Dougie Fife given chance to stake claim for Edinburgh

EDINBURGH RUGBY centre Dougie Fife will have a special incentive tonight when starting his second match for the Capital outfit, at home to Newport Gwent Dragons, in the Rabo Direct Pro 12 League.

Along with Argentinian prop Ulysses Gamboa and Robert McAlpine, the young Stirling County second row, Fife is among the three players permitted to be added to Edinburgh’s squad for the forthcoming Heineken European Cup quarter-final against Toulouse, also at Murrayfield.

“This is my first year at Edinburgh and I have bided my time ready to take a chance if he comes along,” said the lad who has spent most of this season with Currie but marked his debut with a try against Ospreys. “The Heineken Cup is something I grew up watching and to play in it would be a dream. But first of all there is a match against Dragons in another competition I have enjoyed following before my chance came.”

Fife, who was part of a group of players who visited Beeslack High School displaying the European Cup, said he takes encouragement from seeing contempories progress to the Test stage, Duncan Weir being the first followed quickly by Matt Scott.