Healthy sprinkling of southern players in Scots U18 squad

Several Borders players could be among Scotland's U18 line-up on Sunday.

Head coach Iain Monaghan has included a mixture of home-based and Scottish qualified players for the game, which has been moved from Inverleith to the back pitches at BT Murrayfield and will kick off at 11.30am.

It is the first of two games for the Scotland U18 squad ahead of the 6 Nations Festival in Wales at the end of the month.

Next Sunday (March 18), they will play England at Bridgehaugh in Stirling, with a noon kick-off.

Monaghan said: “We’re looking forward to getting the group together properly and seeing where we are, 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.”

Entry to the March 11 game is free and the squad includes: 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 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).