Chalmers misses South match but may be back to face Romania

Saturday. Scotland's selectors, though, are optimistic that the

21-year-old Melrose stand-off will play in the international against

Romania at Murrayfield a week later.

Bob Munro, convener of the selection committee, confirmed yesterday

that the fly-half's damaged knee was improving. Chalmers trained at

Melrose on Tuesday evening after Donald MacLeod, the Scottish Rugby

Union surgeon, had examined the injury which caused the stand-off to

miss the Barbarians' match against the All Blacks on Saturday at

Twickenham.

Another medical inspection has been arranged for Sunday, while

Scotland's squad are working out at Murrayfield in preparation for the

following weekend's match. The portents, the convener remarked, are

hopeful.

David Shiel, Jed-Forest's Scotland B stand-off, is to replace Chalmers

in the South XV, as he did for the Netherdale match in which the

Borderers beat North and Midlands by 23-6 last Saturday, but the

understudy himself is doubtful. He has Achilles tendon trouble.

Scotland's selection for the Murrayfield international went along the

expected lines. Lindsay Renwick, the London Scottish wing, making his

debut, replaces the injured Iwan Tukalo, and Finlay Calder, the

victorious Lions' captain in Australia, resumes at wing forward,

displacing Graham Marshall. The Stewart's Melville flanker missed the

38-17 win over Fiji last month because of the pairing of injury and

business.

Despite Calder's recall, David Sole remains captain. The convener

explained that decision by remarking that Calder had been ''struggling a

wee bit for fitness and form.'' The implication was that the selectors

did not wish to overload Calder with the responsibility on his return to

the team.

Bob Munro added that he had spoken to both Sole and Calder about the

selectors' decision on the captaincy. Calder had responded that he was

delighted not only to be back but also to serve under Sole's lead. The

pair, as the convener explained, are ''good buddies.''

Looking into the new year, the convener emphasised that Sole would not

necessarily be captain for the season even after having led the Scots

against Fiji and Romania. The preference of one over the other was ''a

one-off'' decision. The next side, which will be the team to play

against Ireland in February, will ''start with a blank sheet.''

International rugby has come late for Renwick, though he might well

have been honoured earlier but for injury. He was a stand-by replacement

for all four championship internationals two years ago, but fortune

turned against him last season after he had led Scotland B to victory in

Italy. Severe concussion and an Achilles tendon injury hampered him on

the run-up to Scotland's tour to Japan.

Last weekend he wrote off his car, though he was unhurt, and after

that accident he could have been excused deepening thoughts about a

cruel world. Those, however, were swept aside yesterday with the news

from Murrayfield.

Born in Hawick on Christmas Eve, 1960, Renwick has had a peripatetic

career. He was educated at Dollar Academy, that eminent Scottish rugby

nursery, and thereafter his studies took him to St Andrews University

and Crewe and Alsager College. At that English seat of learning he was

in the same year as two notable compatriots, Matt Duncan, the West of

Scotland wing cap, and Graeme Hastings, brother of Gavin and Scott, whom

Renwick now joins in the international back division.

All of 12 years ago Renwick made his club debut for Stirling County.

The Bridgehaugh team were just beginning their rise from the nether

regions of the national league, and the opposition was the equally lowly

Grangemouth. It is a happy co-incidence for him that he will be

preparing for his international debut on that former home ground.

While at Crewe and Alsager he played for the British Colleges XV, and

in track and field he made a name for himself in the decathlon, winning

a St Andrews blue and a British colleges bronze medal. That wide

interest in games has been extended into a career in sports centre

management.

Apart from Chalmers, Scotland have no injury worry. Bob Munro

emphasised that Gary Armstrong, Jed-Forest's scrum half, and Paul

Burnell, the London Scottish tight head, had overcome their respective

leg and shoulder problems. Both are to be playing in the district match

at Imber Court on Saturday, though Iain Milne, Heriot's international

tight head, will be out of rugby until at least the week after the

international because of the rib injury that forced him out the

Inter-city match last weekend.

Breaking with tradition, the Scots will finish their preparation at

Bridgehaugh instead of Murrayfield the day before the international. The

change is not permanent, only a dummy run for the 1991 world cup.

It was ironic that the Scots should name their team to play against

Romania on the day of the news that one of that country's most famous

sporting personalities, Nadia Comaneci, had defected, but Bill Hogg, the

SRU secretary, was sure that the rugby XV's visit would not be affected

by any retaliatory clampdown by the Ceausescu government. The Romanians

are due to arrive a week today. Scotland's team:

A G Hastings (London Scottish); A G Stanger (Hawick), S Hastings

(Watsonians), S R P Lineen (Boroughmuir), W L Renwick (London Scottish);

C M Chalmers (Melrose), G Armstrong (Jed-Forest); D M B Sole (Edinburgh

Academicals), captain, K S Milne (Heriot's FP), A P Burnell (London

Scottish), C A Gray (Nottingham), D F Cronin (Bath), J Jeffrey (Kelso),

D B White (London Scottish), F Calder (Stewart's Melville FP).

Replacements -- P W Dods (Gala), D S Wyllie (Stewart's Melville FP), G H

Oliver (Hawick), G R Marshall (Selkirk), A K Brewster (Stewart's

Melville FP), I Corcoran (Gala).

Referee -- S R Hilditch (Ireland).

Kick-off 2pm.