Fylde's 2008/9 league campaign comes that much closer with the visit of Stirling County for a pre-season game at the Woodlands on Saturday, 16th August (ko 15.00). Their visitors are a leading Scottish Premiership club with a long and famous history, being admitted to the Scottish RFU in 1904. This will be the first ever game between the two clubs.

 

 

In 1995, County achieved the unique distinction of being the first club to rise through the ranks from the depths of the seventh division to win the Scottish Championship.

Uniquely, the club played against the Barbarians at the local Forthbank Stadium in 1995. The club has been prolific in producing a large number of age-group internationalists while senior internationalists who have worn County's colours include George Graham, Allister Hogg, Ian Jardine, Alastair Kellock, Kenny Logan, Kevin McKenzie and James McLaren.

 

 

One of those internationals, Ian Jardine, is now County's Head Coach. A group of between 22 & 24 players from the senior squad listed below will be chosen for the game.

Amongst the forwards, Alex Moffat is the Club Captain and hooker. Lock Richie Gray is an apprentice with Glasgow Warriors and part of the Scotland U19 team. Flanker Kevin Bryce is an apprentice with Edinburgh and was part of the Scotland U20 squad. Lock Bruce McFarlane and prop Garry Mountford have played for the Scotland Club International team in last 2 years (Bruce in 2006/7, Garry in 2007/8).

Of the backs, scrum-half Gordon McRorie and centre Alan Auld played for Scottish Students in past two years and fly-half Robbie McGowan played for Scotland U18 in 2006/7 and was part of the U19 squad last year

They will also be bringing three of their latest promising youngsters in flanker Jason Hill and lock Grant Gilchrist who played for Scotland U18 last year, and winger Glen Bryce who played for Scotland U17 last year. Coach Jardine is keen to introduce some of these young players to competitive action during the season.

15 Robbie McGOWAN; 14 Graham LYNDSAY, 13 Graeme GILLILAND, 12 Alan AULD, 11 Ross AITKEN; 10 Alex Kes ROBERTSON, 9 Gordon McCRORIE; 1 Ross LOGAN, 2 Alex MOFFAT(c), 3 Craig BLACK, 4 Bruce McFARLANE, 5 Craig DEACONS, 6 Struan ROBERTSON, 7 Kevin BRYCE, 8 Chris FAILL. Replacements: 16 Colin CAMERON, 17 John GRAHAM, 18 David McMILLAN, 19 Grant GILCHRIST, 20 Jason HILL, 21 Alan ROBERTSON, 22 Graham CALDER, 23 Dan JACKSON, 24 Gregor BRODIE, 25 Gregor HAMILTON.

Stirling finished a very creditable seventh in the table last season and most of that successful squad will be back this season.

But Jardine recognises that the squad will miss their two Kiwis who made strong contributions last season: "We’ll miss Justin Matheson as he was our main ball-carrier but we’ll just have to get on with it. There are a few guys keen to establish a regular slot in the side this season. I’d say that overall our squad has more depth than it had last year.”

Also gone, however, is the other Kiwi, Massey Tuhakaraina, who left after the end-of-season Stirling sevens.

The Stirling squad will be travelling down to Lancashire on Saturday morning and staying overnight in St Annes before returning to Scotland on Sunday.

Fylde give opportunities to an extended match squad with almost all of their first choice players from last season expected to take part. One exception is playmaker and fly-half Steve Nutt who is on holiday.

Director of Rugby Mark Nelson said: "The players need to get a competitive game under their belts. No amount of pre-season training prepares players as well as match action. Saturday will be oriented to giving players game time, units playing together and trying out some of the strategies we've been practising on the training field.

"Steve Nutt's absence gives young Mark Edwards a chance to impress at fly-half - he's looked good in training. I hope that other players also throw their hats in the ring to claim a 1st team starting place. We'll be cranking things up from now on and running up to the first league game against Huddersfield on 6th September. The process against Stirling will be much more important than the result.

"We've named 48 players in our provisional squads for the two games. 28 will play at least a quarter against Stirling and another 20 will play one or more quarters against Skipton."

Apart from the opportunity to see some of the Club's brightest young talent playing for the Wanderers, most interest will concentrate on the playing debuts of experienced newcomers Dan Loader & Dan Palmer, and the return to competitive rugby of former star centre/winger Karl Long following a three year absence from the game due to injury and business commitments. The less experienced newcomers Mark Stephenson, Matt Thompson & Alan Whittaker also get some game time against Stirling.

The provisional line-ups against Stirling are as follows:

	qtr1	qtr2	qtr3	qtr4
15	Waywell	Waywell	Hunter	Loader
14	Long	Hughes	Hughes	Hughes
13	Wiseman	Loader	Loader	Wiseman
12	Hunter	Reeves	Wiseman	Long
11	Brennand	Wiseman	Brennand	Brennand
10	Edwards M	Edwards M	Edwards M	Waywell
9	Aikman	Wallwork	Wallwork	Aikman
1	Irving	Simpson	Simpson	Irving
2	Tyms	Lewis	Holmes	Tyms/Holmes
3	Clark	Clark	Irving	Clark
4	Johnson	King	Johnson	King
5	Banks	Atkinson	Thompson	Banks
6	Palmer	Bowman	Briggs	Bowman
7	Wilks	Whittaker	Stephenson	Palmer
8	Bowman	Beaumont	Beaumont	Whittaker

 

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Fylde Wanderers are also in action on Saturday, 16th August at the Woodlands. Skipton RFC are the visitors for what will be a very challenging run-out for the home side. Note the ko time of 13.00 preceding the Fylde v Stirling County match. The ambitious Yorkshire One club has won promotion in the last two seasons and intend to go further.

Coached by former Sale favourite, prop Martin Whitcombe, their squad is an interesting mixture of local youngsters, older players with experience of a higher level and a sprinkling of overseas imports.

15 Will GREEN, 14 John DILLON, 13 Jonathan RICHARDS, 12 James BURKE, 11 Liam RAY; 10 Alex NAYLOR, 9 Adam OLDFIELD; 1 James RICHES, 2 Chris SHEHAN, 3 Ryan BINNER, 4 Malc Wilsher, 5 Matt BOATWRIGHT, 6 Michael SNOWDON, 7 Sam BOATWRIGHT, 8 Martin MURRAY. Reps.: 16 Will TATE, 17 Mike WITEK, 18 James KULIK, 19 Sean BARRACLOUGH, 20 Ben HALL, 21 Jordan EMMISON, 22 Michael MURRAY, 23 Calum CAMERON,
24 Richard WILSHER.

The Wanderers line-ups are as follows:

	qtr1	qtr2	qtr3	qtr4
15	Embelton	Winterflood	Kelly	Winterflood
14	Winterflood	Edwards A	Whittam	Edwards A
13	Bassam	Mercer	Bassam	Bassam
12	Whittam	Whittam	Long	Whittam
11	Norris	Kelly	Edwards A	Norris
10	Wiseman	Wallwork	Embelton	Embelton
9	Wallwork	Norris	Mercer	Mercer
1	Brockbank	Madden	Brockbank	Madden
2	Ball	Lewis	Ball	Ball
3	Macareavey/Evans	Macareavey/Evans	Lewis	Macareavey/Evans
4	Thompson	Thompson	Hodgkinson	Birtwistle
5	Johnson	Birtwistle	Atkinson	Hogkinson
6	Whittaker	Briggs/ Brookes	Campbell	Campbell/De Carpentier
7	Stephenson	Hanney	Spavin	Hanney/Spavin
8	Briggs	Atkinson	De Carpentier	Rees

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Manchester & District referees are being encouraged to visit the Woodlands to see the new Experimental Law Variations being refereed. Experienced referee Steve Bennett takes charge of the Fylde v Stirling County game whilst Paul Johnstone officiates the Wanderers v Skipton match.