Rugby: Barclay and Evans give Glasgow boost for play-offs

SCOTLAND rugby stars John Barclay and Max Evans were today declared fit for Glasgow's Magners League play-off semi-final at Ospreys.

Flanker Barclay has shaken off the shoulder injury that saw him rested for Friday's win at the Scarlets, while centre Evans has recovered from the back strain that forced him to pull out of the side in Llanelli but hooker Dougie Hall has been ruled out with a dislocated thumb, meaning Pat MacArthur is included in a 25-man squad for this Friday's inaugural Magners League play-off match.

Head coach Sean Lineen said: "As it stands, they are the favourites with home advantage. These are exciting times for the club but we are under no illusions how challenging this task is.

"The Ospreys squad is chock-full of quality players with eight British Lions and three All Blacks."

• LEINSTER lock Malcolm O'Kelly has announced that he will hang up his boots at the end of the season. The 35-year-old, who has 186 provincial appearances to his name, has been included in the 30-man squad for this weekend's Magners League semi-final against Munster at the RDS.

O'Kelly won the first of his 92 caps for Ireland against New Zealand in 1997 and featured in the 1999, 2003 and 2007 World Cups and the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia in 2001.