Updated: Eight Greens in South of Scotland’s starting XV for rugby’s 2023 Scottish inter-district championship final

Hawick's Shawn Muir, a try-scorer for South of Scotland against Edinburgh last week, carries on as captain versus Caledonia Reds this weekend (Photo: Brian Sutherland)Hawick's Shawn Muir, a try-scorer for South of Scotland against Edinburgh last week, carries on as captain versus Caledonia Reds this weekend (Photo: Brian Sutherland)
Hawick's Shawn Muir, a try-scorer for South of Scotland against Edinburgh last week, carries on as captain versus Caledonia Reds this weekend (Photo: Brian Sutherland)
South of Scotland have named their starting line-up for rugby’s 2023 Scottish inter-district championship final in Glasgow on Sunday, May 21, and it’s even greener than the one that beat Edinburgh a week ago on Tuesday to qualify.

Hawick captain Shawn Muir continues as skipper and he’s joined by team-mates Nicky Little, Ronan McKean and Kirk Ford again, along with Peebles-bound club captain Matt Carryer, Shaun Fairbairn and Calum Renwick, all replacements last time out but given starting-XV places this weekend, plus newcomer Stuart Graham.

Those eight Greens, one more than the seven fielded against Edinburgh, are accompanied by Gareth Welsh, a replacement last time too, on the substitutes’ bench.

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Their Hawick team-mates Fraser Renwick, Jae Linton and Andrew Mitchell, all starters last time, drop out, along with Gala’s Liam Scott.

Ex-Greens captain Bruce McNeil, now a player-coach at Kelso, is in the South’s starting line-up as well.

This weekend’s match against Caledonia Reds at Tennent’s National League Division 1 side Glasgow Hutchesons’ Aloysians’ Braidholm ground, with kick-off at 3.30pm, will be the 39-year-old’s sixth, having also played in their last five fixtures – against Edinburgh at Netherdale in Galashiels this month, in 2017 and 2016 versus Caledonia Reds, 2011 against the Barbarians and 2009 versus Northumberland.

Melrose’s Struan Hutchison carries on as vice-captain and his Greenyards team-mate Bruce Colvine retains his starting place.

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Also in Sunday’s first XV are Kelso’s Dwain Patterson and Frankie Robson, Gala’s Craig Dods and Musselburgh’s Michael Badenhorst.

Selkirk’s Andrew McColm drops to the bench and keeping him and Welsh company there will be his Philiphaugh team-mates Bruce Riddell and Luke Pettie, Gala’s Angus Dun and Ben Gill, Melrose’s Callum Crookshanks and Musselburgh’s Sandy Watt.

The first Scottish inter-district rugby championship final since 2002 will see the South facing Caledonia Reds for the third time in their last four matches at XVs.

Head coach Colin Sangster’s Reds booked their place in the final by beating Glasgow and the West 58-27 at Highland’s Canal Park ground in Inverness on Saturday, opposite number Matty Douglas’s South side having secured theirs with a 50-17 victory over Edinburgh four days earlier.

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Their meeting at Braidholm will be their third since the South’s revival in 2009.

The red-and-white-hooped regional side won their last two games against the Reds, by 40-24 in Stirling in November 2017 and 33-7 in Jedburgh 12 months previously, and Douglas is hoping to extend that winning run to a hat-trick.

“We’ve got a great bunch of players in the Borders and East Lothian capable of playing at a higher level and I think it showed last Tuesday night what we can do as a region if we get these boys together,” said the 28-year-old, also Hawick’s head coach.

“Caley will be tougher opposition – they’ve got a lot of experienced players in there – but we’ll look to ourselves and if we stick to what we’re good at, then hopefully we’ll end up on the right side of the result.

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“They like to move the ball about, with a lot off offloads, and play a high-tempo game, so we’re going to have to match that and kick on a bit.

“It’ll be tough but the players have worked hard over the last couple of weeks while still trying to continue their club rugby, so credit to them.”

Lining up for the Reds’ pack in Glasgow will be Howe of Fife’s Fraser Allan, Highland’s Stephen Murray and Sean Blair, Stirling County’s Callum MacPherson, Falkirk’s Stef Yarrow, Gala’s Glen Brough, Dundee’s Sam Cardosi and Glasgow Hawks’ Oscar Baird.

Their backs will be Highland’s Adriu Muritoki and Rupeni Rokoduguni, Currie Chieftains’ James McCaig and DJ Innes, Edinburgh Academical’s Max Wallace, Glasgow Hawks’ Liam Brims and Falkirk’s Harry Russell, also captain of the squad.

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On the substitutes’ bench will be Highland’s Gordon Gregor and Seumas Ross, Falkirk’s Glen Faulds, Stirling County’s James Imrie and James Brough, Dundee’s Arran Hain, Currie’s Jacob Ramsay and GHA’s Archie Falconer.

Sunday’s match is being streamed live on Scottish Rugby’s website, scottishrugby.org

Tickets, also available via the Scottish Rugby website, are priced at £16.46 for adults and £9 for concessions.

Douglas is being helped out with coaching by Peebles’ Iain Chisholm, Melrose’s Bert Grigg and Musselburgh’s Andrew Clark.

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