​Six Borderers named in Scotland squad for rugby’s 2024 Under-20 Six Nations

​Head coach Kenny Murray has named Denholm’s Hector Patterson, Hawick's Fraser Wilson, Selkirk’s Monroe Job and Callum Smyth, Gala’s Kerr Johnston and Melrose’s Finn Douglas in his 35-strong squad for this year’s age-grade tournament.

Scrum-half Patterson, formerly at Scottish Premiership table-toppers Hawick; prop Smyth, previously with Selkirk; and wingers Johnston and Douglas, at Gala and Melrose respectively earlier in their sporting careers, are all on Scottish Rugby Academy contracts and aligned with United Rugby Championship sides Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors these days.

Patterson and Douglas do their training with Edinburgh 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 and Johnston do theirs at Warriors with Hawick’s Corey Tait, ex-Melrose man Jamie Bhatti and former Knights Rory Darge and Ben Afshar.

Back-rower Wilson and No 8 Job are still Borders-based, however, the former at Hawick and the latter with Fosroc Super Series side Southern Knights.

Joining Smyth, Wilson, Job and captain Liam McConnell among 18 forwards are Robbie Deans, Alex O’Driscoll, Ollie and Jerry Blyth-Lafferty, Callum Norrie, Elliot Young, Ryan Burke, Ruaraidh Hart, Euan McVie, Theo and Tom Currie, Freddy Douglas, Johnny Morris and Archie Clarke.

Douglas, Patterson and Johnston’s 14 fellow backs are Murdoch Lock, Eric Davey, Isaac Coates, Andrew McLean, Matthew Urwin, Kerr Yule, Johnny Ventisei, Geordie Gwynn, Ludo Kolade, Jack Hocking, Fergus Watson, Amena Caqusau, Logan Jarvie and Finlay Doyle.

Their campaign begins away to Wales in Colwyn Bay on Friday, February 2, with kick-off at 7.15pm, and continues a week later at home to France at Edinburgh’s Hive Stadium at 8pm.

They’re 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.

Murray, 50, said: “We’ve been able to name a strong squad, one which involves many players who, thanks to the involvement of the Fosroc Future XV, have shown a lot of improvement and great promise over the past season.

“That includes the likes of Tom Currie, who had the second highest tackle completion rate of the whole championship, and Amena Caqusau, who was in the top five try scorers.

“We know how tough the Six Nations can be for this young group, so it has been vital for us to prepare the guys the best we can for what should be another exciting competition.

“I’m looking forward to seeing Liam take on the captaincy role by himself this campaign as he has been an outstanding leader for the group over the past year.”

All the young Scots’ games can be watched live on BBC iPlayer.