Under-21s out to avenge slender loss in France

DAVID FERGUSON


A THRASHING at the hands of young Mancunians could be the perfect preparation for Scotland Under-21s Six Nations Championship according to their coach.

Iain Paxton, the former Scotland and British and Irish Lions No8, steered his side to an unprecedented third place in last year's championship and sixth in the U-21 World Cup, and he believes the current side are stronger. Yet, morale was hit two weeks ago when the team suffered a 65-19 defeat to Sale's young team in Manchester, after leading 19-18 at half-time.


Tonight, however, they host the French at Falkirk Stadium - where they will also bid for back-to-back wins over England later this month - confident of claiming revenge for the agonising 12-8 defeat in Bourgoin last year.

Paxton said: "I think the Sale game was a marker in the sense that on that night we only had four players who were full-time professionals, and, while unfortunate for them, for the club players involved that night it was a lesson of where they have to go. If they have aspirations to play at the highest level they now know what's required.

"Sale had a particularly strong age-grade side out who are all involved in the full-time set-up, which was obvious in their conditioning and skill levels, but I wouldn't hesitate to take a team down there again became we have to learn from that. Sale and Leicester have very well-run academy systems and, realistically, there are probably more rugby players in Manchester than there are in Scotland.

"But we have a stronger starting XV this week, with ten players involved at pro level, and with the lessons learned at Sale I'm confident we can do well. Every game is going to be tough, but we have the ability to compete with everyone."

The team are missing John Beattie, the Glasgow No8 being out with glandular fever, and so John Barclay moves to the back of the scrum with Alan MacDonald, the Edinburgh flanker, coming in at openside. Garry Law, the Reivers centre, has shaken off a strain and will play, while Ryan Grant, Scott Newlands, Sean Crombie and Lee Kibble join Barclay in making their under-21 Test debuts.

The French youngsters are coached by legendary full-back Emile N'tamack.

England Under-21s get the first pop at reigning Grand Slam champions Wales at Worcester' tonight. Wales could take some stopping, however, with their line-up including Cardiff Blues wing Chris Czekaj - who was capped at senior level during last summer's North America tour - Ospreys' centre Andrew Bishop and Neath fly-half, James Hook.

Scotland Under-21s (v France U-21s at Falkirk Stadium, tonight 7pm): I Kennedy (Glasgow/Glasgow Hawks); B Addison (Stirling County), B Cairns (Edinburgh/Currie), G Law (Borders), L Kibble (Border/Biggar); D Blair (Sale, capt), G Laidlaw (Jed-Forest); R Grant (Army), S Crombie (Aberdeen GSFP), D Young (Leicester), J Eddie (Glasgow/Ayr), I Nimmo (Leicester), S Newlands (Heriot's), J Barclay (Glasgow), A MacDonald (Edinburgh). Subs: I Brown (Stirling County), K Traynor (Edinburgh/Boroughmuir), M Robertson (Hawick), J Taggart (Currie), S Biggart (Glasgow Hawks), J King (Borders/Melrose), D Whiteford (Melrose).

France U-21s: M Medard (Toulouse); Y Fior (Castres), M Mermoz (Toulouse), A Mignardi, F Denos (both Auch; L Beauxis, F Cibray capt (both Pau); L Cabarry (Stade Montois), A Heguy (Bayonne), Y Montes (Stade Francais), D Drozdz (Brive), L Jacquet (AS Montferrand), F Alexandre (Dax), D Chouly (Brive), S Malonga (Biarritz). Subs: L Sempre (Perpignan), D Weber (Stade Francais), J Le Devedec (Toulouse), F Ouedraogo (Montpellier), D Neveu (Brive), T Lacroix (Stade Francais), G Puyo (Pau).

TONIGHT'S FIXTURES (7.45 unless stated)

This article was posted on 3-Feb-2006, 07:29 by Hugh Barrow.