Rugby Union: Campbell to miss European decider

Stewart Campbell, the Scotland lock, will miss Caledonia Reds' European qualifying decider with Glasgow on Sunday after failing to recover from a calf injury sustained against South Africa earlier this month.

The Dundee High second row's place goes to Watsonians' Jason White, the 19-year-old who played in the early part of the Reds' European Cup campaign this season.

The coach, Ian Rankin, has made five changes overall, including two positional, from the last district championship match against Edinburgh in late October.

Stirling County's increasingly impressive James McLaren gets the chance to further his international claims at centre, with Shaun Longstaff moving to the wing and David Officer dropping to the bench. John Manson also comes in at loose-head prop, with Willie Anderson switching to tight head at the expense of Sandy Penman, who moves to the bench.

Rankin has resisted the temptation to pitch the international hooker Kevin Mckenzie back into the fray from the start, leaving him on the bench in favour of Gavin Scott.

Stirling team-mate Gareth Flockhart is fully fit, though, after missing his club's game at Edinburgh Academicals last weekend and takes his place alongside the Scotland captain Rob Wainwright in the back row.

Caledonia must beat Glasgow in Aberdeen to be sure of their place in next season's European Cup. Otherwise they will have to rely on the Scottish Borders failing to win with sufficient tries in Edinburgh to pass their own total.

Edinburgh have sprung a surprise by including the New Zealander John Walters in their team to face Scottish Borders at Inverleith. The strong- running Walters has been in top form for Boroughmuir and confirmed his readiness for a district call-up with an impressive display against Watsonians last Saturday.

Bob Easson, the Edinburgh coach, said: "I believe that we should select a team on current form. John has been playing very well. He is a busy winger who works off people and he will be crucial in our aim to play 15-man rugby."

Walters, 25, was a regular in the Waikato side before coming to Edinburgh and played against Scotland on their 1996 tour of New Zealand. His introduction means the Scotland-contracted player Ally McLean pays the price for his current loss of form.

Easson resisted the temptation to meddle further with his back line, opting to play the record cap holder, Scott Hastings, at centre rather than full-back where he has impressed for his club, Watsonians.

Among the forwards, the Boroughmuir hooker Kevan Allan comes in for the injured Grant McKelvey, while another New Zealander, Cameron Mather, is preferred to Graham Dall at open-side flanker.

"Kevan looks as if he has recovered from the injury that prevented him going to New Zealand with the Silver Thistles, while Cameron is full of running at the moment," Easson said.