Scotland yesterday turned to the A team to get them out of trouble by selecting Stuart Reid as captain of a side dominated by those with whom he shared a Grand Slam triumph earlier this year for tomorrow's meeting with Victoria in Melbourne.

Reid has made something of a habit of defying the odds when leading teams this season. He led an Edinburgh side that had been competing in the European Conference, while their rivals had faced the best in Europe in the Heineken Cup, to victory in the district championship.

Then came that even greater success as the A team provided an answer to the widely held view that Scotland lacks strength in depth at international level, when they beat all their Five Nations rivals, culminating in an epic victory over the English. ''Ten of these guys played in the A team and they obviously have the commitment Dougie Morgan instilled in them and the kind of mental hardness that we need,'' said Reid, paying tribute to A team manager and former senior squad coach Morgan.

''If the team can win for Scotland and the boys play well then we can go from strength to strength,'' Reid went on. ''The players who weren't in Fiji felt the effects of that result as well, but everyone is up for the game and keen to impress now that they have been given a carrot. The main thing in our minds will be to get a victory and get the tour on its way, but at the back of our minds is that a good performance can get us into the Test team.''

On a personal level, Reid clearly faces a tough battle to achieve that with a string of top quality back-row men competing for places. Tour skipper Rob Wainwright is, by definition, unlikely to be displaced; Eric Peters was Scotland's outstanding performer against the Fijians; and both Adam Roxburgh and Simon Holmes, the main contenders for the open-side flanker's job, make this trip on the back of excellent reviews during the Five Nations campaign.

He is, however, confident that he can fight his way through. ''Being captain of this side is hopefully another step up the ladder,'' he said. ''It is obviously an honour to lead this team. But I didn't fly 12,000 miles to captain a B team. Like everyone else in this side I want to be in the top team.''

Holmes was the only tourist not considered for tomorrow's match because of a sprained ankle suffered during the London Scottish play-off win over Bristol on Saturday, which earned the exiles a place in next season's Allied Dunbar Premiership, but delayed his arrival in Australia.

Others who didn't train due to minor knocks were Derrick Lee, who is fit enough to be on the bench tomorrow, Bryan Redpath, Ian Jardine and Hugh Gilmour.

Craig Joiner picked up a shoulder injury tackling Eric Peters and required treatment during what was an intense session at Melbourne's Olympic Park, but is included.

Meanwhile, Victoria have named two Fijians, former international prop Ile Naituku and Albert Bolavatonoki, as well as 1990 Wallaby tourist John Ross and ex-Queensland Super 12 prop Luke Oxenham, in their side. Teams:

Scotland - G Metcalfe (Glasgow Hawks); A Bulloch )West of Scotland), D Officer (Harlequins), R Shepherd (Melrose), C Joiner (Leicester); D Hodge, G Burns (both Watsonians); P Wright (West of Scotland), S Brotherstone (Melrose), M Stewart (Northampton), R Metcalfe (Newcastle Falcons), S Grimes, C Mather (both Watsonians), G Simpson (Kirkcaldy), S Reid (Boroughmuir). Replacements: D Lee (London Scottish), J Mayer (Watsonians), I Fairley (Kelso), E Peters (Bath), S Campbell (Dundee HSFP), D Hilton (Bath), K McKenzie (Stirling County)

Victoria - A Pilli; A Bolavatonoki, M Nasilio, J Goodman, D Snaddon; J Berger, S Brown; L Oxenham, D Thompson, I Naituku, B Parsons, S Decker, C Frater, J Ross, R Pale.