HEAVY rain has swept today's district rugby away from Inverness to
Aberdeen. The North and Midlands v Edinburgh match in the McEwan's
district championship will be played at the Robert Gordon's College
ground at Countesswells, as will the equivalent under-21 game, both at
2pm.
Originally, the senior game was arranged for the Northern Meeting
Park, but Inverness District Council, as owners, decreed that the ground
was unplayable.
District rugby officials had therefore to find an alternative even if
that meant switching the games more than 100 miles away and leaving
Edinburgh's two teams with a scenic, cross-country journey for three
hours this morning. Despite the change of venue the visitors went ahead
with their overnight stop in Aviemore.
Last night the district fixtures between Glasgow and the South were
still going on as planned today -- the under-21 match at Balgray at noon
followed by the senior game across the road at Hughenden at 2pm. A
drying wind in the evening allayed fears.
An extra prize is on offer for the winners of the district title this
season. The champions will play against New Zealand in the opening match
of the All Blacks' Scottish tour next year, and already the South have
stated a claim in their title defence, even if in a low-key win over
North and Midlands last week.
Glasgow have the potential even though the portents were not good in
the drawn Inter-city last week. They failed to put Edinburgh away
despite prolonged pressure in the second half, and their one subsequent
change in the pack did not address that basic problem.
Brian Ireland's return as open-side flanker will mean that Glasgow
have a better balanced breakaway trio, and their cause has been helped
by the absence of Gary Armstrong, always a pest for the close-quarter
defence in any opposition ranks. Yet Ireland will remember how much he
was shaded by today's opposite number, John Amos, when Gala beat
Stirling four weeks ago.
It is in the lineout that Glasgow have most reason for concern as they
failed to make the most of touchline expertise in the hands of Shade
Munro, Eammon Murphy, Alan Watt, Gordon Mackay, and Fergus Wallace
against Edinburgh. Any district team would be grateful for such
resources.
This afternoon Glasgow will surely be even more severely tested in the
lineout by Doddie Weir and company. Ian Corcoran, the Gala hooker
leading the South for the first time, will be especially determined to
ensure he brings out the best in his jumpers.
Armstrong has dropped out to be with his wife after the recent birth
of their second child, and Steve Ferguson the Peebles prop, has called
off because of a knee injury. Greig Oliver the perennial stand-in, takes
over as scrum half, partnering Gregor Townsend, for the first time in a
district match, and Hamish Hunter will make his South debut at tight
head, joining two Gala colleagues in the front row.
Derek Stark has withdrawn as Glasgow's right wing because of an injury
he brought home from the Dubai sevens. His place is taken by Richard
Porter, who had been left out after the Inter-city to make room for the
Boroughmuir wing.
Predicting the other district match should be easier. Edinburgh have
dominated against North and Midlands for so long that they are going for
their seventeenth victory in a row in the series.
Yet North and Midlands are not without hope. They have been
strengthened by the return of Andy Nicol and Rowen Shepherd.
Edinburgh, however, are stronger than they were against Glasgow, not
least with the return of two capped players, Scott Hastings and Peter
Wright. In addition, the new lock partnership is full of promise, with
Andy Macdonald's recall and Murray Rudkin's promotion from the under-21
district ranks.
HUGHENDEN
Glasgow -- D N Barrett (West of Scotland); R A G Porter, C T Simmers
(both Edinburgh Academicals), I C Jardine, K M Logan (both Stirling
County); G M Breckenridge (GHK), F H Stott (West of Scotland); A G J
Watt (GHK), K D McKenzie, G B Robertson (both Stirling County), E
Murphy, D S Munro (both GHK), G T Mackay (Glasgow Academicals), F D
Wallace (GHK), captain, B Ireland (Stirling County). Replacements -- D R
McKee (West of Scotland), S M Simmers (Glasgow Academicals), M Norval
(Stirling County), S Blair (West of Scotland).
South -- A C Redpath (Melrose); A G Stanger (Hawick), S A Nichol
(Selkirk), A G Shiel (Melrose), I Tukalo (Selkirk); G P J Townsend
(Gala), G H Oliver (Hawick); G R Isaac, I Corcoran (captain), H A Hunter
(all Gala), R R Brown, G W Weir (both Melrose), D J Turnbull (Hawick), C
D Hogg (Melrose), J P Amos (Gala). Replacements -- S McGauchie
(Selkirk), B W Redpath (Melrose), J A Hay (Hawick), N A McIlroy
(Jed-Forest).
Referee -- R J Megson (Edinburgh Wanderers).
COUNTESSWELLS
North and Midlands -- S A D Burns (Edinburgh Academicals), captain; D
J McLaughlin (Alloa), P R Rouse (Dundee HS FP), R J S Shepherd, J F
Swanson (both Edinburgh Academicals); B R Easson, A D Nicol; J J Manson
(all Dundee HS FP), M W Scott (Edinburgh Academicals), D Herrington
(Dundee HS FP), B H Bell (Highland), S J Campbell (Dundee HS FP), D J
McIvor (Edinburgh Academicals), J G Mathieson (Morgan Academy FP), D H
Mitchell (Dunfermline). Replacements -- A K Carruthers (Kirkcaldy), A E
Milne (Boroughmuir), D R Milne (Dundee HS FP), I J Michie (Dunfermline).
Edinburgh -- A G Hastings (Watsonians), captain; I C Glasgow (Heriot's
FP), S Hastings (Watsonians), D S Wyllie (Stewart's Melville FP), D
Macrae (Boroughmuir); A Donaldson (Currie), D W Patterson (Edinburgh
Academicals); G D Wilson (Boroughmuir), K S Milne (Heriot's FP), P T
Wright (Boroughmuir), M B Rudkin (Watsonians), A E D Macdonald (Heriot's
FP), S A Aitken (Watsonians), S J Reid (Boroughmuir), J Robertson
(Heriot's FP). Replacements -- J Kerr (Haddington), J M Scott (Stewart's
Melville FP), D J Wilson (Edinburgh Academicals), D S Henderson
(Watsonians).
Referee -- W W Calder (Selkirk).
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