FIVE Borders players have made it into Scotland Club XV for Friday’s match against Ireland Club International with a further three on the bench.
Some 17 players in the squad are uncapped at Scotland Club XV level with 11 in the starting line-up. Gala winger Craig Robertson and scrum-half George Graham are included in Phil Leck’s starting line-up for the first time along with Melrose forwards Ross Miller and Andrew Nagle.
The match will take place on Friday at Millbrae in Ayr. Kick-off will be at 7.30pm and the match is free to attend.
Coach Leck, said: “We want to play a quick, expansive game and the players have worked hard and bought into the tactics we have put in place. However, the challenge with playing at this level is you know very little about your opponents, so you have to adapt to what they bring to the match.
“A few players have unfortunately had to pull out due to injury but I believe we have put the best side together that can beat Ireland. We are going out to win, end of story.”
Scotland Club XV team to play Ireland: *Jamie Forbes (Currie); *Craig Gossman (Ayr), *Max Learmonth (Heriot’s), Dean Kelbrick (Ayr), *Craig Robertson (Gala); Lee Millar (Gala), *George Graham (Gala); *Robin Hislop (Boroughmuir), Fraser Brown (Heriot’s), *Alex Allan (Edinburgh Accies), *Murray Douglas (Aberdeen Grammar), *Ross Miller (Melrose), Mark Cairns (captain) (Currie), *Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Accies), *Andrew Nagle (Melrose). Subs: *Kevin Bryce (Heriot’s), Gary Holborn (Melrose), *Luke Pettie (Gala), *Jason Hill (Heriot’s), *Gary Graham (Gala), *Peter Jericevich (Ayr), *Stuart Edwards (Stirling County), Cameron Ferguson (Heriot’s).
*Uncapped at Scotland Club XV level