FORMER Dunfermline duo Phil Smith and Gregor McNeish helped Scotland’s Club XV to a thrilling victory over Ireland in the Dalriada Cup last Friday.

Ex McKane player and coach Smith, who led Dunfermline to their finest hour in recent years by winning promotion to National Division Two but is now in charge at BT Premiership cracks Heriot’s, was appointed boss of a squad comprising the top players in Scottish club rugby who are not playing with either of the country’s professional sides, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and he led his side to regain the trophy introduced in 2011.

Fly half McNeish (22), who left Dunfermline to join Heriot’s in the summer, was listed as one of the replacements for a Scotland team who trailed 15-10 at half-time but roared back to win 23-18 after the interval thanks to tries from his club team-mate Jason Hill, Ross Weston and Graham Wilson.

Meanwhile former Dunfermline under-18 forward Murray McCallum was selected in Scotland’s under-20 Six Nations squad but despite starting their opening match against reigning champions France in Gueugnon, he was powerless to prevent the hosts sweeping to a convincing 47-6 victory.

McCallum, a former Woodmill High School pupil, plays for Aberdeen Grammar Rugby in BT Division One while studying Geology and Petroleum Geology at the University of Aberdeen and has previously represented Caledonia at under-16, under-17 and under-18 level, as well as Scotland at under-18 and under-19.

There was also international recognition for Dunfermline’s Adam Nicol, who attended a Scotland under-18 training camp at the weekend at Stirling University, while Connor Crawford was selected for the District XV, who are considered by coaches to be on the fringes of the Scotland set-up.

FORMER Dunfermline duo Phil Smith and Gregor McNeish helped Scotland’s Club XV to a thrilling victory over Ireland in the Dalriada Cup last Friday.

Ex McKane player and coach Smith, who led Dunfermline to their finest hour in recent years by winning promotion to National Division Two but is now in charge at BT Premiership cracks Heriot’s, was appointed boss of a squad comprising the top players in Scottish club rugby who are not playing with either of the country’s professional sides, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and he led his side to regain the trophy introduced in 2011.

Fly half McNeish (22), who left Dunfermline to join Heriot’s in the summer, was listed as one of the replacements for a Scotland team who trailed 15-10 at half-time but roared back to win 23-18 after the interval thanks to tries from his club team-mate Jason Hill, Ross Weston and Graham Wilson.

Meanwhile former Dunfermline under-18 forward Murray McCallum was selected in Scotland’s under-20 Six Nations squad but despite starting their opening match against reigning champions France in Gueugnon, he was powerless to prevent the hosts sweeping to a convincing 47-6 victory.

McCallum, a former Woodmill High School pupil, plays for Aberdeen Grammar Rugby in BT Division One while studying Geology and Petroleum Geology at the University of Aberdeen and has previously represented Caledonia at under-16, under-17 and under-18 level, as well as Scotland at under-18 and under-19.

There was also international recognition for Dunfermline’s Adam Nicol, who attended a Scotland under-18 training camp at the weekend at Stirling University, while Connor Crawford was selected for the District XV, who are considered by coaches to be on the fringes of the Scotland set-up.