EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS REPORTS

A TRIO of Edinburgh-based players were today named in a Scottish under-21 rugby team to visit Sale Jets on Monday for a final pre-Six Nations Championship fixture.

The side, containing Currie pair James Taggart (flanker) and Ben Cairns (centre) along with Heriot's flanker Scott Newlands will be captained by former Edinburgh Academy prodigy, Dave Blair.


Blair is the younger brother of Scotland scrum half, Mike.

On the bench are Boroughmuir forwards Greig Scott and Kyle Traynor.

Coach Iain Paxton played down the absence of unavailable pro-team quartet Alan MacDonald, David Young, John Beattie and John Barclay and stressed that their non-participation "gives others a chance to put themselves forward".

Scotland under-21: Iain Kennedy (Glasgow), Ben Addison (Stirling), Ben Cairns (Currie and Edinburgh), Garry Law (Borders), Lee Kibble (Borders), Dave Blair (Sale), captain, Greig Laidlaw (Jed-Forest), Ryan Grant (Army), Sean Crombie (Aberdeen GSFP), Innes Brown (Stirling), James Eddie (Glasgow), Ian Nimmo (Leicester), Scott Newlands (Heriot's and Borders), Ross Miller (Melrose), James Taggart (Currie). Subs. - Willie Brown (Hillhead/Jordanhill), Kyle Traynor (Boroughmuir and Edinburgh), Greig Scott (Boroughmuir), Michael Robertson (Hawick), Stephen Biggart (Glasgow Hawks), James King (Melrose and Borders), David Whiteford (Melrose)

This article was posted on 6-Jan-2006, 14:44 by Hugh Barrow.