Scotland U18 have named a 26-man squad for Sunday’s game against Wales U18 on the BT Murrayfield back pitches.
Kicking off at 11.30am, the squad, picked by Head Coach Iain Monaghan, is a mixture of home-based players and Scottish Exiles.
In total there are 6 Scottish Exiles in the squad. Among the forwards are Gosforth Academy pair Ashley Sinton and James Barker, and they are joined by Hymers College’s Archie Smeaton. Out in the back division SGS Filton College’s Nathan Chamberlain will make the trip, so too Bishop Burton College’s Dan Lancaster, a Yorkshire Carnegie teammate of Smeaton’s, and St Peter’s York’s Charlie Hudson, a member of the ISRFC Lambs U18 National Squad.
Among the Scottish schools, meanwhile, Merchiston Castle have a hugely impressive five players in the squad, Matthew Currie, Rufus McLean, Jamie Dobie, Daniel Gamble, and their captain, Tyler Thomas.
Following Sunday’s game against Wales, Scotland will host England at Stirling County RFC, before heading to Wales for the U18 6 Nations Festival at the end of the month, where they will play three games.
Commenting on his squad to Scottish Rugby, Scotland U18 Head Coach Iain Monaghan said:
“We’re looking forward to getting the group together properly and seeing where we are at physically, technically and tactically for the challenges that lie ahead. We work very closely with the clubs, schools and BT Sport Academies to make sure we have regular contact with the U18 and U17 groups throughout the year, but the focus on these individuals’ development intensifies post-Christmas when a lot of the school and club fixtures are moving to friendlies and sevens.”
“The Wales U18 players come with a good skill-set and understanding of the game, so we’ll be learning on the move as we play against them, but we can definitely look forward to a huge physical battle and one which will hopefully bring a lot of tries.”
Scotland U18 v Wales U18 – Sunday 11th March, 11.30am, BT Murrayfield
Scotland U18 Squad
Forwards
Thomas Jeffrey (Peebles)
Mak Wilson (Duns)
Daniel Gamble (Kelso/Merchiston Castle School)
Ashley Sinton (Newcastle Falcons/Gosforth High School)
Rory S Jackson (Edinburgh Academy)
Scott Clelland (Ayr)
Tyler Thomas (Merchiston Castle School)
Tom Morris (Dollar Academy)
Kieran Watt (Watsonians)
James Barker (Newcastle Falcons/Gosforth HS)
Gavin Wilson (Dumfries Saints)
Archie Smeaton (Yorkshire Carnegie/Hymers College)
Alex Marsh (Strathallan School)
Cammy Brown (Kelso)
Backs
Luhann Kotze (Biggar)
Jamie Dobie (Merchiston Castle School)
Nathan Chamberlain (Bristol/SGS Filton College)
Dan Lancaster (Yorkshire Carnegie/Bishop Burton College)
Scott Robeson (George Heriot’s School)
Ollie Smith (Strathallan School)
Jack Blain (Stewart’s Melville College)
Rufus McLean (Merchiston Castle School)
Callum Hoffie (George Watson’s College)
Charlie Hudson (St Peter’s York)
Matt Kindness (Kelso)
Matthew Currie (Merchiston Castle School)
