BIRTHDAY TRY FOR BENNETT BUT NO SCOTS VICTORY
Friday, 04 February 2011
France U20 49-5 Scotland U20
 
The youngest member of the Scotland U20 team this weekend, centre Mark Bennett, won't forget his first cap in a hurry having scored against France the day after his 18th birthday in the opening game of the 2011 Under-20 Six Nations.

Bennett’s score however did not ensure victory for Scotland as they were defeated by 49 points to five in a match which saw Scotland fight to the death.

Although the final scoreline suggests a rather one-sided affair, head coach Peter Wright remains proud of the spirit in which the Scots played and is confident that his side has the quality, and the mental toughness, to bounce back when they return to home soil next weekend for an encounter against Wales at Bridgehaugh on Friday 11 February (kick-off 7.30pm).

The former Scotland and British & Irish Lions prop said: “We always knew it was going to be a big physical challenge but the boys stuck in and got on with it.

“We were outdone by team of big physical boys who were probably one of the best under-20 teams I’ve seen during my time working at this level.

“We looked dangerous when we worked through the phases so this experience will stand us in good stead for the rest of the tournament. We are ultimately disappointed with the result but proud of the effort.”

France U20: Buttin; O’Connor, Visensang, Barraque, Berard; Doussain CAPTAIN, Magnaval; Galan, Come, Gimeno, Vahaamahina, Demotte, Desmaison, Colliat, Taofifenua
Substitutes: Bourgeois, Delmas, Marie, Julien, Lesgourgues, Plisson, Palis

Scotland U20: Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors/Hawick); Mike Doneghan (Glasgow Warriors/Stirling County), Mark Bennett (Ayr), Harry Leonard (Boroughmuir), Kerr Gossman (Glasgow Warriors/Glasgow Hawks); Craig Jackson (Melrose), Jamie Stevenson (Westcombe Park); Robin Hislop (Edinburgh/Boroughmuir), Richard Ferguson (Melrose), George Hunter (Glasgow Warriors/Glasgow Hawks) CAPTAIN, Mitchell Todd (Nottingham), Robert McAlpine (West of Scotland), James Tyas (Bath), Hamish Watson (Leicester Tigers), Grant Runciman (Melrose)
Substitutes: David Cherry (Team Northumbria), Colin Phillips (Edinburgh/Stewart’s Melville), Andy Kirkland (Glasgow Hawks), Alex Spence (Heriot’s), Sean Kennedy (Stirling County), Tom Steven (Glasgow Hawks), Glen Bryce (Stirling County)

SCOTLAND UNDER-20 FIXTURES, SEASON 2010/11
Six Nations Championship
France U20 v Scotland U20: Friday 4 February, Stade Velodrome de Venoix, Caen, kick-off 7pm (local time)
Scotland U20 v Wales U20: Friday 11 February, Bridgehaugh, kick-off 7.30pm
Scotland under-20 v Ireland under-20: Friday 25 February, Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness, kick-off 7.30pm
England U20 v Scotland U20: Friday 11 March, Newbury RFC, kick-off 7.45pm
Scotland U20 v Italy U20: Friday 18 March, Bridgehaugh, kick-off 7.30pm

IRB Junior World Championship
3-27 June, Italy

This article was posted on 4-Feb-2011, 21:37 by Hugh Barrow.