South of Scotland team warm up for Northumberland clash in snow

Published 29 Dec 2009 13:19 0 Comments

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THE first South of Scotland side to be selected for 14 years has been announced.

The team will take on Northumberland in the first of two cross-border challenge matches on Wednesday 30th December at 7.30pm.

However, the game, which was due to be played in Hawick, has been switched to Netherdale in Galashiels because of the snow.

Captain Scott Wight, of Melrose, will lead the side wearing the famous red and white hooped jerseys.

The history of the Borders' famous team is legendary and the players selected from club sides in the area know the quality of the people from the past who proudly wore the jersey throughout the last century.

It is hoped that the team is here to stay and that meaningful matches will be played by the South of Scotland in the future.

The return of the Inter-District Championship involving Glasgow, Edinburgh and Caledonia is something which is being championed right now, but games involving the South will act as a tremendous stepping stone for club players who want to play a higher standard of rugby and further their career.

Melrose, not surprisingly, supply the bulk of the starting fifteen with nine players including all but one of the back division, with fellow Premier 1 team Selkirk contributing four.

Hawick, currently highest placed Borders Premier 2 team and favourites to return to the top flight of Scottish Rugby, have one representative while Peebles also supply one player in the starting line-up.

Both Fraser Harkness and Fraser Thomson have been playing full back this season for Selkirk and Melrose respectively but it's Thomson, the region's top try scorer this season with 13, who has landed the 15 shirt while Harkness will start on the left wing.

Scott Wight's club mate Scott McCormick will partner the skipper at scrum half while the centre partnership is Jamie Murray and James King. Callum Anderson will start on the right wing.

In the pack Hawick's Bruce McNeill, who has been in superb form for his club in the back row this season, will prop along with Selkirk's Martin Murray while Peebles' Scotland U20 international Ryan McConnell is chosen as hooker.

Selkirk's Rory Aglen and Melrose's Graeme Dodds will pack down in the boiler house while Neil Darling (Selkirk) and John Dalziel (Melrose) are the flankers with Ross Miller (also Melrose) at No.8.

A bench of 10 players has been named following agreement with both the South of Scotland and Northumberland, but a maximum of seven only will be allowed to play. Hawick have four substitutes with Melrose, Peebles and Selkirk providing two each.

Explaining the selection, coach Craig Chalmers said: "A large number of the team have already been selected for Scottish Club International honours and the rest of the team has been made up of players at the top of their game over the last two months playing for their clubs."

15 Fraser Thomson (Melrose)

14 Callum Anderson (Melrose)

13 Jamie Murray (Melrose)

12 James King (Melrose)

11 Fraser Harkness (Selkirk)

10 Scott Wight (Melrose) CAPTAIN

9 Scott McCormick (Melrose)

1 Bruce McNeill (Hawick)

2 Ryan McConnell (Peebles)

3 Martin Murray (Selkirk)

4 Graeme Dodds (Melrose)

5 Rory Aglen (Selkirk)

6 John Dalziel (Melrose)

7 Neil Darling (Selkirk)

8 Ross Miller (Melrose)

16 Lindsey Gibson (Melrose)

17 Sean Linton (Hawick)

18 Craig Charters (Hawick)

19 Donald Sangster (Peebles)

20 Willie Aitken (Peebles)

21 Garry Elder (Melrose)

22 Michael McVie (Selkirk)

23 Graham Hogg (Hawick)

24 Scott Hendrie (Selkirk)

25 John Coutts (Hawick)

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