Heriot’s second-row Murray Douglas, 24, will captain the Scotland Club International team this Friday night for their first game of 2014, v Ireland Club International (kick-off 7.30pm).

The lock returns to the side having won two caps in last year’s campaign and being part of the team that beat Friday’s opponents at Millbrae, Ayr, in 2013.

Scotland Club International head coach, Phil Leck, said: “Murray is a very calm player who leads by his actions.

He is very talented and has led our lineouts in training, plus the players have a lot of respect for him. That coupled with his experiences last year makes him an ideal fit for the captaincy.”

The second-row will be joined by 16 debutants throughout the match-day 23, with ten in the starting XV and six on the bench.

They are Edinburgh Accies’ Nyle Godsmark, Heriot’s George Turner, Aberdeen Grammar’s Erlend Oag, Gala’s Chris Auld and Ewan McQuillin, Melrose’s Richard Mill (pictured), Ayr’s George Hunter and Callum Templeton and Stirling County’s Will Bordill and Jamie Swanson.

On the bench, Gala’s Rory Sutherland and Grant Somerville, Ayr’s Nick Cox and Fergus Scott, Glasgow Hawks’ Andrew Redmayne and Stirling County’s Stuart Edwards, could win their first caps.

Leck continued: “We have a quick back-row and an exciting back-line that will be looking to keep the tempo of the match high.

We have a strong squad here and know we will be up against a physical Ireland side who will carry hard and be tough in defence.

“However, we will aim to play to our strengths and if we do that, I believe, we’ll be in for a good match.”

Current, RBS Premiership league leaders, Melrose have two players in the squad in back-row, Andrew Nagle and stand-off Mill, while Gala and Ayr have the biggest offering with six and seven players respectively.

Gala’s Auld starts in the centre and McQuillin at tighthead prop and Sutherland, the Graham brothers, and Sommerville may be involved from the bench.

Ayr have three in the backline, Dean Kelbrick (centre), Craig Gossman (wing) and Peter Jericevich (scrum-half) and Hunter (prop) and Templeton (lock) start in the pack. Scott is replacement hooker on the bench and Cox could win his first cap as replacement cover at prop.

Edinburgh Accies, Aberdeen Grammar, Heriot’s and Stirling County have players in the starting XV and Glasgow Hawks have one player who features on the bench.

Scotland Club International to play Ireland Club International, Friday 7 February at the Cork Constitution FC, kick-off 7.30pm:

15 *Nyle Godsmark (Edinburgh Accies)



14 *Erlend Oag (Aberdeen Grammar)

13 *Chris Auld (Gala / Edinburgh Rugby)

12 Dean Kelbrick (Ayr)

11 Craig Gossman (Ayr)



10 *Richard Mill (Melrose)

9 Peter Jericevich (Ayr)



1 *George Hunter (Ayr / Glasgow Warriors)

2 *George Turner (Heriot’s / Edinburgh Rugby)

3 *Ewan McQuillin (Gala / Edinburgh Rugby)

4 Murray Douglas (Heriot’s)

5 *Callum Templeton (Ayr)

6 Andrew Nagle (Melrose)

7 *Will Bordill (Stirling County / Glasgow Warriors)

8 *Jamie Swanson (Stirling County)



Replacements:

16 *Rory Sutherland (Gala)

17 *Nick Cox (Ayr)

18 *Fergus Scott (Ayr / Glasgow Warriors)

19 Gary Graham (Gala)

20 *Andrew Redmayne (Glasgow Hawks / Glasgow Warriors)

21 George Graham (Gala)

22 *Stuart Edwards (Stirling County)

23 *Grant Somerville (Gala)

This article was posted on 3-Feb-2014, 16:57 by Hugh Barrow.