THE SCOTSMAN REPORTS
DAVID FERGUSON
A HOST of Scotland internationals will play for their clubs in Friday night's final round of Celtic League, the SRU insisted yesterday. Frank Hadden, the national coach, will withdraw certain Test players to protect them for next week's Barbarians match.

Glasgow and the Borders are involved in crucial finales, where defeat could wreck their hopes of appearing in next season's Heineken Cup competition, while Edinburgh have a key role to play in deciding where the Celtic League title ends up as they host Leinster at Murrayfield.




The SRU stated: "A significant number of players in the Scotland squad to play the Barbarians and to go on tour will still be made available to their pro team coaches for selection for Friday's games. A small number of other Scotland players, in positions where any injury would have serious, knock-on implications throughout the senior Scotland, Scotland A and representative teams in June, will be rested from their Celtic League commitments this Friday. [The SRU] is fully supportive of the Celtic League and Heineken Cup competitions it competes in and recognises the importance of this Friday's games for possible Heineken Cup selection next season."

It is understood, however, that discussions with the coaches will be concluded this morning with most of the 22-man squad available for the Celtic League. Hadden will not reveal his Scotland team until next week, but as he strives for continuity, with Nathan Hines unavailable and a clutch of players injured, the team does not require much guesswork.

Glasgow have Sam Pinder, Donnie Macfadyen, Dan Parks and Andy Henderson in the Scotland squad and the Borders' Scott MacLeod, Bruce Douglas, Kelly Brown and Ben MacDougall, but it is believed most of these players will feature in the Celtic League squads to be announced tomorrow. The biggest loss will be felt by Hadden's former club Edinburgh, where most of the starting line-up are full internationals.

Todd Blackadder, the departing Gunners coach, obviously wants his Test players available to ensure a final performance which encourages supporters to snap up season tickets for next term. But he may have to do without some key men, the likes of Mike Blair, Scott Murray and Allister Hogg, where cover for the Baa-Baas game and forthcoming two-Test tour to South Africa would be thin if injuries occurred.

Jason White is also expected to play for Sale in Saturday's Premiership final with Leicester, with Hadden keeping his fingers crossed his

This article was posted on 24-May-2006, 06:04 by Hugh Barrow.