South of Scotland squad named for inter-district rugby championship opener against Edinburgh

Bruce McNeil during South of Scotland's 32-30 loss to Caledonia Reds in last May's Scottish inter-district championship final at Braidholm in Glasgow, playing at No 8 that time round rather than No 6 (Photo: Bryan Robertson)

Captain and loosehead prop Shawn Muir is joined in Saturday’s starting XV by five team-mates – hooker Fraser Renwick, tighthead prop Nicky Little, No 8 Jae Linton, inside centre Andrew Mitchell and full-back Kirk Ford.

A further four Greens feature among this weekend’s replacements – Russell Anderson, Ross Graham, Dalton Redpath and Calum Renwick.

Former Southern Knights captain Anderson has been drafted into the South squad to replace Selkirk’s James Bett, along with Melrose’s Roly Brett, in place of Hawick’s Lee Armstrong.

Joining the six Greens in Saturday’s starting line-up are four players apiece from Selkirk and Kelso and Gala openside flanker Angus Dun.

The Souters are lock Andrew McColm, fly-half Aaron McColm and wingers Callum Anderson and Josh Welsh.

Lock Keith Melbourne, blindside flanker Bruce McNeil, scrum-half Andy Tait and outside centre Dwain Patterson make up Kelso’s contingent.

McNeil’s selection, at the age of 40, is his seventh for the South, making him the regional team’s only ever-present this century.

Saturday’s substitutes’ bench will also play host to Kelso’s Grant Shiells and Frankie Robson and Melrose’s Douglas Crawford and Struan Hutchison.

Kick-off at Stoneyhill in Musselburgh is at 3pm as head coach Matty Douglas’s South side launch their bid to win their first inter-district title since 2002.