Six Borderers in Scotland under-20 rugby squad beaten by Wales in Six Nations warm-up

Monroe Job on the ball during Selkirk's 50-17 loss at home to Marr at Philiphaugh in rugby's Scottish Premiership in November (Photo: Grant Kinghorn)

Selkirk’s Monroe Job and Callum Smyth, Hawick’s Fraser Wilson and Marcus Brogan, Kelso’s Ashton Asante and Melrose’s Dylan Cockburn all featured in the hosts’ 27-strong match-day squad, along with ex-Peebles Colts Ben White, now at Biggar, and Arran Cameron, since with Currie Chieftains and currently playing for Newcastle University.

Wilson, Southern Knight Job and Smyth, now with Glasgow Warriors, were all named in head coach Kenny Murray’s starting XV, with Brogan, Asante and Cockburn among the replacements.

On the scoresheet for the young Scots, 31-21 ahead at half-time, were hooker Joe Roberts and centre Kerr Yule at the double, prop Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, wingers Sam Rockley and Archie Callaghan and replacement full-back Jack Hocking with tries, Isaac Coates adding three conversions.

Fosroc Future XV's Callum Smyth celebrating scoring a try against Southern Knights at the Greenyards in Melrose in July (Photo by Ewan Bootman/SNS Group/SRU)

Murray, 50, was pleased with what he saw despite his side ending up on the wrong end of the scoreline, saying afterwards: “There was lot to take from that game, both positives and things we need to focus on in the coming weeks.

“This game gave us, as a coaching team, the opportunity to identify players who are at the level we need to take on the big teams that we will face in the Under-20 Six Nations at the start of next year.

“The squad we had contained a mixture of players, some that have played at U20 level before, and for some it was their first time.

“We were also missing some experienced guys who we look forward to welcoming back into the squad in the coming weeks.

Ex-Peebles Colt Ben White, now at Biggar (Photo by Ross Parker/SNS Group/SRU)

“A handful of these guys played for the Fosroc Future XV team during the Super Series Championship this year and today’s match showed that exposure and game-time has got them miles ahead of where they would have been this time last year against a Six Nations team.

“We were dominant in many aspects of this game, and ahead at half-time, but we just took our foot off the gas in the second half and let Wales get the better of us.”

Also in the Scottish squad were Euan Muirhead, Johnny Ventisei, Fergus Watson, Eric Davey, Euan McVie, Ryan Burke, Freddy Douglas, Bart Godsell, sometime Souter Josh Beveridge, Andrew McLean, Craig Nolan and Corey McCormack.