Rugby Update

Edinburgh Reivers' scheduled meeting with Welsh side Ebbw Vale has been cancelled, but officials moved swiftly yesterday to replace it with a much more glamorous match Newcastle

Falcons.

Ebbw Vale were unable to travel, having become the latest club in England and Wales to suffer financial problems after being hit with a #34,000 tax bill.

However, Reivers chief executive Nick Oswald acknowledged that the situation had proved ''fortuitous'' with the English champions proving so readily available.

''With Rob Andrew, they will be at full strength,'' he said.

Reivers have, meanwhile, named six caps, including new recruit Alan Tait, in their starting line-up for Friday's meeting with Richmond at Netherdale. Reivers team:

S Hastings; T Stanger, C Murray, A Tait, J Kerr; S Welsh, I Fairley; R McNulty, S Brotherstone, M Proudfoot, D Burns, I Fullarton, A Roxburgh, I Sinclair, B Renwick.

qGlasgow Caledonians have called 18-year-old wingers, Rory Kerr and Rory Couper, both of whom recently returned from Glasgow Thistles' tour of New Zealand, into their squad for tonight's meeting with Richmond.

qFormer Edinburgh lock Paul Jennings has confirmed that he has joined former Glasgow full back Craig Sangster at English second division club Blackheath.

Stand-off Bryan Easson, who played a number of matches for Caledonia Reds in last season's European Cup, has signed a two- year contract with Exeter, from the same division.

Their agent, Alex McLaughlin, said yesterday that the offer of an SRU contract had come just in time to prevent Scotland A centre Murray Craig - on duty with Glasgow Caledonians tonight - following them south since he was due to begin a week's trial with an English club.