Club select to take on Scotland under-20s

THE cream of Scottish club rugby will warm-up for the club international series this spring with a match against Scotland’s under-20s squad at Murrayfield this evening (kick off 7:30pm).

The Scotland Club side suffered two defeats last season, to France 30-18 in Orleans and at home to Ireland, 32-30, and there was a general belief that the lack of warm-up matches due to the poor winter weather was a major factor.

The Scots will again face the French, at home this year on 24 February, and travel to Ireland on 9 March.

There are a number of familiar faces in the line-up for tonight’s match with the under-20s at Murrayfield, which acts as an opportunity for players to push their claims to a Scotland jersey, notably Melrose full-back Fraser Thomson, Ayr’s Ross Curle, Dean Kelbrick of Glasgow Hawks and Heriot’s prop Alan Dymock, who has also been added this week to the Glasgow Warriors squad as back-up for their final Heineken Cup pool match this weekend in case further injuries affect their squad.

However, there are also some new faces from last season with Ayr lock Scott Sutherland and Melrose’s Graeme Dodds in the pack, Aberdeen wing Callum Anderson joining youngsters Gregor Hunter and James Johnstone in an exciting back line with Gala duo Lee Miller and George Graham on the bench. The team will be captained by Sean Crombie, the former Edinburgh hooker.

The Club International team have a game under their belts already, having beaten the Co-optimists 31-14 at Christmas.

• Scotland Club International XV: (to play Scotland U20s at Murrayfield, 7.30pm): F Thomson (Melrose), C Anderson (Aberdeen), R Curle (Ayr), D Kelbrick (Glasgow Hawks), J Johnstone (Currie), G Hunter (Gala), R Sneddon (Currie); A Dymock (Heriot’s), S Crombie (Boroughmuir, capt), G Mountford (Stirling Co), S Sutherland (Ayr), R McKay (Glasgow Hawks), G Dodds (Melrose), A Rose (Boroughmuir), R Weston (Currie). Substitutes: F Brown (Heriot’s), J Cox (Currie), G Holborn (Melrose), C White (Ayr), R McAlpine (Stirling Co), R Colhouln (Ayr), G Graham (Gala), A Skeen (Melrose), G Anderson (Ayr), L Miller (Gala), D Gilmour (Stirling Co).