The Herald reports

Cummings earns Under-20s call-up
Published on 17 April 2014

Kevin Ferrie
Scott Cummings, the Kelvinside Academy and Glasgow Hawks lock, is the only under-18 player named in the Scotland Under-20 squad for the first of three training camps at Murrayfield next week (April 23-25) in preparation for the IRB Junior World Championship in New Zealand this June.

Cummings was outstanding for Glasgow in the under-18 district match against Edinburgh earlier this season and would have been an automatic choice for the Scotland under-18 team this season had he not picked up a shoulder injury in January.

Also named in the squad is Ben Johnston, the Marr No.8, who was capped last season at under-18 level, and who had benefitted from his club's success this season. Another success from last season, Ruaraidh Smith, a product of North Berwick High School and the Northampton youth system, wins a deservedcall-up. Smith, who plays wing or full back, has been a prolific scorer for Currie this season and excelled for his club in last Saturday's Melrose Sevens at the Greenyards.

Sean Lineen, the head coach, knows that, with his charges having been drawn in the toughest pool - New Zealand, South Africa and Samoa are also in it - the emphasis will be on preparation for a daunting task.

He said: "The priority will be on conditioning and also to have a look at our defence and phase attack options. A large group of players have been working incredibly hard over the last five weeks to build on the good bits from the Six Nations. There is no doubt it has been a massive step for some but the effort and willingness to learn and improve has never faltered."

SQUAD. Scotland Under-20 (training camp, April 23-25)

Backs Ben Chalmers (Melrose), Jamie Farndale (Edinburgh Accies/Edinburgh), George Horne (Currie), Damien Hoyland (Melrose), Blair Hutchison (Melrose/ Loughborough Uni), Gavin Lowe (Glasgow Hawks/Glasgow Warriors), Murdo McAndrew (Clermont Auvergne), Grant McConnell (Currie), Sam Pecqueur (Edinburgh Accies), Gavin Parker (Exeter Uni), Angus Rennie (Aberdeen Grammar), Ruaraidh Smith (Currie), Ben Vellacott (Gloucester Hartpury), Sean Yacoubian (Glasgow Hawks), Ruairidh Young (Edinburgh Accies)

Forwards Chris Barnes (Glasgow Hawks), Magnus Bradbury (Boroughmuir/Edinburgh), Lewis Carmichael (Melrose), Gabriel Carroll (Loughborough Uni), Scott Cummings (Kelvinside Acad/Glasgow Hawks), Jack Cosgrove (Worcester Warriors), Andrew Cramond (Aberdeen Grammar), Phil Cringle (Edinburgh Accies/Edinburgh), Cameron Fenton (Strathallan/Howe of Fife), Neil Irvine-Hess (Watsonians/Edinburgh), Sam James (London Wasps), Ben Johnston (Marr), James Malcolm (Ayr), Isaac Miller (Loughborough Uni), D'arcy Rae (Ayr), Tommy Spinks (London Scottish), Glen Young (Newcastle Falcons)

This article was posted on 17-Apr-2014, 06:19 by Hugh Barrow.