A trial match is to be staged at Goldenacre, Edinburgh on Sunday as preparations are stepped up for the first club international to be staged on home soil.

After last year’s inaugural club international against Ireland staged in Dublin, the return fixture will take place on the eve of the RBS 6 Nations Championship clash between the countries next month.

The match will be played at Meggetland, Edinburgh, home of Boroughmuir RFC, on Friday 9 March with a 7pm kick-off.

Head coach for the Scotland Club International side, Ian Rankin, and his assistant coach, George Breckenridge, held a squad session last weekend. Rankin said: “I was very impressed with the commitment of the players in our squad and taken by their real desire to play for their country.”

Rankin will be in Dublin tomorrow to watch Ireland play a club international against their English counterparts.

He added: “The interest and support from club coaches has been very encouraging and has been a great help in making our initial selections for this trial. With Ireland playing England before our game it was vital to our preparations that we had some game time together, and with genuine competition for places I look forward to a very competitive match at Goldenacre on Sunday.”

The teams for Sunday’s trial (kick-off 12 noon) are:


BLUES

15 James Thompson (Heriot’s)

14 Rory Couper (Boroughmuir)
13 Graham Thomson (Dundee HSFP)
12 John Houston (Heriot’s)
11 Max Evans (Glasgow Hawks)

10 Andrew Skeen (Watsonians)
9 Alasdhair MacFarlane (Ayr)

1 Andrew Reekie (Currie)
2 Scott Burnett (Currie)
3 Richard Higgins (Melrose)
4 Damien Kelly (Ayr)
5 Richard Maxton (Hamilton)
6 Tam McVie (Heriot’s) CAPTAIN
8 Ross Weston (Currie)
7 Angus Martyn (Boroughmuir)


GREENS

15 Matt Coupar (Watsonians)

14 Marc Teague (Heriot’s)
13 Andy McMahon (Currie)
12 Cameron Goodall (Heriot’s)
11 Charlie Keenan (Boroughmuir)

10 Murray Strang (Glasgow Hawks)
9 Richard Snedden (Currie)

1 Willie Blacklock (Hawick)
2 Neil Meikle (Heriot’s)
3 Freddie Lait (Boroughmuir)
4 Jeff Nicolson (Watsonians)
5 Andy Adam (Currie) CAPTAIN
6 Paul Burke (Ayr)
8 Grant Strang (Aberdeen Grammar Rugby)
7 George Oommen (Dundee HSFP)

Substitutes (for both teams)

Backs
Brian Archibald (Stirling County)
Steven Duffy (Glasgow Hawks)
Stephen Gordon (Glasgow Hawks)
Kenny Sinclair (Glasgow Hawks)
Gavin Douglas (Edinburgh Academicals)

Forwards
Will Rowley (Watsonians)
Scott Sutherland (Ayr)
Mark Cairns (Currie)
Andrew Kelly (GHA)
Bruce MacFarlane (Stirling County)
Wayne Mitchell (Melrose)
Gary Mountford (Stirling County)

Unavailable for selection due to injury
Innes Brown (Heriot’s)
Roddy Deans (Heriot’s)
Andy Dunlop (Biggar)
Stuart Johnson (Melrose)
Jamie Murray (Melrose)

This article was posted on 22-Feb-2007, 13:33 by Hugh Barrow.