At Hive Stadium, the former Scotland U20 captain will take charge of an exciting team that has been under the watchful eye of the Scotland national team coaching staff this week.

Joining Liam in the forwards are Mikey Jones and Harri Morris who were both involved in Scotland A’s recent win over Chile. Boroughmuir RFC product Ollie Blyth-Lafferty will join them in the front row.

Edinburgh Rugby duo Euan McVie and Robert Carmichael will start in the second row. Carmichael toured with the Scotland national team to Chile and Uruguay in the summer and backed it up by making his first appearance for Edinburgh in their Challenge Cup defeat against Gloucester, while McVie has recently returned from a loan spell at Doncaster Knights.

In the back row, McConnell will work alongside fellow former Under-20s captain Rhys Tait who has moved south to play for Doncaster. Brother of Scotland cap Matt Currie, Tom, starts at number eight.

At half-back, Edinburgh Rugby duo Conor McAlpine and Cammy Scott will start. McAlpine, alongside McConnell and Carmichael, made his Edinburgh Rugby debut away to Gloucester last weekend.

In the centre, Scotland U20 regular Kerr Yule will partner Ben Salmon, who came through Dollar Academy and has been a stand-out for Glasgow Warriors A.
Ealing Trailfinder Geordie Gwynn, who scored two tries in Scotland U20s’ Trophy final against USA, will start on the left wing. Kerr Johnston, who began his rugby journey at Gala, has had experience training with the Scotland national team at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and will start on the opposite wing.

Ollie Smith will start at full-back making his long-awaited return from a knee injury sustained a year ago for Glasgow against Bayonne. The full-back played at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, making his debut for Scotland in 2022, against Argentina.
12 players are named on the bench as an opportunity for more players to experience game-time at this level.

Front-rowers Callum Smyth (prop) and Jerry Blyth-Lafferty) are both listed having featured for Scotland U20 in their U20 Trophy win this summer, while Currie Chieftains prop Cairn Ramsay also earns a spot in the replacement.

18-year-old second row Dan Halkon is named after excelling since playing his first game of senior rugby for the Combined Academies against Ulster Development in September. Glasgow Warriors utility forward Macenzzie Duncan will also take a place on the bench.

Vannes number 8 Rudi Brown, who scored 3 tries in 4 matches for Scotland U20 during the 2023 U20 Six Nations, will be looking to make an impact from the bench. Brown ventured to France having come through the Edinburgh Rugby academy.

The backs replacements start with Heriot’s Rugby and former Scotland U20 scrum-half Sinjin Broad. The other half-back listed as a substitute is stand-off Matthew Urwin, a standout for Glasgow Warriors A in their fixture away to Edinburgh Rugby A earlier this season.

Centre Findlay Thomson, who came through Dunbar RFC, is a replacement alongside back-three prospects Amena Caqusau and Nairn Moncrieff.

Nathan Sweeney is also selected on the bench, the back three operator having made his first start for Edinburgh last weekend.

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Emerging Scotland to face Italy Under-23s at Hive Stadium on Saturday, 14 December at 6.45pm

15. Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors)
14. Kerr Johnston (Glasgow Warriors)
13. Ben Salmon (Glasgow Warriors)
12. Kerr Yule (Glasgow Warriors)
11. Geordie Gwynn (Ealing Trailfinders)

10. Cammy Scott (Edinburgh Rugby) VICE-CAPTAIN
9. Conor McAlpine (Edinburgh Rugby)

1. Mikey Jones (Edinburgh Rugby)
2. Harri Morris (Edinburgh Rugby)
3. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (Edinburgh Rugby)
4. Euan McVie (Edinburgh Rugby)
5. Robert Carmichael (Edinburgh Rugby)
6. Liam McConnell (Edinburgh Rugby) CAPTAIN
7. Rhys Tait (Doncaster Knights)
8. Tom Currie (Edinburgh Rugby)

Replacements

16. Jerry Blyth-Lafferty (Edinburgh Rugby)
17. Callum Smyth (Glasgow Warriors)
18. Cairn Ramsay (Currie Chieftains)
19. Dan Halkon (Glasgow Warriors)
20. Macenzzie Duncan (Glasgow Warriors)
21. Rudi Brown (Vannes)
22. Sinjin Broad (Heriot’s Rugby)
23. Matthew Urwin (Glasgow Warriors)
24. Amena Caqusau (Glasgow Warriors)
25. Findlay Thomson (Edinburgh Rugby)
26. Nairn Moncrieff (Edinburgh Rugby)
27. Nathan Sweeney (Edinburgh Rugby