Scotland under-17   32 - 10   France A

Scotland’s under-17 side built on their defeat of England last weekend with an opening day victory over their French counterparts at the Wellington Festival in Berkshire this afternoon (Sunday 17 April).

Head coach Davy Wilson said: “It was a real team effort. The backs and forwards combined well and we dominated for the majority of the game.

“There were opportunities we should have taken but to come off the back of the game against England and put in that number of tries [5] the boys did well.

The team now prepare to play their second Festival fixture, against England Blues, on Tuesday 19 April, kicking off at 11am at Wellington School.

Photo: Scotland's Neil Herron (centre right) scored two of Scotland's five tries today
 
After some early French pressure, Scotland’s number 8, Chris Dean, made a break from the lineout after seven minutes, the recycled ball touched down for the first try from centre Neil Herron to put the Scots ahead 5-0.

France replied with a penalty a few minutes later prompting the Scots to turn up the gas and make two or three good line breaks, with Dean working well from the base of the scrum.

After 25 minutes it was Dean who then found the gap to score from 30m out, increasing Scotland’s lead to 10-3.

The Scots continued to press and, just short of 30 minutes, scrum half Ramsay Young took a tap penalty which found its way to full back Ruairidh Young who dotted down for the third try, the score converted by stand-off Ben Cooper.

Ruaridh Smith was brought on for Young, who took a knock just before half time and the teams went into the break with Scotland leading by 14 points.

(HT 17-3)

The French came back in the opening five minutes of the second half however it was the young Scots who next added to the scores after a lineout on the French 5m line was driven over the whitewash, flanker Cameron Turner touching down, to increase the lead to 22-3.

A fightback by the French saw them notch a converted try 15 minutes into the half. Some good work by the Scots in reply then prompted another penalty, successfully slotted by Cooper five minutes later to make it 25-10.

A big turnover on the halfway line going into the final ten minutes then sparked some great interplay between Herron and winger Tony Boyd, with Herron bouncing off a couple of strong tackles to cross the line for his second try, the score converted again by Cooper.

(FT 32-10)

While delighted by today’s win, Wilson added: “The purpose of this under-17 programme is to expose the players to the intensity of the international game by giving them an insight into the discipline and standards required.

“A lot of the things the boys are learning just now will come to the fore when they get back to their clubs and the real growth and development will happen in the weeks and months to come.”

Scotland under-17s will now get ready to take on England Blues at 11am on Tuesday 19 April, followed by Canada v Belgium at 1pm and England Reds v France A at 3.30pm.

The festival concludes on April 22 when the two English Divisions will join the six other sides with England Blues v English Division (North) at 10am, England Reds v Scotland at 11am, Belgium v English Division (Midlands) at 12noon and Canada v France A at 1pm.

Philiphaugh RFC then hosts Scotland under-17s as they take on France under-17s in Selkirk on Sunday 1 May (kick-off 2pm, admission free).

Scotland under-17 v France A, Sunday 17 April 2011 at Wellington School, Berkshire

15 *Ruairidh Young (Loretto School and Musselburgh)
14 Tony Boyd (Marr College / Kilmarnock)
13 Blair Hutchinson (Longridge Towers / Melrose Wasps)
12 Neil Herron (Jordanhill School)
11 Sam Moncur (St Ambrose College/Sale)

10 Ben Cooper (Sedbergh)
9 Ramsay Young (George Watson's College)

1 Fraser Irvine (Selkirk HS /Selkirk Y.C.)
2 Tom Moncur (St Ambrose/Sale)
3 *Chris Barnes (High School of Glasgow/Glasgow Hawks)
4 Duncan Campbell (Mackie Academy /Mackie RFC)
5 Buchan Richardson (Wellington College)
6 Cameron Turner (Robert Gordon's College)
7 Cameron Simpson (Edinburgh Academy)
8 Chris Dean (Edinburgh Academy)

Substitutes
16 Scott Rendall (Orkney RFC)
17 Darcy Rae (Marr College /Kilmarnock) (on for Irvine)
18 James Malcolm (Hutcheson's Grammar / GHA)
19 *Shaun McDonald (Dunblane HS/Stirling County RFC)
20 Peter Redmayne (Loudoun Academy /Kilmarnock) (on for Turner)
21 Josh Rutnagur (Hutcheson’s Grammar School & GHA) (on for Young)
22 Cameron Jeffrey (Epsom College) (on for Moncur)
23 Gregor Mein (Gala Academy / Gala Wands)
24 Ruaridh Smith (North Berwick HS/ North Berwick)
25 Damien Hoyland (James Gillespie HS/Boroughmuir)
26 *Magnus Bradbury (Oban HS / Oban Lorne)

* Member of Performance Player Development Programme supported by Institute of Sport Network

This article was posted on 17-Apr-2011, 19:45 by Hugh Barrow.