Four Debutants Selected For Club International

Four players will make their Scotland Club International debut against France at Netherdale on Friday (5 February kick-off 7.30pm).Glasgow Hawks lock, Rory McKay, Dundee prop Alan Brown and Melrose pair James King (centre) and Fraser Thomson (wing) have all earned their place in the starting XV while a further five are ready to make their debut from the bench.Like ALL Scottish Rugby youth,  age-grade representative fixtures and Scotland Women matches, admission to Scotland Club International v France at Netherdale on Friday 5 February (kick-off 7.30pm) is FREE – no need for a ticket, just turn up and take your seat!Four players will make their Scotland Club International debut against France at Netherdale on Friday (5 February kick-off 7.30pm).Glasgow Hawks lock, Rory McKay, Dundee prop Alan Brown and Melrose pair James King (centre) and Fraser Thomson (wing) have all earned their place in the starting XV while a further five are ready to make their debut from the bench.Notable recalls have been given to Scottish Hydro Premier One player of the season, Selkirk full-back Fraser Harkness, club international player of the season, Ross Weston (number 8, Currie), and experienced Melrose flanker, John Dalziel, who retains the captaincy. Ayr’s imposing lock, Damien Kelly, also returns for club international duty and will scrum down alongside debutants McKay and Brown while Currie’s Mark Cairns – brother of Scotland internationalist Ben Cairns – and Ayr’s Paul Burke complete the back-row.Like ALL Scottish Rugby youth,  age-grade representative fixtures and Scotland Women matches, admission to Scotland Club International v France at Netherdale on Friday 5 February (kick-off 7.30pm) is FREE – no need for a ticket, just turn up and take your seat!Excluding the debuts of King and Thomson the backline is a familiar one which names Richard Snedden (Currie) and Scott Wight (Melrose) as the starting half-backs while Malcolm Clapperton (Boroughmuir) partners King in the centre and Callum Anderson (Melrose) starts on the wing. Club International team manager, Ian Rankin said: “The days of French teams supposedly not traveling well is long gone. This French team will play with the classic French style – huge powerful forwards and lightning quick backs.”But in this starting XV we have 11 players that faced the French last season, with another two poised to play from the bench who all know what they have to face. “It’ll be a tough assignment but hopefully we can get a big Netherdale crowd out to back the team. I’ve heard the game is of big interest in the Borders but there are a lot of clubs represented by this team.”There’s a real connection between the clubs and their players with the clubs taking a lot of pride and pleasure in being represented in the match. I think that’ll be measurable this Friday night.”Scotland Club International team to play France at Netherdale on Friday 5 February (kick-off 7.30pm)15 Fraser Harkness (Selkirk)14 Fraser Thomson (Melrose)*13 Malcolm Clapperton (Boroughmuir)12 James King (Melrose)*11 Callum Anderson (Melrose)10 Scott Wight (Melrose)9 Richard Snedden (Currie)1 Alan Dymock (Heriot’s)2 Scott Burnett (Heriot’s)3 Alan Brown (Dundee)*4 Damien Kelly (Ayr)5 Rory McKay (Glasgow Hawks)*6 John Dalziel CAPTAIN (Melrose)7 Mark Cairns (Currie)8 Ross Weston (Currie)Replacements16 Gregor Wood (Watsonians)*17 Gordon Reid (Ayr)18 Alastair Hamilton (Currie)*19 Scott Sutherland (Ayr)20 Paul Burke (Ayr)*21 Jamie Hunter (Ayr)*22 Andrew MacMahon (Currie)** denotes a debutantThe club international squad have four more training sessions between now and the match against France at Netherdale (Friday 5 February, kick-off 7.30). For visual access please contact Michael James (details below).Monday 1 February at MurrayfieldWednesday 3 February at MurrayfieldThursday 4 February at the GytesSCOTLAND CLUB INTERNATIONAL FIXTURES:Friday 5 February – Scotland club international v France, Netherdale (kick-off 7.30pm) Friday 19 March – Ireland v Scotland club international (Donnybrook, kick-off 7pm)RBS 6 NATIONS – SCOTLAND V FRANCE Less than 7000 tickets remain to see Scotland take on France in the RBS 6 Nations Championship on Sunday 7 February at Murrayfield, kick-off 3pm. Tickets can be purchased in person from the Scottish Rugby Ticket Centre, Roseburn Street, Edinburgh, Monday to Friday from 9am to 8pm beginning on Monday 1 February. Tomorrow (Saturday 30 January), the Ticket Centre is open from 10am to 4pm. Tickets may also be bought via the 24-hour hotline on 0844 335 3933 or online at www.scottishrugby.org There are no ticket sales on match day.