THE SCOTSMAN REPORTS
Paxton confident Under-21s can match junior Wallabies
ALAN LORIMER IN VICHY

SCOTLAND open their IRB Under-21 World Championship campaign against Australia tonight in the impressive Stade D'Aragon here hoping that they can repeat their first-round performance of last year in Mendoza when they ran the young Wallabies to a close game.

Australia eventually finished winners by 27-21, but Scotland earned what was to be a crucial bonus point. "We can take confidence from the game last year," suggested Scotland coach Iain Paxton. He added : "Over the 80 minutes last year we were right in the game. I believe we have a good squad of players this year."
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Of the 22 players named in the squad for today's first-round game, ten played in last year's tournament.

"I suspect that if some of our guys were Australian, they would get Super 14 contracts," said Paxton, whose squad is one of six countries based in Vichy, the other six being in Clermont-Ferrand.

"We're fortunate to be in Vichy. The facilities for training are magnificent," he added. "The match kicks off at 7pm local time when the fierce heat will be less intense."

Scotland Under-21 (to play Australia U21 in IRB World Championship at Vichy, France, 6pm(BST)) J King (Borders); B Addison (Stirling Co), B Cairns (Edinburgh), G Law (Borders), L Kibble (Borders); D Blair (Sale), G Laidlaw (Jed-Forest); R Grant (Army), S Crombie (Aberdeen GSFP), D Young (Leicester), J Eddie (Glasgow), I Nimmo (Leicester), A MacDonald (Edinburgh), R Rennie (Edinburgh), J Barclay (Glasgow) Subs K Traynor (Boroughmuir), I Brown (Stirling Co), A Kelly (Hillhead/Jordanhill), S Newlands (Heriot's), M Brinkhurst (Watsonians), I Kennedy (Glasgow Hawks), C Johnston (Newcastle

This article was originally posted on 9-Jun-2006, 06:42 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 9-Jun-2006, 06:44.