Expatriate Borderer Finlay Christie about to take on Scotland at rugby for first time

Finlay Christie taking part in a New Zealand training session at the start of this month in Wales (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)

The 27-year-old, born at the Borders General Hospital in Melrose and brought up in Peebles, has been named in the All Black’s starting line-up to take on Scotland this coming Sunday, November 13, at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium.

Half-back Finlay Christie, picking up his 14th cap, will wear the No 9 jersey for the third time.

He’ll line up in a starting XV captained by 141-times-capped Samuel Whitelock alongside Ethan de Groot, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Nepo Laulala, Scott Barrett, Akira Ioane, Dalton Papali’i, Ardie Savea, Beauden Barrett, Caleb Clarke, David Havili, Anton Lienert-Brown, Mark Telea and Jordie Barrett.

The vistors’ replacements are Codie Taylor, George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Tupou Vaa’i, Shannon Frizell, TJ Perenara, Stephen Perofeta and Rieko Ioane.

Christie hadn’t ruled out representing Scotland alongside other players born or brought up abroad such as Duhan van der Merwe, Hamish Watson and Cameron Redpath as late as 2020, saying ‘never say never’, but went on to make his debut for his adopted country the following summer.

He has lived in New Zealand for the best part of two decades as, after leaving Peebles for a year up in Aberdeen, he emigrated with his family at the age of seven to Pukekohe in South Auckland.

Sunday won’t be the first time he’s faced fellow Borderers on a rugby pitch as he was in the Waikato Chiefs team defeated 34-6 by a British and Irish Lions side featuring Jedburgh’s Greig Laidlaw in June 2017.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend is scheduled to name his starting line-up for this weekend’s autumn test, kicking off at 2.15pm and being broadcast live on Amazon Prime, later this afternoon.

“We’ve selected a team that excites us this week,” said All Blacks coach Ian Foster.

“In many ways, this test is crucial for our tour as a whole and it’s a chance to show how we’re building as a group."