CRAIG Joiner, the 20-year-old Melrose wing, who played in the two
Tests on Scotland's tour to Argentina, returns to senior club rugby
tomorrow after more than a month's absence because of an ankle injury.
It may, however, be too late for him to retain his international place
against South Africa at Murrayfield in three weeks' time.
Scotland's team is to be named on Wednesday, but before then, Joiner
will have had only the one comeback game for Melrose against Langholm at
Milntown in the Bank of Scotland Border League. At the same time, other
international contenders will be playing in the hotter fire of district
rugby against Irish provinces, though wing cap candidates among them are
few and far between.
Melrose introduce an Australian from Manly, Trent Herring, for the
Milntown match. He had been in Manly's team for the Melrose sevens in
April, but he could travel only as a supporter because of injury.
Antipodeans continue to swarm elsewhere into Scottish rugby.
Glasgow Academicals introduce two New Zealanders, Aaron Collins and
Shane Temara, for the New Anniesland match with Watsonians, and
Stewart's Melville -- who need all the help they can get to escape from
the first division's basement -- have no fewer than three new Kiwis for
their visit to Peebles.
Collins, whose father, John, was an All Black in 1964, made his debut
for Waikato in the
38-10 win over the Lions last year, but, much more interesting in a
Scottish context, the 23-year-old centre's grandfather was born in
Blackburn, West Lothian. Consequently, even though a Maori trialist, the
newcomer does not have to count for Academicals in the limit of two
overseas players for national league matches.
Like Collins, two of the new Kiwis in the Stewart's Melville team,
Phil Hodgson and Alastair Reeves, are from Waikato. The third Inverleith
newcomer, Matt Grooby, was a replacement for the Northern Territory
Invitation XV who beat Scotland 17-16 in Darwin in the opening match of
the 1992 tour.
Hard-luck story of the week: David Hunter asked the South selectors
that he be excused from staying among the replacements for the match
against Leinster tomorrow so that he could play for Selkirk against
Hawick the same day. It would have been only his second game for the
past five weeks -- but a foot injury in training has denied him that
Border League appearance.
* TWO of last season's Scottish under-18 caps, Geoff Cadlwell, the Ayr
wing who made his under-21 district debut for Glasgow on Wednesday, and
Scott Tomlison, the Selkirk scrum half, remain eligible for that age
group. Both are among the players called to the under-18 trial at
Heriot-Watt University on Sunday (11am), as are six of last season's
schools caps -- Danny Bull, Graham Inglis, Ian Sinclair, Grant
Macfarlane, Euan MacDonald, and Michael Bannerman. Teams:
White -- R MacLaren (Highland); G D Caldwell (Ayr), A Hunter (Biggar),
N Barrett (GHK), J Boyd (Windsor); N Thomas (Portobello FP), D Short
(Heriot's FP); S Paris (Livingston), K Day (Edinburgh Academicals), G
Kerr (Berwick), C Rae (Stirling), C Conner (Colchester), G A Inglis
(Hutchesons'/Aloysians), J Merry (Colchester), I W Sinclair (GHK).
Blue -- A Morely (Windsor); D J Bull (Stewart's Melville FP), H Boyd
(Caithness), R Mitchell (Kirkcaldy), B Mason (Henley); G Kiddie (Dundee
HS FP), S Armstrong (Biggar); G McLeod (Berwick), A Neilson (Stirling),
R Watson (Glenrothes), P Millar (Dunfermline), G T Macfarlane (West), G
Walker (Hawick PSA), S Graham (Langholm), E Macdonald (Edinburgh
Academicals).
Reserves -- R Williams (Stewartry), G Smith (Melrose), R Steel
(Berwick), D Newman (Hawick), I Bank (Mackie FP), S M Tomlinson
(Selkirk), F Sutherland (Portobello FP), M A J Bannerman (Hawick), F
Campbell (Biggar), B Smart (Peterhead), A Hotson (Langholm), C Douglas
(King's School, Ely), A Ross (Kelso Harlequins).
