Head coach Eddie Pollock today named two changes to the Scotland under-18 side to face Wales in the quarter-final of the FIRA European Championships in Poland tomorrow (kick-off 1pm UK time).

The 26-man championship squad has been rotated around two preparation fixtures, against England and Ireland in recent weeks, with today’s selection facing their first competition fixture.

The changes see the return of George Watson’s College duo Robbie Nairn (wing) and Jake Kerr (hooker), who will enter the fray from the outset.

Ben Robbins and Lewis Anderson are swapped to take the vacated places on the bench, while a further change to the replacements sees centre Adam Hastings come in for Max MacFarlane.

Pollock said: “We’ve come into the tournament seeded fourth and, in order to hold that seeding, we need to get a win tomorrow.

“To get that we are going to have to deliver our best performance of the season.

We have to be competitive at this level and to do that we have to put a full 70-minute performance together.

“We didn’t do that against England and Ireland in our warm-up games, and were hurt towards the end by two good sides.

He continued: “It’s a 23-man squad and the substitutes are going to be really important.

“We have players on the bench who can make an impact on this game, and we need that from them.

Playing tournament rugby is an invaluable experience for the boys. It’s a big challenge and one that we’re looking forward to.”

Scotland under-18 team to play Wales under-18 at the FIRA European Championship quarter-final in Poland tomorrow (Friday 11 April), kick-off 1pm UK time.



15 Ruairi Howarth (Gala Academy / Gala)



14 Reuben Norville (St. Pauls, London / London Irish)

13 Josh Laird (Strathallan School / Kirkcaldy)

12 George Taylor (Loretto School / Melrose)

11 Robbie Nairn (George Watson’s College)



10 Rory Hutchinson (MPW Cambridge / Shelford)

9 Andrew Manson (Stewart’s Melville College)



1 Murray McCallum (Strathallan / Dunfermline)

2 Jake Kerr* (George Watson’s College / Watsonians)

3 Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Hawks)

4 Andrew Davidson (Kelvinside Academy / Glasgow Hawks)

5 Jamie Ritchie* (Strathallan / Howe of Fife) CAPTAIN

6 Scott Burnside* (Heriot’s FP)

7 Matthew Smith (Stirling County)

8 Ally Miller* (George Watson’s College / Watsonians)



Substitutes

16 Lewis Anderson (Marr College / Ayr)

17 Gary Robertson (Gala Academy / Gala)

18 Callum Sheldon (Queen Elizabeth School / Newcastle Falcons)

19 Lewis Wynne (St. Mungo's High School / Stirling County)

20 Calum Hunter-Hill (Stewart's Melville College)

21 Hugh Fraser* (Merchiston Castle School)

22 Adam Hastings (Millfield School)

23 Ben Robbins * (George Watson’s College / Currie)



Scotland under-18 squad for the FIRA European Championships:

Backs: Ruairi Howarth (Gala Academy / Gala), Adam Hastings (Millfield School), Rory Hutchinson (MPW Cambridge / Shelford), Hugh Fraser* (Merchiston Castle School), Josh Laird (Strathallan School / Kirkcaldy), Andrew Manson (Stewart’s Melville College), Robbie Nairn (George Watson’s College), Reuben Norville (St. Pauls, London / London Irish), Ben Robbins * (George Watson’s College / Currie), George Taylor (Loretto School / Melrose),

Forwards: Lewis Anderson (Marr College / Ayr), Scott Burnside* (Heriot’s FP), Fraser Christie (Stewart’s Melville College), Andrew Davidson (Kelvinside Academy / Glasgow Hawks), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Hawks), Calum Hunter-Hill (Stewart's Melville College), Jake Kerr* (George Watson’s College / Watsonians), Max MacFarlane (Hutchesons' Grammar School),Murray McCallum (Strathallan / Dunfermline), Ally Miller* (George Watson’s College / Watsonians). Jamie Ritchie* (Strathallan / Howe of Fife) CAPTAIN, Gary Robertson (Gala Academy / Gala), Callum Sheldon (Queen Elizabeth School / Newcastle Falcons), Matthew Smith (Stirling County), Lewis Wynne (St. Mungo's High School / Stirling County).



Scotland Under-18 programme

Scotland U18 6-28 England U18, Dalziel Park

Ireland U18 26-6 Scotland U18, Ashbrook, Dublin

Thursday 10 to Sunday 20 April – FIRA/AER U18 Championship, Poland

Friday 11 April - Scotland under-18 v Wales under-18 (kick-off 1pm UK time)

This article was posted on 10-Apr-2014, 14:02 by Hugh Barrow.