EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS REPORTS

Adam in dark over title after law change
BILL LOTHIAN
CURRIE will begin the defence of the Scottish Hydro Electric rugby premiership title on Saturday with skipper Andy Adam claiming changes in the eligibility laws make the outcome impossible to predict.

Restrictions on the number of non-European players were lifted over the summer while clubs will be able to draw on an increased pool of fringe professionals - as allocated by a panel.

Adam, whose side kick off against Glasgow Hawks at Malleny Park, says: "It is all back to square one again. You just don't know who clubs with plenty of money are bringing in because with the lifting of the restriction on foreigners anything is possible." The number of pros that can be drawn upon varies dramatically from club to club and Adam hints that Currie will look carefully at whether to utilise the ruling while distancing himself from selection matters. He added: "So far as pros coming back are concerned you are only going to get them when they are coming back from injury. Who wants them when they are injured? You just don't know when the pros will be available."

This is borne out by Edinburgh's pre-season friendly at Bath tomorrow night.

The Evening News understands that Watsonians will be without prop Kyle Traynor and Boroughmuir will be missing lock Fergus Pringle with both required to sit on the bench for the Capital side to whom they are still attached.

Adam adds: "If Currie are the team to be shot at it is only because of what we did last season.

"It is back to square one. So many teams have the potential to take the title depending on who they have recruited and it'll only be a month or so into the season that a pattern emerges. Even then the fixture arrangements are such that we play Hawks on the opening day - then have to wait until the final day of the season next March for the return, which is strange compared with recent years.

"So far as Currie recruitment is concerned we have restricted ourselves to replacing a couple of players who have left.

"Andrew Binikos, a Cypriot-born stand off from South Africa, takes over from Warnock, who I'd like to see in our colours every week although I wouldn't expect Ally to see it that way.

"Also, Lawrence Lappin has joined from Haddington to cover the departure of Paul Huntly, who has gone back to Ireland.

"We've only been concentrating on ourselves and not worrying about threats elsewhere and after cancelled friendlies involving Gala and Belfast Harlequins we were pleased to play Ardrossan, Blaydon and Irvine ,who filled in at late notice."

Meanwhile, Watsonians are set to field South African sevens internationalist Rohan Steyl and Eddie Howe, a scrum half from Auckland, when they open at Hawick.

This article was posted on 30-Aug-2007, 11:27 by Hugh Barrow.