Borderer Kerr Johnston keeps starting place v France in rugby’s 2024 Under-20 Six Nations

Kerr Johnston in action for Scotland's under-20s during their 37-29 loss to Wales in Colwyn Bay in rugby's age-grade Six Nations on Friday (Photo: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho)

That match kicks off at Edinburgh’s Hive Stadium at 8pm and it will see Kerr, 19, retain the No 14 jersey he was given for last Friday’s opening 37-29 loss to Wales in Colwyn Bay.

The winger, previously at Edinburgh’s Boroughmuir Bears, was joined by Selkirk’s Monroe Job for the last seven minutes of that game after he was brought on as a replacement.

That was Glasgow Warrior Johnston’s fifth appearance for head coach Kenny Murray’s under-20s and Job’s third.

Hector Patterson playing for Hawick versus Currie Chieftains at the Greens' Mansfield Park home ground in March 2023 (Photo by Mark Scates/SNS Group/SRU)

Job, a No 8 for Borders Fosroc Super Series side Southern Knights, returns to the substitutes’ bench for this week’s game and he’s joined there by fellow ex-Souter Callum Smyth and Denholm’s Hector Patterson.

Johnston, Job, Smyth and Patterson are among six Borderers in the Scots’ squad, the others being Hawick’s Fraser Wilson and Melrose’s Finn Douglas.

Hooker Elliot Young and flanker Freddie Douglas scored tries at the double for the young Scots, captained by Liam McConnell, last Friday, with inside centre Kerr Yule adding another and fly-half Isaac Coates kicking two conversions, and all five retain their starting places against the French.

Besides Johnston, they’re joined by Fergus Watson, Geordie Gwynn, Amena Caqusau, Murdoch Lock, Robbie Deans, Callum Norrie, Theo Currie, Ruaraidh Hart and Jonny Morris.

Finn Douglas during a Scotland under-20s training session at Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell in January (Photo by Ross MacDonald/SNS Group/SRU)

Alongside Job, Smyth and Patterson among the replacements will be Jerry Blyth-Lafferty, Ryan Whitefield, Ryan Burke, Archie Clarke and Jack Hocking.

Explaining his selection, Murray, 50, said: “We started off with a really strong performance last week in Colwyn Bay, which slipped in the second half and let Wales beat us to the finish line.

“For many of the boys, that was their first taste of international rugby, and this week brings the even bigger challenge of France.

“We are looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd for the first time in this competition at the Hive Stadium.

“I’m sure the crowd will give the team the drive to put on an exciting performance under the Friday night lights.”

Friday’s game can be seen live on BBC iPlayer.