Borderers keep places on bench for Scotland’s second game of rugby’s 2025 Under-20 Six Nations v Ireland
Borderers Hector Patterson, Ross Wolfenden and Nairn Moncrieff have kept their places among the replacements for Scotland’s second match of rugby’s 2025 Under-20 Six Nations at home to Ireland this Saturday, February 8.
Head coach Kenny Murray has named a match-day squad almost unchanged from the one beaten 22-10 in their tournament opener hosting Italy at Edinburgh’s Hive Stadium last Friday.
Wearing jerseys numbered respectively 21 to 23, Hawick’s Patterson, Peebles’ Wolfenden and Galashiels’ Moncrieff will be accompanied on the substitutes’ bench at the Hive by Jake Shearer, Bart Godsell, Oliver Duncan and Jamie Stewart, the last, replacing Ryan Whitefield, being the only change from last week.
Murray’s starting XV will comprise Jack Brown, Guy Rogers, Johnny Ventisei, Kerr Yule, Fergus Watson, Matthew Urwin, Noah Cowan, Oliver McKenna, Joe Roberts, Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, Charlie Moss, Dan Halkon, Christian Lindsay, Billy Allen and Reuben Logan.
Kick-off will be at 7.45pm and the game will be screened live on BBC iPlayer.
Scrum-half Patterson, winger Moncrieff and fly-half or full-back Wolfenden, all academy players at United Rugby Championship side Edinburgh these days, are the only Borderers in Murray’s 34-strong squad for the tournament.
Next up for the young Scots after this weekend are a trip south of the border to Newcastle’s Kingston Park to play England on Friday, February 21, at 7.15pm; a return home to host Wales on Friday, March 7, at 7.15pm; and an away-day to France on Friday, March 14, at the same time.
Announcing his selection, Murray, 51, said: “We’re looking for that consistency across the pitch, so we’re happy to be able to keep the same starting team as last week.
“We’re still looking for that 80-minute performance that we’re capable of, and it’s important that we produce something that our fans at Hive Stadium can be proud of.
“It was a great atmosphere for the game last weekend, which was a valuable experience for our players to be involved in, and I’m sure it will be more of the same this weekend.”
Patterson, Moncrieff and Wolfenden were all given game-time as their team lost 22-10 to the Italians.
Patterson was first on, replacing Cowan at scrum-half on 49 minutes, with Gala’s Moncrieff and Peebles Wolfenden, both making their under-20 debuts, following him onto the pitch on 64 minutes and 76 respectively, taking over from left-winger Watson and fly-half Urwin.