Edinburgh Evening News
BILL LOTHIAN


EDINBURGH Rugby will launch their home pre-season programme with a match against English cracks Sale Sharks at Murrayfield on Friday August 19, it was revealed today.

Coach Frank Hadden also unveiled details of his charges' build-up to the Celtic League campaign with fixtures also arranged at Leeds Tykes on Saturday August 13 and Glasgow Rugby on Monday August 22.

Meanwhile, Alan Tait, one of the backroom team at Borders and a member of the interim Scotland coaching unit, is being tracked by Gloucester as they seek to appoint a defensive coach.

If he heads south, Tait would be linking up with a former team-mate at Newcastle Falcons, Dean Ryan, the new Gloucester coach.

The potential move does seem to have stalled for the moment, according to sources close to the Kingsholm club with any move liable to spell an end to any ambitions Tait has with the Scottish national side.

The ball is now understood to be in ex-British Lion Tait's court but Cherry Reds manager Justin Hopwood said today: "Yes we've been talking to Alan Tait."

With confirmation of Hadden as Scotland coach expected soon, Edinburgh's programme has an imaginative ring which will allow a string of home and anglo contenders to set out their stalls.

Among the exiled contingent at Sale are prop Barry Stewart, whose Test career could be resurrected if an insurance issue stemming from an injury four years ago can be resolved.

For the moment Hadden is concentrating on honing Edinburgh into what he is convinced will be a competitive outfit following new accords involving the pro-teams and international set-ups.

The Sale match got the go-ahead despite last week's concert on the Murrayfield pitch. Good work by ground staff means the turf won't need to be replaced.

This article was posted on 12-Jul-2005, 14:42 by Hugh Barrow.