A SQUAD of 36 players will take part in a three-day Scotland Under-20s training camp at Oriam this week.
They will be put through their paces by head coach Sean Lineen, forwards coach Shade Munro, and two new faces to the set-up in Peter Murchie of Ayrshire Bulls (defence) and Rob Chrystie of Southern Knights (skills).
Scottish Rugby’s contracted Academy players who are aligned to either Edinburgh Rugby or Glasgow Warriors will not attend to ensure that the integrity of their club’s Covid-19 secure bubble is protected, and any player living outside Scotland will be left at home to comply with current Scottish and UK Government travel restrictions.
“The camp provides a valuable opportunity for this group of players and coaches to come together for the first time,” said Lineen. “Although the Scottish Qualified and Contracted Academy players who are with pro teams are not able to be with us, it means that a number of players get the chance to come into the squad for this camp.”
Scotland U20s have been granted elite sport dispensation from the Scottish Government to prepare for an intended U20 Six Nations next year as a national representative team.
Scotland U20 squad to train at Oriam (Monday 30th November to Wednesday 2nd December):
Forwards:
Robbie Simpson (Edinburgh Accies / Northumbria University)
Duncan Hood (Heriot’s Blues)
Scott Clelland (Ayrshire Bulls)
Jamie Drummond (Ayrshire Bulls)
Gregor Scougall (Currie Chieftains)
Michael Jones (Boroughmuir Bears)
Luca Alessandri Cartha Queens Park)
Dean Hunter (GHA)
Chris Elliot (Cartha Queens Park)
John Paterson (St Andrews University)
Jamie Campbell (Boroughmuir Bears)
Struan Whittaker (Edinburgh Accies)
Cameron Cobbet (Hartpury College)
Hamish Ferguson (Currie Chieftains)
Harri Morris (Southern Knights)
Rhys Tait (Hawick / Exeter University)
Trystan Andrews (Glasgow Hawks)
Cameron Young (Ayr)
Backs:
Cameron Scott (Currie Chieftains)
Cameron Lessels (Currie Chieftains)
Sandy Greig (Glasgow Hawks)
Finn McIllwrith (Heriot’s Blues)
Callum Anderson (Selkirk)
Mikey Heron (Stirling Wolves)
Joseph Strain (Glasgow Hawks)
Christian Townsend (Ayrshire Bulls)
Thomas Glendinning (Glasgow Hawks)
Tom Lanni (Ayrshire Bulls)
Sean Carden (Glasgow University)
Roly Brett (Melrose)
Adam Scott (GHA)
Angus Hoffie (Currie Chieftains)
Ryan Daley (Currie Chieftains)
Ross McKnight (Stirling Wolves)
Jordan Craig (GHA)
Kieran Clark (Southern Knights)
Cardiff v Glasgow: morale boosting win on the road for Warriors
I have no skin in the game at all (relatives/job security etc) so think I can say what we all know and hear which is that C Townsend – whilst a very good player – is not (outside the inner sanctum) considered the best 10 at his level & age in the country currently. Maybe he will become so and that’s something they see. Never easy having a name either way. Just ask Adam Hastings. So wish him well whilst having sympathy for those who missed out.
I’ve seen Christian play a few times at youth level and frankly each time I’ve thought he was excellent. It’s fairly subjective to say who is and isn’t best especially with a development programme like ours which throws away a raft of talent at the age of 15 for good often off nothing more than a cursory glance.
He plays an ambitious brand of rugby and is very slick. There are others who are very much more ‘game plan’ players (something which is crippling pro rugby right now imo) but it would be criminal to ignore his talent. Forget his surname he’s an excellent prospect in his own right.
I agree our pathway system poor/premature. I think your man is very good but there are others whose faces don’t fit. Hey ho. Like I say no personal skin in the game.
Fascinating squad.
First of all, because none of these guys have played for 9 months so have they distinguished themselves from their peers?
Secondly, because it shows a number of them have signed super 6 who did not play at that level last year –
Southern Knights: K Clark
Ayrshire Bulls: T Lanni, C Townsend, S Cleland, J Drummond
Boroughmuir Bears: M Jones, J Campbell
Thirdly, if you look at list on SRU website it shows that a number are FOSROC Academy supported – so level 2 must have been selected, though never publicised. This includes some who were level 2 last year (e.g. Duncan Hood), some who seem to have been promoted into it (e.g. C Elliot) and some who seem to have been dropped from it (e.g. J Strain, S Cleland, S Whittaker ) though you can never be sure the SRU website has got their * against the right names!
Finally it looks like there has been a draft of Watsonians schoolboys moving to Currie – Hoffie, Daley, Scougall.