ALAN Solomons has hailed WP Nel as a “vital” member of his Edinburgh side as the tighthead prop prepares to make his 100th appearance for the capital side tonight. The 30-year-old forward will become Edinburgh’s 24th centurion when the PRO12 match against Leinster kicks off, and his head coach has been impressed by the relative speed with which he has established himself as a key component of the Scotland pack as well.

“He’s vital as a player,” Solomons said. “Tighthead prop is a very important position - we all know that. He's good around the park and a good athlete. He applies himself and is a good pro.

“I think he's been invaluable for Edinburgh, and I think since he's been playing for Scotland he has been invaluable for the national team. Over time his scrummaging really improved and Scotland had a desperate need for a tighthead. The whole thing came together at the right time.

“He’s a big man, and is carrying a lot more weight than he was back in South Africa - he's carrying 118kg, which is four or five kg more than he did. He's getting used to that weight and he needs that to play tighthead in the northern hemisphere. But he’s a good footballer and adds value in general play.”

Nel’s reputation as an excellent scrummager would surprise many in South Africa, as that aspect of his game was seen as a weak point during his younger days. But since moving to Edinburgh in 2012 he has become accustomed to the different demands placed on his position in the Northern Hemisphere.

“It is two different worlds,” Nel said. “In South Africa the scrum is not the biggest part of the game. If the ball comes in and comes out [of the scrum] then the backs can play, that’s fine.

“Here it’s almost like they want the penalty off every scrum to get to the corners and get the set piece or just three points on the board. It took me almost a year and a half to get used to the conditions.”

“I felt comfortable at tighthead I must say three years ago when I started to get the feel about playing up front. It’s a big learning curve.

“Every team brings something different to the game. The first season you see Welsh teams are scrummaging different, so are Ireland teams, so it is knowing what to do different every weekend to counter the opposition.”

Nel has already been talked about as a probable Lions selection, and if he is in the kind of form to win a place on the tour to New Zealand he can be sure to attract interest from clubs in England and France. He is in the last year of his Edinburgh contract and would surely relish the challenge of a new club in a different environment. However, he insisted that he was not thinking so far ahead.

“No chat at this moment,” he replied when asked about new contract talks. “I’m just concentrating on this season.”

While Nel takes his place in an unchanged front row, Hamish Watson returns to the back row in place of John Hardie, who has yet to be cleared to play after his head injury in last week’s win over Scarlets. Also in the back row, Viliame Fihaki makes his competitive debut in place of Jamie Ritchie. Magnus Bradbury moves to blindside to accommodate the Tongan international.

Leinster are without Rob Kearney as a result of the injury suffered by the full-back in last week’s defeat by Glasgow, so Zane Kirchner moves from the wing. Captain Isa Nacewa makes his first start of the season on the wing, while in the pack Devin Toner is one of a number of Ireland internationals restored to the side after injury.

Edinburgh (v Leinster at Murrayfield tonight, 7.35pm, live on BBC Alba); G Bryce; M Allen, S Tofilau, P Burleigh, T Brown; D Weir, N Fowles; R Sutherland, R Ford, W Nel, B Toolis, G Gilchrist, M Bradbury, H Watson, V Fihaki. Substitutes: S McInally, A Dell, K Bryce, F McKenzie, C du Preez, S Hidalgo-Clyne, J Rasolea, B Kinghorn.

Leinster: Z Kirchner; I Nacewa, G Ringrose, N Reid, D Kearney; J Carbery, J Gibson-Park; J McGrath, S Cronin, M Ross, D Toner, M McCarthy, J Murphy, D Leavy, J Heaslip. Substitutes: B Byrne, C Healy, T Furlong, R Molony, J van der Flier, L McGrath, C Marsh, R O’Loughlin.