THE HERALD REPORTS

Scotland favourites to seal place in top 10
ALAN LORIMER June 18 2008
CommentScotland face Canada today in the penultimate round at Rodney Parade, Newport, knowing that a win would give them the chance to better their No.10 seeding for the tournament.

The Scots go into the game having recovered from a 72-3 mauling by South Africa with a 41-14 win over USA in the final pool match in Wrexham and aiming for a Sunday showdown for places nine and 10 against the winners of today's Ireland v Italy game.

Scotland should win comfortably but will need to be wary as Canada were third in Group C after beating Fiji.

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John Jeffrey, the under-20 manager, said: "Canada play a structured game that will suit their own style. They have a good line-out and are strong at half back."

Scotland have made only one change to their starting XV, with Jonny Baird coming in at blindside flanker for Steve Burton, who has developed a poisoned elbow. There is one change on the bench with Boroughmuir wing Tom Bury preferred to Murray Allan.

Team
Scotland U20 (v Canada, IRB U20 World Ch'ship Places 9-12, Newport, today) P Horne (Howe of Fife); L Jones (Selkirk), P Loudon (Durham Uni), S McColl (Dunfermline), C Kinloch (Edinburgh Acads); R Jackson (capt, Glasgow Hawks), P Jericevich (GHA); G Strain (Glasgow Hawks), A Duncan (Stewart's-Melville FP), D Morton (Bridgewater), F McKenzie (Heriot's), J Brown (Bristol), J Baird (Watsonians), A Rose (Hartpury Coll), C Simmonds (Heriot's) Substitutes: N Shannon (Aberdeen Grammar FP), G Cameron (Ellon), N Patrick (Dunfermline), L Calder (Newcastle Falcons), R Samson (Newcastle Falcons), J Murray (Leeds Carnegie & Edinburgh Acad), T Bury (Boroughmuir)

This article was posted on 18-Jun-2008, 07:10 by Hugh Barrow.