Jedburgh’s Glen Young on bench for Scotland A rugby match against Chile and three ex-Melrose players in starting line-up

Jedburgh’s Glen Young is in with a chance of making his first international appearance for eight years as he’s been named in the Scotland A matchday squad to play Chile this weekend.
Glen Young during a Scotland training session in Edinburgh last week (Photo by Ross MacDonald/SNS Group/SRU)Glen Young during a Scotland training session in Edinburgh last week (Photo by Ross MacDonald/SNS Group/SRU)
Glen Young during a Scotland training session in Edinburgh last week (Photo by Ross MacDonald/SNS Group/SRU)

Young, 27, last played for his country at under-20 level back in 2014, picking up seven caps at that age grade.

The Edinburgh lock was called up to train with the national team during this year’s Six Nations tournament but was left waiting for his first full cap as he didn’t get the nod from head coach Gregor Townsend that time round.

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That cap might be forthcoming during this summer’s test series in Argentina but in the meantime the former Jed-Forest youth player is in with a shout of a first Scotland A appearance as he’s been named among the replacements for their match against Chile at the Estadio Santa Laura Universidad in Santiago this Saturday, June 25.

He’s one of 11 Edinburgh players in this weekend’s squad, captained by back-row Luke Crosbie.

The others are Matt Currie, Ben Muncaster, Dave Cherry, Jamie Hodgson and Damien Hoyland in the starting XV and Pierre Schoeman, Magnus Bradbury, Blair Kinghorn and Mark Bennett on the substitutes’ bench.

Hoyland is one of three former Melrose players set to start the game, the others being Glasgow Warriors’ Rufus McLean and Jamie Bhatti.

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Saturday’s match, the Scots’ first of their tour of South America, will be broadcast live on Premier Sports.

It’ll also be the first Scotland A match since a 16-all draw with England Saxons at Glasgow’s Scotstoun Stadium back in February 2014.

Following that match, ex-Gala and Border Reivers player Townsend’s touring party will head on to Argentina for three tests.

Making up the rest of the matchday squad are Ollie Smith, Sione Tuipulotu, Ross Thompson, George Horne, Javan Sebastian, Scott Cummings and Matt Fagerson, with Johnny Matthews, Murphy Walker and Ali Price also among the replacements.

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Looking ahead to the weekend’s game, Townsend, 49, said: “This match will be hugely beneficial. For the tour ahead, we’re getting an opportunity to have an extra game and see players who are going to challenge for a test start and also players who might not be involved in the test series, so that’s a bonus.

“We’re playing an international side who have won already this season against Russia and Canada and they play America the following week for a place in the world cup, so they’ll be a massive challenge for us.

“Just getting an extra game to see players desperate to play for Scotland in any form, and for some this is the first time outside age-grade rugby that they’ll have played for the national team, is beneficial.”