Borderers Kerr Johnston and Monroe Job selected for Scotland’s opening match of rugby’s 2024 Under-20 Six Nations

​Gala’s Kerr Johnston has been named in head coach Kenny Murray’s starting XV as one of his wingers, along with Glasgow Warriors’ Amena Caqusau, and Selkirk’s Monroe Job will be among eight replacements.

Johnston, previously at Edinburgh’s Boroughmuir Bears, is on a Scottish Rugby Academy contract and trains with United Rugby Championship side Glasgow Warriors these days.

No 8 Job is still Borders-based, though, as part of head coach Alan Tait’s Southern Knights Fosroc Super Series squad.

Johnston made his debut for the Scottish age-grade in summer 2022 against Wales during a tournament in Italy and has since played in 2023’s Under-20 Six Nations campaign and last July’s World Rugby U20 Trophy in Kenya in July.

Job made his U20 debut against Samoa at that Kenyan competition.

Johnston said: “From when I first started in the U20s to now, I feel like I’m a lot better physically and my skills are a lot better.”

Job added: “I’ll be doing my best to show what I can do and I’ll be putting my hand up a lot, as much as I can, and trying my best.”

The pair are among six Borderers in Murray’s 35-strong squad for this year’s age-grade tournament, the others being Denholm’s Hector Patterson, Hawick's Fraser Wilson, Selkirk’s Callum Smyth and Melrose’s Finn Douglas.

Scrum-half Patterson, formerly at Scottish Premiership table-toppers Hawick; prop Smyth, previously with Selkirk; and winger Douglas, at Melrose earlier in his sporting career, are all on academy contracts too and aligned with Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Patterson and Douglas train in the capital alongside Hawick’s Darcy Graham, Jedburgh’s Glen Young, West Linton’s Patrick Harrison, Melrose-born Charlie Shiel and ex-Knight Jacob Henry, and Smyth does his training at Warriors with Hawick’s Corey Tait, ex-Melrose prop Jamie Bhatti and former Knights Rory Darge and Ben Afshar.

Back-rower Wilson, like Job, still plays in the Borders, for Hawick.

The Scots’ tournament opener at Colywn Bay kicks off at 6.45pm and will be broadcast live on BBC iPlayer.

Murray, 50, said: “The team have prepared well for what should be a very competitive match in Colwyn Bay.

“We beat Wales last year at Scotstoun, but our hosts will be sure to use that as fuel to push for a win in front of their home crowd.

“The Under-20 Six Nations is always an exciting time of year for everyone involved.

“The players have put a lot of time and effort into their own game over the last year and we can’t wait to see them out on the pitch on Friday.”

Captained by flanker Liam McConnell, the Scots’ other starters are Fergus Watson, Geordie Gwynn, Kerr Yule, Isaac Coates, Murdoch Lock, Robbie Deans, Elliot Young, Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, Euan McVie, Ruaraidh Hart, Freddy Douglas and Tom Currie.

Joining Job on the substitutes’ bemch are Jerry Blyth-Lafferty, Alex O’Driscoll, Callum Norrie, Archie Clarke, Jonny Morris, Eric Davey and Jack Hocking.

Next up after this week’s trip to Wales is a game at home to France at Edinburgh’s Hive Stadium at 8pm next Friday, and the U20s are back in the capital to host England on Friday, February 23, at 7.15pm, then away to Italy in Treviso on Friday, March 8, at 7.15pm and Ireland in Cork on Friday, March 15, at 7pm.