Scotland A play Georgia on Friday
Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:54
Scotland A play Georgia, a World Cup side, at Firhill in Glasgow on Friday evening.
There are four who will be playing for Scotland A for the first time - hooker Phil Fitzgerald, who plays for Toulon, prop Geoff Cross, flank Richie Vernon and fullback Ruaridh Jackson. Fitzgerald is something of a veteran having last worn a Scottish jersey in the Under-21 11 years ago but Vernon is just 21 and Jackson 20.
Coach Andy Robinson said: "The four new caps all deserve their debuts because they've all impressed with their clubs this season. This is their chance to prove that they can make that step up from club level to the international arena."
Ten of the side have fill international caps - Nikki Walker, Rob Dewey, Gordon Ross, Craig Hamilton, Alastair Kellock, Kelly Brown, Johnnie Beattie, Gavin Kerr, Andrew Henderson and Simon Webster. The last three have 138 caps amongst them.
Scotland A: 15 Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow
Warriors), 14 Nikki Walker (Ospreys), 13 Max Evans (Glasgow Warriors), 12 Rob Dewey (Ulster), 11 Mark Robertson (Edinburgh), 10 Gordon Ross (Saracens), 9 Mark McMillan (Glasgow Warriors), 8 Johnnie Beattie (Glasgow Warriors), 7 Kelly Brown (Glasgow Warriors), 6 Richie Vernon (Glasgow Warriors), 5 Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors) (captain), 4 Craig Hamilton (Edinburgh), 3 Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), 2 Phil Fitzgerald (Toulon), 1 Ed Kalman (Glasgow Warriors)
Replacements: 16 Andrew Kelly (Edinburgh), 17 Gavin Kerr (Edinburgh), 18 Dan Turner (Glasgow Warriors), 19 Scott Newlands (Edinburgh), 20 Colin Gregor (Glasgow Warriors), 21 Andrew Henderson (Glasgow Warriors), 22 Simon Webster (Edinburgh)
Referee: James Jones (Wales)
Touch judges: David Bodilly (Wales), Sean Brickell (Wales)
