All Blacks are district 'prize'

district championship will be played at the Robert Gordon's College

ground at Countesswells, as will the equivalent under-21 game, both at

2pm.

Originally, the senior game was arranged for the Northern Meeting

Park, but Inverness District Council, as owners, decreed that the ground

was unplayable.

District rugby officials had therefore to find an alternative even if

that meant switching the games more than 100 miles away and leaving

Edinburgh's two teams with a scenic, cross-country journey for three

hours this morning. Despite the change of venue the visitors went ahead

with their overnight stop in Aviemore.

Last night the district fixtures between Glasgow and the South were

still going on as planned today -- the under-21 match at Balgray at noon

followed by the senior game across the road at Hughenden at 2pm. A

drying wind in the evening allayed fears.

An extra prize is on offer for the winners of the district title this

season. The champions will play against New Zealand in the opening match

of the All Blacks' Scottish tour next year, and already the South have

stated a claim in their title defence, even if in a low-key win over

North and Midlands last week.

Glasgow have the potential even though the portents were not good in

the drawn Inter-city last week. They failed to put Edinburgh away

despite prolonged pressure in the second half, and their one subsequent

change in the pack did not address that basic problem.

Brian Ireland's return as open-side flanker will mean that Glasgow

have a better balanced breakaway trio, and their cause has been helped

by the absence of Gary Armstrong, always a pest for the close-quarter

defence in any opposition ranks. Yet Ireland will remember how much he

was shaded by today's opposite number, John Amos, when Gala beat

Stirling four weeks ago.

It is in the lineout that Glasgow have most reason for concern as they

failed to make the most of touchline expertise in the hands of Shade

Munro, Eammon Murphy, Alan Watt, Gordon Mackay, and Fergus Wallace

against Edinburgh. Any district team would be grateful for such

resources.

This afternoon Glasgow will surely be even more severely tested in the

lineout by Doddie Weir and company. Ian Corcoran, the Gala hooker

leading the South for the first time, will be especially determined to

ensure he brings out the best in his jumpers.

Armstrong has dropped out to be with his wife after the recent birth

of their second child, and Steve Ferguson the Peebles prop, has called

off because of a knee injury. Greig Oliver the perennial stand-in, takes

over as scrum half, partnering Gregor Townsend, for the first time in a

district match, and Hamish Hunter will make his South debut at tight

head, joining two Gala colleagues in the front row.

Derek Stark has withdrawn as Glasgow's right wing because of an injury

he brought home from the Dubai sevens. His place is taken by Richard

Porter, who had been left out after the Inter-city to make room for the

Boroughmuir wing.

Predicting the other district match should be easier. Edinburgh have

dominated against North and Midlands for so long that they are going for

their seventeenth victory in a row in the series.

Yet North and Midlands are not without hope. They have been

strengthened by the return of Andy Nicol and Rowen Shepherd.

Edinburgh, however, are stronger than they were against Glasgow, not

least with the return of two capped players, Scott Hastings and Peter

Wright. In addition, the new lock partnership is full of promise, with

Andy Macdonald's recall and Murray Rudkin's promotion from the under-21

district ranks.

HUGHENDEN

Glasgow -- D N Barrett (West of Scotland); R A G Porter, C T Simmers

(both Edinburgh Academicals), I C Jardine, K M Logan (both Stirling

County); G M Breckenridge (GHK), F H Stott (West of Scotland); A G J

Watt (GHK), K D McKenzie, G B Robertson (both Stirling County), E

Murphy, D S Munro (both GHK), G T Mackay (Glasgow Academicals), F D

Wallace (GHK), captain, B Ireland (Stirling County). Replacements -- D R

McKee (West of Scotland), S M Simmers (Glasgow Academicals), M Norval

(Stirling County), S Blair (West of Scotland).

South -- A C Redpath (Melrose); A G Stanger (Hawick), S A Nichol

(Selkirk), A G Shiel (Melrose), I Tukalo (Selkirk); G P J Townsend

(Gala), G H Oliver (Hawick); G R Isaac, I Corcoran (captain), H A Hunter

(all Gala), R R Brown, G W Weir (both Melrose), D J Turnbull (Hawick), C

D Hogg (Melrose), J P Amos (Gala). Replacements -- S McGauchie

(Selkirk), B W Redpath (Melrose), J A Hay (Hawick), N A McIlroy

(Jed-Forest).

Referee -- R J Megson (Edinburgh Wanderers).

COUNTESSWELLS

North and Midlands -- S A D Burns (Edinburgh Academicals), captain; D

J McLaughlin (Alloa), P R Rouse (Dundee HS FP), R J S Shepherd, J F

Swanson (both Edinburgh Academicals); B R Easson, A D Nicol; J J Manson

(all Dundee HS FP), M W Scott (Edinburgh Academicals), D Herrington

(Dundee HS FP), B H Bell (Highland), S J Campbell (Dundee HS FP), D J

McIvor (Edinburgh Academicals), J G Mathieson (Morgan Academy FP), D H

Mitchell (Dunfermline). Replacements -- A K Carruthers (Kirkcaldy), A E

Milne (Boroughmuir), D R Milne (Dundee HS FP), I J Michie (Dunfermline).

Edinburgh -- A G Hastings (Watsonians), captain; I C Glasgow (Heriot's

FP), S Hastings (Watsonians), D S Wyllie (Stewart's Melville FP), D

Macrae (Boroughmuir); A Donaldson (Currie), D W Patterson (Edinburgh

Academicals); G D Wilson (Boroughmuir), K S Milne (Heriot's FP), P T

Wright (Boroughmuir), M B Rudkin (Watsonians), A E D Macdonald (Heriot's

FP), S A Aitken (Watsonians), S J Reid (Boroughmuir), J Robertson

(Heriot's FP). Replacements -- J Kerr (Haddington), J M Scott (Stewart's

Melville FP), D J Wilson (Edinburgh Academicals), D S Henderson

(Watsonians).

Referee -- W W Calder (Selkirk).