Six Nations Preview: Scotland Under-20s v Ireland Under-20s

SCOTLAND UNDER-20s (3rd) v IRELAND UNDER-20s (4th), Netherdale, Galashiels, 7.30pm (Admission is free)

Team News: The Ireland Under-20 team, sponsored by PwC, has been named for their third match of the RBS U-20 6 Nations Championship. The side will take on their Scottish counterparts at Netherdale on Friday evening.

Head coach Mike Ruddock has made three personnel changes and two positional switches to the Ireland side that defeated England in their last outing.

Darragh Leader comes into the side at full-back for his first appearance of the tournament, having recovered from a hand injury he packed up earlier in the year.

Rory Scannell reverts to the inside centre position with Steve Crosbie returning at out-half. He has recovered from the hamstring injury he picked up playing against Wales in the opening Six Nations game.

Josh van der Flier has been promoted from the replacements bench to be named at openside flanker with Ryan Murphy moving to number 8.

Jerry Sexton, Eoghan Masterson and Mark Roche have been named among the replacements.

Meanwhile, Scotland boss Sean Lineen has made four changes to the starting line-up for his team’s third Six Nations clash, as well as a debut appearance on the bench for Stirling County hooker Reyner Kennedy.

The personnel changes in the backs are Ruaridh Young at full-back – he comes in for Keith Buchan who drops to the bench – and Robbie Fergusson makes his first start of the campaign in the centre with Mark Bennett training with the Glasgow Warriors this week.

Up front, hooker Russell Anderson is carrying a knee injury so he is replaced by Callum Black, while Alex Henderson makes his first start at blindside flanker in place of the benched Tommy Spinks.

SCOTLAND U-20: Ruaridh Young (Edinburgh Accies); Damien Hoyland (Boroughmuir), Chris Auld (Gala), Robbie Fergusson (Ayr), Rory Hughes (Scotland Sevens/Stirling County); Tommy Allan (unattached), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh/Heriot’s); Jamie Bhatti (Stirling County), Callum Black (Edinburgh Accies), Phil Cringle (Edinburgh/Stewart’s-Melville FP), Adam Sinclair (Perpignan), Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors/Currie) (capt), Alex Henderson (Boroughmuir), Will Bordill (Sale Sharks), Adam Ashe (Glasgow Warriors/Stirling County).

Replacements: Reyner Kennedy (Stirling County), Shawn Muir (Hawick), D’arcy Rae (Ayr), Ruaridh Leishman (Edinburgh Accies), Tommy Spinks (London Scottish), Ali Price (Bedford Blues), Alex Hagart (Aberdeen Grammar), Keith Buchan (Boroughmuir).

IRELAND U-20: Darragh Leader (Galwegians/Connacht); David Panter (Corinthians/Connacht), Tom Daly (Lansdowne/Leinster), Rory Scannell (Dolphin/Munster), Rory Scholes (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster); Steve Crosbie (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) (capt); Peter Dooley (Lansdowne/Leinster), George McGuigan (Newcastle Falcons/Exiles), Chris Taylor (Malone/Ulster), Gavin Thornbury (UCD/Leinster), John Donnan (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Peadar Timmins (UCD/Leinster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Ryan Murphy (Dolphin/Munster).

Replacements: John Andrew (Ballymena/Ulster), Ryan Furniss (Worcester Warriors/Exiles), Adam Boland (Lansdowne/Connacht), Jerry Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Eoghan Masterson (Clontarf/Leinster), John Creighton (Malone/Ulster), Mark Roche (Lansdowne/Connacht), Darren Sweetnam (UCC/Munster).

Referee: Ian Davies (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Wayne Davies, Kelvin Shorte (both Wales)

Match Odds (Paddy Power): Scotland U-20s to win: 3/1; Draw: 25/1; Ireland U-20s to win: 2/9

Pre-Match Quotes – Mike Ruddock (Ireland U-20s): “We are pleased to have banked a win against England but that’s behind us now as we attempt to defeat a much improved Scotland side under Sean Lineen.

“The Scottish side are very well coached and on their own patch they will be a very difficult hurdle to overcome.”

Sean Lineen (Scotland U-20s): “The changes we have made for the Ireland match reflect the way we want to play against them. They will be a strong and physical opposition with a dangerous back-line who will look to cause us problems.

“However, I have once again been really impressed with the attitude of our players. The changes also show the competition for places in this team.

“We played against Edinburgh University on Monday evening and the players were looking strong and off the back of that we will look to fine-tune our tactics.”

Match Facts –

– Scotland’s only three wins in the Under-20 Six Nations since 2009 have all been against Italy

– The Ireland Under-20s’ last five encounters in the Six Nations have all been won by the home side on the day

– Ireland’s only away win in their last four games in this competition was 13-12 over France in Grenoble in round 2 last year

– Scotland have won only one of their nine previous encounters with the Ireland Under-20s: 35-20 at McDiarmid Stadium in Perth in March 2009

– Centre Tom Daly, who slotted the match-winning conversion for Ireland against England last time out, is currently the fourth top points scorer in the Championship with 18 points (1 try, 2 conversions and 3 penalties)

Recent Meetings –

2010: RBS U-20 6 Nations: Ireland U-20s 44 Scotland U-20s 15, Dubarry Park; IRB Junior World Championship – 9th-10th Place Play-Off: Ireland U-20s 53 Scotland U-20s 23, Club Atletico Estudiantes, Parana

2011: RBS U-20 6 Nations: Scotland U-20s 0 Ireland U-20s 15, Tulloch Stadium, Inverness; IRB Junior World Championship Pool C: Ireland U-20s 30 Scotland U-20s 13, Stadio Mario Battaglini, Rovigo

2012: RBS U-20 6 Nations: Ireland U-20s 26 Scotland U-20s 0, Dubarry Park