Updated: Six new faces in South of Scotland squad to play Gala XV
South of Scotland have named a provisional match-day squad to play a Gala select XV this coming Saturday featuring no fewer than six new faces.
Those half-dozen new recruits – drafted in to cover for players either injured or otherwise unavailable, including captain Angus Runciman – are Selkirk’s Grant Paxton, Hawick’s Hughie Donaldson and Kyle Brunton and Kelso’s Ashton Asante, Harris Ross and Hamish Tweedie.
They’re lined up as replacements, along with Selkirk’s Hugo Alderson and Melrose’s Donald Crawford.
The South’s starting line-up are all familiar faces, however, and they’ll be skippered by Hawick centre Andrew Mitchell, with his teammate Connor Sutherland as vice-captain.
Mitchell and Sutherland make up half the contingent of Greens set to start, together with full-back Charlie Welsh and fly-half Kyle Brunton.
Selkirk account for a third of Saturday’s starting XV, supplying Brodie Allan, Ben Pickles, Bruce Riddell, Jack Fisher and Taylor Wilson.
They’ll be accompanied by Kelso’s Archie Barbour and Euan Knox, Jed-Forest’s Garry Young and Melrose’s Douglas Crawford, Jack Dobie and Sam Derrick.
Head coach Gordon Henderson’s provisional squad line-up is subject to change following late fitness tests, so it’s possible that further newcomers might have to be drafted in by the red-and-white-hooped regional representatives.
Gala’s game against the South is part of a day of 150th anniversary celebrations at Netherdale also including a past players’ lunch.
Kick-off is at 3pm and entry to the game is £5, with Maroons members and under-12s admitted free.
Saturday’s match is the South’s fourth of this season and first stand-alone XVs fixture for just short of nine years.
Their last one, followed by eight inter-district rugby championship fixtures since May 2023, saw a team captained by Gala fly-half Gregor Hunter and with Jed’s Kevin Barrie as their head coach beat Caledonia Reds 40-24 at Stirling’s Bridgehaugh Park in November 2017.
That was only their fourth 15-a-side game of the 21st century, following wins by 33-7 against Reds in Jedburgh in November 2016, 22-15 versus the Barbarians in Hawick in October 2011 and 37-3 hosting Northumberland in Galashiels in December 2009.
They’ll be up against a Gala select squad featuring South stalwarts Bruce McNeil and Craig Keddie.
Their other forwards are Russell Anderson, Michael Angus, Rowan Chalmers, Gavin Fisher, Robbie Irvine, Glenn McCrum, Connor McKay, Luke Pettie, Mac Rutherford, Kyle and Sam Scott and Grant Stevenson.
Their backs are Cameron Brydon, Gregor Collins, Jordan Edmunds, Eddie Eyre, Ben Gill, Jack Harrison, Kye Jones, Gavin Lockhart, Ritchie Mitchell, Reagon Moloy, Jack Niven, Hamish Seggie, James Thomson, John Turnbull and Rory Wilson.