Assistant coach Graham Shiel has selected three full internationalists, including captain Fergus Thomson, in Gael Force’s starting line-up for the British and Irish Cup tie against Newport at Rodney Parade tomorrow night (Friday 12 February, kick off 7.30pm).

Thomson leads the side containing Canada prop Kevin Tkachuk and Scotland centre Rob Dewey plus three National Academy players, Lewis Niven, Alex Spence and Michael Doneghan for the match in Wales.

Dewey featured for Scotland A against Ireland Wolfhounds in Belfast last weekend alongside back row forwards James Eddie and Fraser McKenzie, underlining the strength of the side.

As a result, Shiel – taking charge in the absence of Stephen Gemmell, who is with the Scotland 7s squad in Las Vegas – believes the game will enable the team’s professional players to hit the ground running when the Magners League programme resumes next week.

Shiel said: “We’ve got a number of professional players from Edinburgh and Glasgow in our starting line-up.

“So the focus for us this week is to ensure they get some game-time before the Magners League games next week.

“It allows the Academy players who are involved to mix with professional players and to play against professionals. That gives them an opportunity to challenge themselves in what is a very demanding competition.”

Following defeats at Exeter Chiefs and Cornish Pirates in the opening two rounds of the competition, Shiel expects a response from his players with a lot of them aiming to earn starting line-up spots for both Glasgow and Edinburgh next week.

He added: “It is important that the players are as well prepared as possible with a clear vision of what we are trying to do.

“We are looking for every individual player to perform to a level, so when they return to Magners League action they are battle-hardened and ready.”

Gael Force team to play Newport in the British and Irish Cup at Rodney Parade (Friday 12 February, kick-off 7.30pm)

15 Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors)
14 Michael Doneghan (National Academy and Stewarts Melville) *
13 Hefin O’Hare (Glasgow Warriors)
12 Rob Dewey (Glasgow Warriors)
11 Tom Bury (National Academy and Boroughmuir) *
10 Colin Gregor (Glasgow Warriors)
9 Mark McMillan (Glasgow Warriors)

1 Kevin Tkachuk (Glasgow Warriors)
2 Fergus Thomson (captain, Glasgow Warriors)
3 Lewis Niven (National Academy and Edinburgh Academicals) *
4 Steven Turnbull (Edinburgh Rugby)
5 Dan Turner (Glasgow Warriors)
6 Fraser McKenzie (Edinburgh Rugby)
7 Alex Spence (National Academy and Haddington) **
8 James Eddie (Glasgow Warriors)

Replacements
16 Ryan Grant (Edinburgh Rugby)
17 David Young (Edinburgh Rugby)
18 Tim Barker (Glasgow Warriors)
19 Neale Patrick (National Academy and Boroughmuir)*
20 Ross Sutherland (Stewart’s Melville)
21 Ross Samson (Edinburgh Rugby)
22 Sam Atkin (National Academy and Edinburgh Academicals)**

* Denotes a member of the Scottish National Contracted Academy
** Denotes a member of the Scottish Rugby National Academy supported by the Scottish Institute of Sport