SOUTH'S rugby selectors have done a cut-and-paste job after the 44-26
defeat by Ulster at Ravenhill three days ago. Four changes in personnel
and a like number of positional switches have been decreed for the match
against Leinster at the Greenyards on Saturday, and Jim Hay, Hawick's
captain, has taken over the helm.
Even Gary Parker, the Melrose wing who scored 21 points including two
tries against Ulster, has gone. So has Gary Isaac, the Gala prop who
made considerable progress in playing in all three non-cap Tests on
Scotland's tour in the South Pacific during the summer. His Gala
colleague, Brian Swan, drops out as centre.
Millan Browne has displaced Isaac as loose head, deserved promotion
from the district's under-21 team for the 20-year-old Melrose prop who
had seven games for the Scottish Schools between 1989 and 1991 as the
first cap at that level from Stranraer Academy.
Elsewhere, Tony Stanger returns on the right wing after the
Barbarians' game against the All Blacks, Scott Nichol resumes at centre
after injury, and Adam Roxburgh is back in the breakaway trio because of
Derek Turnbull's cracked rib. Roxburgh played in the 26-14 win over
Leinster last season, the most recent of the Kelso forward's four games
for South.
Turnbull, Hawick's international flanker, was injured during the
Ulster match, causing the South's only enforced change. His fellow cap,
Craig Chalmers, was not considered because of his leg injury during
Scotland's match against New Zealand last month.
Carl Hogg switches to blind side to replace Turnbull, with Roxburgh at
No.8. Rodney Pow displaces Parker by moving to the left wing to allow
Stanger back on the right, and the midfield trio has been shuffled with
Nichol's return as inside centre, Graham Shiel's transfer to stand-off,
and Gregor Townsend's switch to outside in place of the unfortunate
Swan.
Hay, Scottish rugby's Team Sport co-ordinator, takes over as captain
from Robbie Brown, the Melrose lock who led the South to the district
title in October but also in the 84-5 loss to the All Blacks and the
Belfast defeat. It will be the Hawick hooker's first game in command of
the district team, though he signalled his leadership ability when he
captained the Scotland Development XV in a stirring game against the All
Blacks last month.
Iain Fairley has stepped up to be back-up scrum half for Saturday even
though he is only second choice to Phil Dunkley in the Kelso selectors'
book. The youngster has made a favourable impression with his sharp
service and liveliness on the break in the under-21 district
championship.
Leinster's selectors have been even more drastic after their team's
13-8 defeat by Edinburgh at the weekend. No fewer than Eight changes in
personnel have been made from the XV who finished that game, though
those include the return of four caps, Vince C unningham, Phil Lawlor,
Brian Rigney, and Nick Popplewell.
South XV: M Dods (Gala); A G Stanger (Hawick), G P J Townsend (Gala),
S A Nichol, R L Pow (both Selkirk); A G Shiel, B W Redpath; M G Browne
(all Melrose), J A Hay (Hawick), captain, J R S McColm (Selkirk), R R
Brown, G W Weir, C D Hogg (all Melrose), A J Roxburgh (Kelso), J P Amos
(Gala). Replacements -- D W Hunter (Selkirk), B A J Swan (Gala), I T
Fairley (Kelso), G R Isaac (Gala), K W Barrie (Jed-Forest).
* ANY talk of an imminent return to international rugby by Gary
Armstrong has been silenced by the Jed-Forest scrum half's injury while
he was playing for the Barbarians against the All Blacks at Cardiff on
Saturday.
Because of rib-cartilage damage he will probably not be back in rugby
until early next month, too late for Scotland's selectors to consider
him for the Cardiff match against Wales on January 15.
When injured on Saturday, Armstrong was playing only his second game
at scrum half after he had abandoned his self-imposed exile among Jed's
outside backs.
Another of Scotland's international scrum halves, Andy Nicol, has been
making a remarkably swift recovery from his severe neck-muscle strain
early in the North and Midlands match against Connacht on Saturday.
It will, however, be later this week before the Dundee High captain
will knows if he will be fit to play for the district XV against Munster
on Saturday in Cork.
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