Scotland have named their side for their final game of the U20 6 Nations campaign, against England at Franklin’s Gardens on Friday night.
The 7.45pm kick off at the home of Northampton Saints will be televised live on Sky Sports and sees both sides going for back to back wins after Scotland beat Wales 27-20 last week and England beat Italy.
Head Coach Carl Hogg has made just one change to the side that beat Wales, with Edinburgh Accies’ Jack Mann coming in at number 8 for the injured Kwagga van Niekerk at number 8, Sale Sharks’ Teddy Leatherbarrow therefore being promoted to the bench, one of eight exiles in the 23.
Alongside Mann in the back row is skipper Connor Boyle at openside and Charlie Jupp at blindside. Cameron Henderson and Racing 92’s Ewan Johnson are again the second row combination, with Ewan Ashman at hooker, making it two Sale Sharks in the 23, and Muprhy Walker and Euan McLaren propping either side of him.
The backs once again see Roan Frostwick and Ross Thompson as the half back partners, with fly half Thompson also the vice captain. It is an all Exiles centre combination of Complutense Cisernos’ Robbie McCallum at inside centre and Wasps’ Cameron Anderson at outside centre.
The back three is heavily Exiles influenced, London Scottish’s Matt Davidson at full back, and while the wings are both Heriot’s men Rory McMichael and Jack Blain, McMichael was once a pupil at Wellington College.
On the bench Glasgow Hawks pair Angus Fraser and Andrew Nimmo cover the front row alongside Cardiff Met University’s Will Hurd, with Ross Bundy joining Leatherbarrow in covering the rest of the forward pack.
Murray Scott covers scrum half, with Bristol Bears’ Nathan Chamberlain the fly half cover, Ayr’s Ollie Smith covers the outside backs.
Speaking to www.scottishrugby.org ahead of the game, Carl Hogg, said: “Jack [Mann] comes in to that back-row. He’s a big strong physical ball carrier and adds some further balance to our pack.”
“We were happy with the way in which we executed our game plan against Wales last weekend. I thought the boys’ attitude and approach to the match was excellent and we scored some really well-worked tries on the night. England have a tough, athletic pack and will want to finish their 2019 campaign on a high, but we’ve trained really well this week and the squad are looking forward to the challenge that awaits us at Franklin’s Gardens this Friday night.”
Scotland U20 v England: Friday, 7.45pm, Franklin’s Gardens (Live on Sky Sports Mix/Action)
15 Matt Davidson (London Scottish), 14 Rory McMichael (Heriot’s), 13 Cameron Anderson (Wasps), 12 Robbie McCallum (Complutense Cisneros), 11 Jack Blain (Heriot’s), 10 Ross Thompson (Glasgow Hawks, vc), 9 Roan Frostwick (Currie Chieftains), 1 Murphy Walker (Stirling County), 2 Ewan Ashman (Sale Sharks), 3 Euan McLaren (Ayr). 4 Ewan Johnson (Racing 92), 5 Cameron Henderson (Stirling County), 6 Charlie Jupp (Heriot’s), 7 Connor Boyle (Watsonians, captain), 8 Jack Mann (Edinburgh Accies).
Replacements: 16 Angus Fraser (Glasgow Hawks), 17 Andrew Nimmo (Glasgow Hawks), 18 Will Hurd (Cardiff Metropolitan University), 19 Ross Bundy (Stirling County), 20 Teddy Leatherbarrow (Sale Sharks), 21 Murray Scott (Watsonians), 22 Nathan Chamberlain (Bristol Bears), 23 Ollie Smith (Ayr).
Scotland U20 6 Nations Fixtures:
Round 1: Scotland 22-32 Italy
Round 2: Ireland 5-24 Scotland
Round 3: France 42-27 Scotland
Round 4: Scotland 27-20 Wales
Round 5: England – Friday 15th Mar, Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton, 7.45pm
