Edinburgh Reivers will leave their frustrations behind them tonight when they launch their WRU Challenge Trophy for real against Caerphilly at Virginia Park.
Head coach Ian Rankin last night admitted that Sunday's
last-minute postponement of their clash with Pontypridd had left everyone in the camp frustrated, but praised his players for remaining positive.
Following the tournament organisers' decision to overturn their own regulations by
rescheduling the Pontypridd fixture for next Tuesday, Rankin insists his players will be in the right frame of mind tonight.
''The main frustration lay in the fact that it looked as if we would only get three games and that was going to be a waste of time as far as we were concerned if we had any serious aspirations in the tournament.
''But now we've been able to re-focus and look on this as game one.''
The Reivers are boosted by the return of the Scotland captain, scrum-half Bryan Redpath, who replaces Iain Fairley behind the scrum.
Otherwise the super-district are unchanged from the side which clinched the Tri-Series title against Glasgow Caley Reds ten days ago.
However, on the negative side, prop Matthew Proudfoot, who had been expected to make a comeback from the serious neck injury sustained in the European Cup, has been floored by flu.
Proudfoot may have claimed a place on the bench, but has been confined to bed and isolated from his team-mates.
''It's very frustrating for him,'' said Rankin.
''Caerphilly - P Philips, D Starr, C Murphy, A Palfrey, S Marshall, P Williams, W Bray, R Bilton, T Carless, S Price, J Lougher, A Evans, D Dully, J Savastano, G Jones
Edinburgh Reivers - H Gilmour, T Stanger, A Tait, C Chalmers, C Murray, D Hodge, B Redpath, R McNulty, S Brotherstone, B Stewart, D Burns, I Fullarton, C Mather, M Leslie, I Sinclair.
q JAMES Craig will tonight try to bury the confidence hoodoo which has badly affected his chances of a recall to the Scotland scene.
The winger has been brought back into the Glasgow Caley Reds starting line-up for the WRU Challenge Trophy encounter with Bridgend at Brewery Field.
He has also pleaded to be given plenty of the ball to enable him to prove to the national selectors that he is ready for another tilt at the big-time to
add to his single cap.
However, the Reds' hopes of making it two wins on the trot in the competition were dealt a
setback last night when New Zealand-born centre John Leslie was ruled out with flu.
Compatriot Aaron Collins was drafted in, with Ian Jardine switching to inside centre.
On Craig's recall, chief coach Keith Robertson said: ''James is fit again and this is his opport-unity to get himself back into rugby.
''He doesn't just need the physical test, but also the chance to rebuild his confidence.''
Bridgend G Cull, S Greenaway, A Durston, L Thomas, A Evans, G Bowen, S Wake, L Manning, Gareth Thomas, J White, S Ford, S Pearce, O Lloyd, A Williams, Gavin Thomas.
Glasgow Caley - A Bulloch, J Craig, I Jardine, A Collins, S Longstaff, T Hayes, F Stott, G McIlwham, G Bulloch (capt), W Anderson, S Campbell, S Grimes, G Simpson, M Waite, J Shaw.
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