THE absence of the three Merchiston Castle School boys who played
against the French and Welsh schools and will be on tour in Japan forced
changes in the Scottish Schools team to play the Scotland Youth on March
25.
John Anderson's absence on the wing is filled by moving Gordon Findlay
from full back to wing, his normal position for both school and
district. Jamie Doran, the St Aloysius' College full back, who had an
excellent trial on Sunday at Murrayfield before being injured, is
brought in.
In Nick White's place at centre the selectors have gone for Kenneth
Milligan, another who had a good trial. To replace the experienced
Graeme Walsingham at prop Alan Kittle has been selected. The Ross High
boy will add a 16st frame to the scrum.
Two other changes have been made in the team at stand-off and at
tight-head. Gregor McIntosh replaces Jonathan Newton, of Dundee High
School, at stand-off. McIntosh has not the same length in his kicking,
but he has a safe pair of hands and can get his line moving.
The vote for the tight-head prop position must have been close. Tom
Smith, of Rannoch School, and Richard Hastings, of Kelvinside Academy,
were outstanding in the trial until the latter had to retire with the
recurrence of a back injury. Smith is in the team for the Easter weekend
match with Hastings among the replacements. Olufemi Fowara, of Edinburgh
Academy, drops out.
The trial at Murrayfield was mainly significant for the number of
injuries which prevented the selectors from fielding their ultimate
team.
Three internationalists, Geordie McGill, Andrew Ness, and Kenneth
Thomson, retired with Saturday injuries before the start. Doran,
Hastings, and Rennie Keith, of Kelvinside, were injured during the
match. Keith sustained his injury when the scrum collapsed.
The match against the Scottish Youths was scheduled to be played at
Murrayfield at 3.0pm, but with the counter-attractions of league
matches, the boys' game has been brought forward to 1.0pm. It will be
played at Meggetland as a curtain-raiser to the Boroughmuir v Kelso
match. The schools team is:
J R L Doran (St Aloysius College); G J Findlay (Dollar Academy), K R
Milligan (Stewart's Melville College), N G Douglas (Edinburgh Academy),
K C Thomson (Glasgow Academy); G J E McIntosh (Stewart's Melville
College), A D Nicol (Dundee HS, captain); T J Smith (Rannoch School), F
M Graham (Dunbar GS), A J Kittle (Ross HS), D E Barnett (Perth Academy),
M J McVie (Edinburgh Academy), S P Thompson (Morrison's Academy), G D
McGill (Dundee HS), A G Ness (Dollar Academy). Replacements -- R K
Hastings (Kelvinside Academy), C J Cowan (Kelvinside Academy), J K
McKechnie (Dundee HS), P G Mauritzen (Stewarts Melville College), J S C
Crombie (Edinburgh Academy), J R Newton (Dundee HS).
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