SCOTLAND under-18 play the second of their three matches in the five nations festival in Wales tomorrow at Caerphilly where the young Scots face their Irish counterparts, reports Alan Lorimer.
Only four of the side that started in the 30-31 defeat to Wales last Friday will start in this second round match, partly as a result of the need to rest players and partly because of the tournament rules state that every player in a squad must make at least one start.
“The game against Wales was very physical and so we had to give most of the players a rest.” said head coach Ally Donaldson.
“We know Ireland will be very strong, they lost narrowly to England by 15-12 in the opening round,” he added.
Donaldson has been forced to make one change to his squad, bringing in the Melrose Wasps back five player Ruairi Campbell for the Stewart’s-Melville College second row Jamie Hodgson, who is undergoing concussion protocol.
The game tonight will be played on a 3G surface which Donaldson believes might help Scotland.
“It is a fast surface and we like to play a fast game,” he said.
Scotland under-18 : P Anderson (Melrose Wasps); B Eynon (Strathallan School), C Hutchison (George Heriot’s School/North Berwick), F Strachan (Bedford School/Northampton Saints), B Appleson (Edinburgh Academy); K Brunton (Hawick High School/Hawick Wanderers), H Warr (Dollar Academy); C Clark (Stirling County), P Cairncross (Kelvinside Academy/East Kilbride), C Eastwood (George Watson’s College/Watsonians), D Rogers (Highland), J Bruce (Strathallan School), A Horne (Preston Lodge HS), F Haig (Fettes College), D Marek(Richard Huish College/Bath).
Replacements from R Dunbar (Stirling County RFC/Linlithgow Academy), E McLaren (Dollar Academy), R Smith (Ayr RFC/Douglas Ewart High School), A Erskine (Leister Tigers/Uppingham School), C Cruikshanks (Dollar Academy), R Campbell (Melrose Wasps), C Gowling (Sedburgh School/Newcastle Falcons), G Hughes (Dollar Academy), F Dingwall (Bedford School/Northampton Saints), S MacDowell (Merchiston Castle School), R McMichael (Wellington College/Harlequins).