DEFEAT FOR DEPLETED SCOTS
Wales u19 48, Scotland u19 10

Scotland u19 tasted a sour defeat against Wales u19 in Aberavon tonight as they suffered their biggest defeat this season with only five substitutes on the bench.

Stewart’s Melville FP flyer David McCall pulled out of the line-up after training last night with a recurring knee problem but worse was still to come.

Centre Calum Mark strained his calf in the warm-up which resulted in Stirling County scrum-half Stuart McGhee playing at inside centre leaving only two backs on the bench.

Scotland u19 head coach Peter Wright said: “Stuart played pretty well at 12 considering he was out of position.

“The Welsh were bigger, better and faster and are not far off of the top four teams in the world.

“It just shows what level we have to achieve for the IRB under 19 World Championship in Dubai which is our main goal.

“To be fair, the boys kept battling away and gave it their all,” he added.

Scotland’s points came from a Pat McArthur try which was converted by Ross Curle. Curle added a further penalty.

Scotland u19: Colin Goudie (Stewart’s Melville FP); Ross Curle (Hillhead/Jordanhill), Jack Cuthbert (Bath), Jamie Hunter (Hillhead/Jordanhill), Ally Robertson (Ellon); Cameron Ferguson (Dundee HSFP) CAPTAIN, Murray Bringhurst (Watsonians); Alan Dymock (Dundee HSFP), Tom Wright (Watsonians & Northumbria University), Gordon Reid (Ayr), Richard Vernon (Stewart’s Melville FP), Steven Turnbull (Stirling County), Frazer McArdell (Hartpury College), Daniel Levison (Dundee High School), David Lambert (Loughborough University)
Substitutes (all used): Frazer Wilford (Sheffield Hallam University), Ross McCallum (Ardrossan Academy), Nick Hart (Watsonians), Patrick McArthur (West of Scotland), Stuart McGhee (Stirling County)

This article was posted on 9-Feb-2006, 21:50 by Hugh Barrow.