A SHOULDER injury has forced Brian Robertson, the Stirling County
tight-head prop, to drop out of Glasgow's team for the McEwan's district
championship match against the Scottish Exiles at Richmond this
afternoon (2.15), writes Bill McMurtrie.
The Exiles, though, have been hit even harder with the loss of two
capped players, Lindsay Renwick, the London-Scottish wing, and Ian
Smith, the Gloucester captain.
Smith, like Robertson, has shoulder damage. Renwick has a neck strain.
Alan Watt, the Glasgow High/ Kelvinside cap, switches from left to
right to fill Glasgow's front-row gap, and Robertson's Stirling
colleague, John Gibson, who had his district debut in the corresponding
match at Richmond two years ago, returns at loose head.
Richard Cramb, equalling Chris Gray's record of 27 games for the
Exiles, takes over from Smith as captain, while Ian Morrison moves
across the back row to replace the Gloucester flanker at open side.
Neale Provan fills the vacancy there, extending the London-Scottish
representation to 11, and, filling in at centre, Mark Sly, makes his
district debut, with Don Caskie switching to Renwick's place on the left
wing.
Today's match will be the second of three that Glasgow are playing in
eight days, but the Exiles have an even tighter schedule. Beginning this
afternoon, they will play all four of their championship matches in 11
days.
Alastair McHarg, the former international forward who has taken over
as the Exiles' coach, can see advantages in such a compact programme,
when his team have had few opportunities of coming together, to
integrate the outsiders with the large core of London Scots. His one
caveat was the possibility of niggling injuries that would need a week
to clear up, and he had to look no further than Smith's withdrawal as an
example.
Even last Sunday was denied to McHarg and the Exiles as a time for
practice. London Scottish played a Pilkington Cup tie that day, losing
to Leicester. Instead, the Exiles had to make do with a work-out last
night.
McHarg, however, has an advantage over his district counterparts. He
also coaches London Scottish, who provide 11 of the Exiles' team, and
from that position, understandably, he could not see that the transition
would be a problem.
After their win over the South on Saturday, Glasgow would be assured
of at least a half-share of the title if they were to beat the Exiles
today and North and Midlands on Saturday. Teams:
Scottish Exiles (London-Scottish unless stated) -- M E Appleson; N
Grecian, F J Harrold, M Sly, D W Caskie (Gloucester); R I Cramb,
captain, D B Millard; A V Sharp (Bristol), L M Mair, A P Burnell, D F
Cronin, A Reed (Bath), N G Provan, D L M McIntosh (Pontypridd), I R
Morrison. Replacements -- K Troup, N G B Edwards (Harlequins), P M Jones
(Gloucester), D C M McGavin (Bedford).
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); J T
Gibson, K D McKenzie (both Stirling County), A G J Watt, E Murphy, D S
Munro, F D Wallace, captain (all GHK), J Brough, B Ireland (both
Stirling County). Replacements -- D R McKee (West of Scotland), S M
Simmers, G T Mackay (both Glasgow Academicals), S Blair (West of
Scotland).
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