under pressure.

Ross Thompson kicks off in the Scottish capital.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland at Hive Stadium

We are only at round four of the URC season and yet this already feels like a huge night for Edinburgh and their coach Sean Everitt.

Last weekend's shellacking at the hands of the Lions in Johannesburg has prompted all sorts of questions around the coach, the culture and where this Edinburgh team is going.

After the dismal failure to reach the playoffs last season, three straight defeats is not the start Edinburgh wanted in the new campaign.

It's time for the big players in this team, and there are plenty of them, to stand up and be counted.

If they don't, the pressure on Everitt will only increase.

Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt said this week he feels no extra pressure despite his side's "embarrassing" hammering by Lions last time out.

The capital club were blown away in the first half in Johannesburg, conceding seven tries to trail 48-0 at the break, a URC record for a half-time deficit, before losing 55-21.

It means Edinburgh have lost three matches in a row on the back of failing to reach the play-offs last season, but Everitt is confident he can still turn things around.

“There's pressure every week in this game,” said the South African.

“[It's] not easy being a coach, but we enjoy the challenges of making things right, and that's why we are where we are.

“I'm very confident that this team's going to rebound this weekend. I don't think there was a lack of hunger within that loss on Saturday against the Lions at all."

Image source, Getty Images

Stormers head coach John Dobson has made six changes to his side who overpowered Zebre in Parma last weekend.

Warrick Gelant makes his first start of the season at full-back, with Damian Willemse moving to fly-half, while Angelo Davids is on the right wing.

In the pack, Dave Ewers comes in on the openside flank, while hooker Andre-Hugo Venter and prop Brok Harris both start having featured as replacements last week.

JJ Kotze, Willie Engelbrecht and Wandisile Simelane are all set to make their first appearance of the season from the bench.

Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt makes six changes to the side comfortably beaten by Lions last week for today's game.

Patrick Harrison and Ben Muncaster - who both came off the bench and scored tries against Lions - come into the forward pack, replacing Ewan Ashman and Hamish Watson, while lock Jamie Hodgson is preferred to Marshall Sykes.

Both half-backs from the Lions defeat - Ben Vellacott and Ben Healy - are dropped, with Healy not even making the matchday squad. Ali Price and Ross Thompson start.

Duhan van der Merwe is also fit to return, having dropped out of last week's side with a small injury.

Harri Morris, Luke Crosbie and Cammy Scott could all make their first appearance of the season as replacements.

Edinburgh: Goosen, Graham, Tuipulotu, M Scott, Van der Merwe, Thompson, Price; Schoeman, Harrison, Hill, Hodgson, Gilchrist (c), Ritchie, Muncaster, Bradbury.

Replacements: Morris, Venter, Rae, Sykes, Crosbie, Vellacott, C. Scott, Currie.

Stormers: Gelant, Davids, Nel, Du Plessis (c), Zas, Willemse, De Wet; Harris, Venter, Fouche, Schickerling, Van Heerden, Ewers, Dixon, Morabe.Replacements: Kotze, Sithole, Sandi, Smith, Theunissen, Engelbrecht, Ungerer, Simelane.

Good afternoon and welcome to our coverage of the United Rugby Championship, as Edinburgh host Stormers.

Edinburgh currently sit 15th in the league table with only three points having lost all three of their games so far this season.

Stormers travel to the Scottish capital in 12th with five points. Both sides have had a rocky start to the 2024-25 season and have a point to prove this afternoon.

With 15 minutes until kick-off, let's have a look at the teams.

Image source, SNS