THE West of Scotland and Scotland A wing-threequarter James Craig returns to the Glasgow side tomorrow at New Anniesland for their European qualifying tournament encounter against Scottish Borders.
The return of the 20-year-old, who has been out of action since suffering a concussive injury with Scotland at the Dubai Sevens last month, provides Glasgow with the most potent back three in district rugby.
Craig, who is listed on the left wing, joins Kenny Logan at full back and Derek Stark on the right flank. The Borderers, in keeping with the growing trend not to name the starting line-up until the day of the match, yesterday posted a 21-strong squad.
But whoever they play on the wings and at full back - it was Colin Turnbull, Michael Changleng and Gary Parker last weekend against Caledonia - will be on red alert if the Logan, Stark, Craig triumvirate get their act together.
Still in the Borderers' camp, Craig Chalmers is an absentee from the Reivers' squad. He is still suffering from the groin injury which kept him out of the sides which drew with Caledonia last weekend and the likelihood is that Hawick's Scott Welsh will again be the starting fly-half.
Glasgow are scheduled to train at New Anniesland today and, while the pitch was deemed to be playable yesterday, a final decision on whether the game will go ahead at Anniesland or is transferred to Murrayfield will be taken at lunchtime today.
The Glasgow management are determined that home advantage should not be lost and there was talk yesterday of covering the pitch to protect against overnight frost.
Glasgow manager Hamish Fyfe said: ``Ideally, we want to play at home. Ayr was being considered as a fall-back ground, but the frost down there is worse that it is in Glasgow. Two hard nights of frost are forecast, but we will do everything that we can to make sure that the venue is New Anniesland.''
The mood in the Glasgow camp since last weekend's victory over Edinburgh is, says Fyfe, one of quiet optimism. ``There is a good feeling in the Glasgow squad right now. We have benefited enormously from playing in the European Conference this season.''
Glasgow - K Logan (Stirling County); D Stark (Melrose), C Sangster (Stirling County), A Garry (Watsonians), J Craig (West of Scotland); C MacGregor (Glasgow Academicals), F Stott (West of Scotland); G McIlwham (GHK), G Bulloch (West of Scotland), captain, B Robertson (Stirling County), S Munro (GHK), M Norval (Stirling County), F Wallace (GHK), D McLeish (West of Scotland), M Wallace (GHK).
Replacements - G Metcalfe (Glasgow Academicals), S Begley (Glasgow Academicals), C Little (GHK), G Mackay (Glasgow Academicals), A Perrie (Glasgow Academicals), D Porte (Glasgow Academicals).
Scottish Borders - (from) G Aitchison (Kelso), C Turnbull (Hawick), K Davidson (Langholm), M Changleng (Gala), A Stanger (Hawick), S Nichol, G Parker (both Melrose), S Welsh (Hawick), B Redpath, captain, (Melrose), I Fairley (Kelso), N McIlroy (Jed-Forest), S Brotherstone (Melrose), J Hay (Hawick), S Ferguson (Peebles), P Wright, S Aitken, C Hogg (all Melrose), I Elliot (Hawick), S Bennet (Kelso), R Kirkpatrick (Jed-Forest), C Cotterill (Langholm).
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