Edinburgh Rugby U18 v Glasgow Warriors U18 double-header derby
First leg: Murrayfield back pitches (Friday 20 December, kick-off 6pm)Scotland’s top regional talent will go head to head on the Murrayfield back pitches tomorrow night (Friday 20 December) in an age-grade equivalent of the professional teams inter-city derbies.As part of a national selection process leading into the match, Glasgow saw off their Caledonia counterparts 19-7, while the Borders ran out convincing 45-17 winners over Edinburgh.The best players from each pairing were then combined into the representative selects – Edinburgh and the Borders forming Edinburgh Rugby U18, while Glasgow and Caledonia make up the Warriors.Much like the senior sides’ festive derby battles, the under-18 match – which features players from 24 different clubs and schools across the squads – is the first in a pair of back-to-back, head-to-heads, returning to LochInch on Sunday 5 January, with places in the Scotland under-18 squad at stake.Scottish Rugby’s Senior Regional Academy Manager, Grant McKelvey, said: “After last Wednesday’s regional fixtures we’re all very much looking forward to the intensity rising again and seeing the best under-18 players based in Scotland competing again in this back to back series.it’s all gearing up to be an excellent night of age grade rugby.I know that everyone involved is looking forward to the opportunity to represent The Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby in this format.”Spectators wishing to attend tomorrow night’s game, can access the back pitches through Gate B at Murrayfield. If you want to stay on for the Edinburgh Rugby v Leinster RaboDirect PRO12 fixture, there are cash turnstiles behind the west stand. Kick-off 7.35pm.EDINBURGH RUGBY U18 15 Ruiari Howarth (Galashiels Acad. / Gala Wanderers) 14 Robbie Nairn (George Watson’s College / Currie)13 Matthew McPhillips (Dunbar GS / Dunbar RFC)12 George Taylor (Loretto / Melrose)11 Ben Robbins (George Watson’s College) 10 Tom Galbraith (Glenalmond School / Kelso Quins)9 Hugh Fraser (Merchiston Castle School) 1 Ryan Gibson (Jed GS / Jed Thistle)2 Jake Kerr (George Watson’s College)3 Cole Lothian (Borders College / Jed Thistle)4 Stephen Ainslie (Loretto / Berwick)5 Calum Hunter-Hill (Stewart’s Melville College)6 Scott Burnside (Heriot’s)7 Shane Armstrong (Jed Thistle)8 Ally Miller (George Watson’s College) CAPTAIN Substitutes16 Fraser Renwick (Hawick HS / Wanderers)17 Blair Robertson (Borders College / Kelso Quins)18 Dugald Berezford (George Watson’s College)19 Harry Borthwick (Gosforth HS / Berwick)20 Fraser Christie (Stewart’s Melville College)21 Andrew Manson (Stewart’s Melville College)22 Craig Pringle (Loretto / Melrose)23 Grant Huggan (Hawick HS / Wanderers)GLASGOW WARRIORS U18 15 Duncan Leese (HS of Dundee) 14 James Couper (GHA)13 Josh Laird (Strathallan School / Kirkcaldy)12 Max MacFarlane (Hutchesons’ GS)11 Ronan Joy (HS of Dundee) 10 Andrew Goudie (GHA)9 Jack Preston (Wellington School / Ayr) 1 Murray McCallum (Strathallan School / Dunfermline)2 Lewis Anderson (Marr College / Marr) CAPTAIN3 Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Hawks)4 Scott Cummings (Kelvinside Acad. / Glasgow Hawks)5 Andrew Davidson (Kelvinside Acad. / Glasgow Hawks)6 Jamie Ritchie (Strathallan School)7 Chris Jollands (HS of Dundee)8 Zach Mercer (Merchiston Castle School) Substitutes16 Kyle Marshall (Dalziel)17 Lyall Archer (Highland)18 Tom Scalio (St. Aloyius College)19 Lewis Wynne (St. Mungo’s / Stirling County)20 Grant Neilson (Dalziel)21 Henry Sampson (HS of Dundee)22 Graeme Docherty (Cartha Queens Park)23 Jon Price (St. Andrews University / Madras)