HEAD COACH Stevie Scott has made two enforced changes to the Scotland Under-20 team which will take on their Irish counterparts at Donnybrook in Dublin on Friday night, with centre Fraser Strachan of the Northampton Saints Academy and flanker Rory Darge of Melrose being promoted from the bench in place of the injured Callum McLelland [Edinburgh] and Guy Graham [Hawick], respectively.
McLelland is concussed and Graham is struggling with a shoulder injury. Connor Boyle of Stewart’s Melville College has been promoted from the Scotland Under-18 set-up to sit on the bench, and Mark New of Glasgow Hawks will also get his chance to make a mark having been a part of the extended Under-20s squad during the first three rounds of matches.
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Stevie Scott’s side are looking to back up their shock victory over England at Myreside two weeks ago when they take on an Irish side which has also only won one match in the campaign so far, against Italy, but were far more competitive against both Wales and France than the young Scots managed to be, meaning that they are slightly ahead in fourth place in that championship table having gathered two more bonus points.
Scotland U20 team to face Ireland U20 at Donnybrook in the U20 Six Nations this Friday 9 March (kick-off 7.15pm) –
15. Paddy Dewhirst (Ayr)*
14. Rory McMichael (Glasgow Hawks)
13. Fraser Strachan (Northampton Saints)
12. Stafford McDowall (Ayr)** VICE CAPTAIN
11. Kyle Rowe (Glasgow Hawks)
10. Ross Thompson (Glasgow Hawks)*
9. Charlie Chapman (Gloucester)
1. Shaun Gunn (Edinburgh Accies)*
2. Robbie Smith (Ayr)** CAPTAIN
3. Finlay Richardson (Edinburgh Accies)
4. Ewan Johnson (Racing 92)
5. Jamie Hodgson (Watsonains)*
6. Martin Hughes (Heriots)*
7. Rory Darge (Melrose)*
8. Devante Onojaife (Northampton Saints)
Replacements: 16. Bradley Clements (Ealing); 17. Nathan McBeth (Lions); 18. Murphy Walker (Dundee HSFP)*; 19. Marshall Sykes (St Joseph’s College / Northampton Saints); 20. Connor Boyle (Stewart’s Melville College)* 21. Kaleem Barreto (Marr)**; 22. Mark New (Glasgow Hawks); 23. Logan Trotter (Stirling County)*
*BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy supported players 2017-18
**BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy Stage 3 players 2017