Scotland call in NZ players

Two New Zealand-born players will make their Scotland debuts in the Test against Australia in Sydney on Saturday

Two New Zealand-born players will make their Scotland debuts in the Test against Australia in Sydney on Saturday. Full back Glenn Metcalfe and flanker Gordon Simpson qualify through Scottish grandparents.

"Both are very professional and have been brought up in a good rugby culture. They've brought something positive to the game," said Scotland coach Jim Telfer.

In all there are five changes - one positional - from the side that lost to Fiji last month. More significantly, there is only the one change from the team that performed well against New South Wales last Saturday, as Derrick Lee comes in on the right wing in place of Craig Joiner.

The backs coach, John Rutherford, said: "Lee is a modern type of player. He could play in any of the back positions with the exception of scrum-half. Joiner has done nothing wrong, but Lee offers us different options."

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Telfer said: "Lee's attacking flair against the Australian Barbarians - he scored two tries - impressed us. But he is a player who is very interchangeable, he's a good footballer and a good tackler."

It always seemed likely that Lee and Metcalfe would be accommodated in the same side. Metcalfe sealed the full back position with a superb display of running rugby, reminiscent of Andy Irvine, against NSW. Simpson made certain of the open-side flanker position with his displays against NSW Country and NSW.

The match will mark a first Test appearance at inside centre for Rowen Shepherd, who played all his previous international games at full back and appeared to have slipped out of favour. "I spoke to Rowen after the Australia and South Africa games. He was very down then, but he's always been the sublime professional," said Telfer.

Meanwhile, Wales' stand-in captain Paul John believes his young team can press for Test places when they face the Emerging Springboks in Secunda.

John will lead the tourists into the first game of the South African leg of their three-week trip tomorrow. With the regular captain, Rob Howley, rested after Wales' 49-11 victory over Zimbabwe last Saturday, John will take over the scrum-half position for his ninth cap.

He is joined by 14 others who start for the first time on tour, including five who will make their Wales debuts: full back Darril Williams, wings Lenny Woodard and Garan Evans, prop Ben Evans and second-row Ian Gough.

John, the son of Wales' caretaker coach Dennis John, said: "When this team was announced it was made very clear to us it wasn't second choice.

"The first match in Zimbabwe happened to be a capped game, but this will be very difficult and that can be a good thing for the players involved. It means that if we make our mark it will stand us in good stead for challenging for the Test places later in the tour."