U20s 6N: Scotland v Italy: 12 new caps in home squad for championship opener

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KENNY MURRAY has named nine new caps – including seven forwards – in his Scotland Under-20s starting XV which will kick-off their Six Nations campaign against Italy at Hive Stadium on Friday night [kick-off 7.15pm], with three more debutants on the bench.

Winger Guy Rogers (University of Surrey/Harlequins) and scrum-half Noah Cowan (Brunel University/Ealing Trailfinders) are the new faces behind the scrum having become Scottish Rugby’s SQ programme, with centre Johnny Ventisei (Glasgow Warriors academy) captaining the side.

In the pack, loose-head prop Oliver McKenna, hooker Joe Roberts (both Glasgow Warriors academy), second-rows Charlie Moss (Montpellier) and Dan Halkon (Glasgow Warriors), blindside-flanker Christian Lindsay (Loretto School/Edinburgh Rugby academy), Billy Allen (Dungannon RFC) and Reuben Logan (Northampton Saints) are all making their debuts, leaving Ollie Blyth Lafferty who played during the team’s Junior World Trophy success last summer.as the old head in the forwards at the age of 18.

Bart Godsell (Loughborough University), Ross Wolfenden and Nairn Moncrieff (both Edinburgh Rugby academy) are the players in line for their first under-20s caps if deployed as replacements.

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So, a lot of young men taking a step into the unknown, but head coach Murray insisted that this is a sign of the potential he now has at his disposal rather than a function of a lack of talent in the current under-20s set-up.

"There's a lot of under-19s in there as well, which just shows you the quality of some of those young guys coming through,” he reasoned . “You've got Ollie McKenna at loose-head prop, Joe Roberts at hooker and Ollie Blyth-Lafferty at tight-head, so that is an all under-19 front-row.

"At lock you have Dan Halkon, who is also under-19, so four out of our starting front-five are in that category. Dan played Scotland Under-18s last year, then joined the Glasgow academy, and since then he's played against Ulster Under-23s and in a couple of 'A' games, so as a young guy he has played a lot of really good games. He is a big man and we are excited to see how he goes.

"And in the back-row, Christian Lindsay is actually under-18s. He has been in the 18s programme for the last year and a half and shown up as a player of real talent. We've had him in with us and he's played in our training matches since December, so we know he's ready to go."

"These boys are not in there because there is nobody else. They are in there because they are good players who are keeping other good players out the team. We're fully expecting to go out there, play well at the weekend, and hopefully beat Italy.

"I think this is the first time in two years that we have had a full under-20s backline, so it is more of an experienced backline and a developing forward pack. I suppose it is swings and roundabouts,” he added.

The most notable absentee from the side –  who would add significant experience if involved –  is openside flanker Freddy Douglas, who is on the road to recovery after suffering an ankle injury playing for Edinburgh in the Challenge Cup a few weeks after making his senior Scotland debut against Portugal in November.

"Freddy is now on his return to play and going to be back in training with us next week, so we'll look to get him back in over the next couple of weeks, all things going well. The Ireland game is a possibility but more likely towards the third game,” explained Murray.

Murray also explained how the squad has benefitted from a “brutally physical” training match against an Edinburgh team featuring the likes of Harri Morris, Robin Hislop, Rob Carmichael, Ben Vallacott, and Harry Paterson two weekends ago, f0llowed by two really fast training sessions with Glasgow Warriors last Monday and Tuesday, and with the senior Scotland team last Friday.

"We're in a good place, and I think everyone is just raring to go after having a training programme from December into January,” he said.

"Italy have seven forwards returning so we know they are going to be a physical team with a good forward platform, but we see that as a strength of our team because we've got some big men up front as well,” he continued. "In the backs, they are very good on their transition, so they will try to counter and we expect them to come and play a bit."

Scotland U20s (versus Italy U20s at Hive Stadium on Friday 7.15pm – live on BBC iPlayer): J Brown; G Rogers, J Ventisei, K Yule, F Watson; M Urwin, N Cowan; O McKenna, J Roberts, O Blyth-Lafferty, C Moss, D Halkon, C Lindsay, B Allen, R Logan. Subs: S Stephen, J Shearer, R Whitefield, B Godsell, O Duncan, H Patterson, R Wolfenden, N Moncrieff.

• You can book your Six Nations hospitality and VIP tickets with Seat Unique HERE, an Official Hospitality Partner of The Murrayfield Experience

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