Scotland hooker gets an Aussie home game

North Queensland-bred hooker Rob Russell will play his first cup game in front of family and friends in Townsville after being named to start for Scotland against Japan in pool B tomorrow.

Russell, the Scots' No 2 hooker, was selected in the front-row alongside key loosehead prop Tom Smith, who has recovered from a broken thumb.

Regular hooker Gordon Bulloch was left on the bench as Scottish coach Ian McGeechan opted against using a full-strength side against the lowly-ranked Japanese.

Russell, who qualified for the Scottish team through his family heritage, is one of two Australian-born players in the side. The other is fullback Ben Hinshelwood.

Scotland: Ben Hinshelwood, Chris Paterson, Andy Craig, James McLaren, Kenny Logan, Gordon Ross, Bryan Redpath (capt), Simon Taylor, Jon Petrie, Jason White, Stuart Grimes, Scott Murray, Bruce Douglas, Rob Russell, Tom Smith. Res: Gordon Bulloch, Gavin Kerr, Ross Beattie, Martin Leslie, Mike Blair, Gregor Townsend, Simon Danielli.

* Ireland captain Keith Wood is prepared for a tough encounter against the notoriously physical Romania in pool A tonight.

"Most international sides play at an incredibly high level of physical intensity these days," Wood said.

"One team might be better than another, but you never have an easy game, especially in the forwards. All your opponents are capable of beating you up."

Ireland have soundly beaten Romania in their six previous outings and it would be a major upset if the Eastern Europeans came away with a win at Gosford.

But in a pool that also contains Australia and emerging rugby power Argentina, Wood is determined his team will hit the ground running.

Ireland: Girvan Dempsey, Shane Horgan, Brian O'Driscoll, Kevin Maggs, Denis Hickie, David Humphreys, Peter Stringer, Anthony Foley, Keith Gleeson, Victor Costello, Paul O'Connell, Malcolm O'Kelly, Reggie Corrigan, Keith Wood (capt), Marcus Horan. Res: Shane Byrne, John Hayes, Donnacha O'Callaghan, Alan Quinlan, Guy Easterby, Ronan O'Gara, John Kelly.

Romania: Dan Dumbrava, Cristian Sauan, Valentin Maftei, Romeo Gontineac (capt), Gabriel Brezoianu, Ionut Tofan, Lucian Sirbu, Cristian Petre, Ovidiu Tonita, George Chiriac, Augustin Petrichei, Sorin Socol, Marcel Socaciu, Razvan Mavrodin, Petru Balan. Res: Petrisor Toderasc, Cezar Popescu, Marian Tudori, Marius Niculai, Iulian Andrei, Mihai Vioreanu, Ioan Teodorescu.

- REUTERS

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