Scotland U18s will select their side to face England on the 9th March following an exciting looking ‘Probables v Possibles’ clash on Sunday afternoon.

The game is at Laigh Bent at 1pm and harks back to the old amateur ‘Blues v Reds’ days. It will be between the current Scotland U18s squad and a Scotland Districts U18 XV. Though Head Coach Eddie Pollock was keen to stress that this will be very much open field for selection:

“We’ve picked an initial squad of 24 to represent Scotland under-18, with an eye on the England game in a fortnight’s time. It’s our last opportunity to really run the rule over everyone at the same time, in like-for-like positions.”

“All of the players in the district squad will look at this as an opportunity to force their way in and, although we’ve picked an initial squad in the XV-side, it’s certainly not in tablets of stone.”

“There’s still a lot to play for which will create a very competitive situation.”

There are a number of promising players in both squads, with both also containing many players that we at Fifteen Rugby have spent plenty of time observing on the school playing fields. One particularly exciting clash will be in the centres where Millfield School’s 1st XV centre pairing will be in opposition to each other.

Adam Hastings is in the probable a squad, while his school team mate, Alec Coombes, will be opposite him in the possibles lineup – an intriguing match up.

Other exciting prospects currently plying their trade south of the border are QEH’s Callum Sheldon, Whitgift’s Joseph Hughes, MPW’s Rory Hutchinson, and Reuben Norville of St Paul’s Catholic College in the Probables squad.

In the Possibles Sedbergh’s Angus Erskine, Uppingham’s Charlie Moffatt, Andrew Munro-Lott of Truro School, Bath’s Dom McKenzie, Sam Trowbridge of Wellington College, Wasps’ Stuart Jordan (Wasps RFC), and Gavin Parker of Exeter University all join Alec Coombes.

It should all bode for an exciting match and a highly competitive Scotland U18s side to face England, again at Laigh Bent on the 9th March.

Scotland U18 Schedule:

Sunday 23 February – Scotland XV U18 v Scottish Districts U18, Laigh Bent (kick-off 1pm)

Sunday 9 March – Scotland U18 v  England U18, Laigh Bent (kick-off 12 noon)

Sunday 30 March – Ireland U18 v Scotland U18, Coolmine RFC, Dublin (kick-off 2pm)

Thursday 10 to Sunday 20 April – FIRA/AER U18 Championship, Poland

SCOTLAND U18s:

Forwards: Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Hawks RFC), Murray McCallum (Strathallan / Dunfermline RFC), Callum Sheldon (Queen Elizabeth School / Newcastle Falcons), Gary Robertson (Gala Wanderers RFC), Lewis Anderson (Marr College / Ayr RFC), Jake Kerr (George Watson’s College / Watsonians RFC)*, Stephen Ainslie (Loretto School / Berwick RFC)*, Andrew Davidson (Kelvinside Academy / Glasgow Hawks RFC), Jamie Ritchie (Strathallan / Howe of Fife)*, Joseph Hughes (Whitgift School), Ally Miller (George Watson’s College / Watsonians RFC)*, Lewis Wynne (Stirling County RFC), Scott Burnside (Heriots FP RFC)*, Matthew Smith (Stirling High School / Stirling County RFC).

Backs: Hugh Fraser (Merchiston Castle School)*, Andrew Manson (Stewarts Melville College), Adam Hastings (Millfield School), Rory Hutchison (MPW Cambridge / Shelford RFC), Josh Laird (Strathallan School / Kirkcaldy RFC), George Taylor (Loretto School / Melrose RFC), Ben Robbins (George Watson’s College), Reuben Norville (St. Pauls (London)/London Irish), Robbie Nairn (George Watson’s College / Currie RFC)*, Ruari Howarth (Gala Wanderers RFC).

SCOTTISH DISTRICTS U18s:

Forwards: Lyall Archer (Highland RFC)*, Adam Nicol (Queen Anne High School / Dunfermline RFC), Tom Scalio (St. Aloyius College), Angus Erskine (Sedbergh School), Fraser Renwick (Hawick High School / Hawick RFC), Charlie Moffatt (Uppingham School), Harry Borthwick (Gosforth High School / Berwick RFC), Calum Hunter-Hill (Stewart’s Melville College), Alex Afuakwah (High School of Glasgow / Glasgow Hawks), Grant Neilson (Daziel RFC), Zach Mercer (Merchiston Castle School / GHA RFC)*, Christopher Jollands (Dundee High School)*, Fraser Christie (Stewarts Melville College).

Backs: Struan Hutchison (Longridge Towers / Melrose RFC), Andrew Munro-Lott (Truro School), Tom Galbraith (Glenalmond School / Kelso RFC), Dom McKenzie (Bath RFC), Alec Coombes (Millfield School), Sam Trowbridge (Wellington College), James Couper (GHA)*, Stuart Jordan (Wasps RFC), Jon Price (Madras RFC / St Andrew’s University), Gavin Parker (Exeter University).