When Greig Laidlaw decided to move on from Edinburgh to Gloucester a few months ago, his imminent departure created a scrum-half opening for others, but the indications so far suggest that it is something of a revolving door.
Thus far, Edinburgh coach Alan Solomons has called on Grayson Hart, Sean Kennedy and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne to fill the gap created by Laidlaw's going, but none has yet made an overwhelming case to be considered his natural successor.
Kennedy has been given the starting shirt for the capital side's two Guinness PRO12 matches to date. In victory against Munster he played with the kind of impudent urgency that was the hallmark of his boyhood hero Peter Stringer when he was growing up Limerick, but the 23-year-old was rather more subdued in Edinburgh's flat performance in defeat against Connacht.
Hence the selection of Hidalgo-Clyne for tomorrow's clash with the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea. While Kennedy might be considered the more conventional option in the No.9 berth, Hidalgo-Clyne brings an element of the unexpected, and some serious pace, to the role. Solomons explained the change in terms of rotation, but it is clear that he is looking to Hidalgo-Clyne's alacrity to light the spark that was frustratingly absent from Edinburgh's last performance.
Given that he can also do a decent shift among the outside backs, it takes only a little twist of mischief to think of Hidalgo-Clyne, who celebrated his 21st birthday last month, as the closest thing that Edinburgh have to Glasgow's Niko Matawalu. Not that he is rushing to make the comparison himself, a position that might reflect his fear that such versatility can be a good way of getting onto the bench rather than into the starting side.
"Last season when they were down on numbers I played on the wing," he said. "I only helped them out there. This season I want to master playing scrum-half. I am not the finished article, so if I have to play wing then that is fine when we are down on numbers. But you always want to get a regular start.
"You do your best in training but scrum-half is such a key position you want to be playing as much as you can and getting used to playing with the tens at the club."
The American sportswriter Bill Simmons highlighted the phenomenon - now known as the Ewing Theory - that teams often get better after their star player leaves. It has been suggested that Laidlaw, who combined the roles of scrum-half, captain and goal-kicker, took responsibility away from other players. Whether that applies at Edinburgh is open to question, but Laidlaw's going is certainly an invitation for somebody else to step up to the plate.
Hidalgo-Clyne said: "At the moment it is rotation, which is fair. It is good. This week I've got the opportunity as Sean had it last week. Grayson played a lot last season and has still to have a start this season, so this week [with Hart on the bench] I have to play my best. We push each other every week and try to get that No.1 spot, which is good competition."
Edinburgh could certainly use some of Hidalgo-Clyne's urgency this weekend. In their defeat by Connacht eight days ago they were flat, uninspired and listless.
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