MATCH REPORT & REACTION | Scotland U20 34 – 22 Club XV

Scotland U20 Head Coach, Sean Lineen, and his Club XV counterpart, Phil Smith, were content with their respective sides’ showings in a training match at BT Murrayfield, where the age-grade side finished on top with a 34-22 victory.  The game was part of the sides’ preparations ahead of their respective international campaigns in the coming months. Both teams ran in four tries each in a free-flowing and fluid affair, with the Scotland U20’s greater success rate from the kicking-tee proving the difference between the sides.Scotland U20 Head Coach, Sean Lineen, said: “There was a lot of guys who showed a lot of heart, which is fantastic up especially considering we were up against against a club team who are that bit older and mature and like to throw the ball around a bit.”It was a good bit of learning for us as a group and I’m really happy with the way the boys stepped up. It was a real good team effort from us and defensively the group put in a big shift.”Scotland Club XV Head Coach, Phil Smith, added: “Tonight was a good exercise for the squad.”We wanted the guys to go out and play, and we put together some brilliant phases of rugby.”There’s a lot of competition in this group, and you can’t play yourself out of the squad, but can certainly play your way in.”Stand-off Connor Eastgate struck two early penalties to give Scotland U20 a 6-0 lead, with the opposition full-back, Fraser Thomson, replying on behalf of his side with a well-worked counter-attacking try (6-5).Scotland U20 wing Darcy Graham was first to cross the whitewash for the age-grade side, with the Hawick man duly converting his own score to give his team an eight-point lead (13-5).Phil Smith’s side hit back with a try from hooker Fergus Scott before the turn, with wing Jordan Edmunds touching down after the interval to give the Club XV a 13-15 lead.As the game began to open-up, Scotland U20 ran in three tries in quick succession through full-back Stafford MacDowall, scrum-half Charlie Shiel and stand-off Josh Henderson, with the latter successfully adding the extras to all the scores (34-15).The Club XV had the last say with stand-off Ross Curle exhibiting some excellent feet to sidle through the opposition defence for a try, to which he added the extras.Full-time: Scotland U20 34 – 22 Scotland Club XVScotland U20 teamStafford MacDowall (Ayr); Ross McCann (Melrose), Ali Greig (Bristol University), Craig Pringle (Stirling County), Darcy Graham (Hawick); Connor Eastgate (Wasps Academy), Andrew Simers (Heriot’s); George Thornton (Bishop Burton College), Fraser Renwick (Hawick), Adam Nicol (Stirling County), Alex Craig (Gloucester Academy), Callum Hunter-Hill CAPTAIN (Stirling County), Bruce Flockhart (Glasgow Hawks), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Hawks), Tom Dodd (Worcester Academy).Replacements: Jonny Grant (Stewart’s Melville), Shaun Gunn (Edinburgh Accies), Fergus Bradbury (Stirling County), Hamish Bain (Currie), Jamie Ure (Boroughmuir), Luke Crosbie (Currie), Charlie Shiel (Currie), Josh Henderson (Glasgow Hawks), Ronan Kerr (Boroughmuir), Robbie Nairn (Harlequins)Scotland Club XV squadForwardsFergus Scott (Currie), Russell Anderson (Melrose), Michael Liness (Heriot’s), Jamie Bhatti** (Melrose), Struan Cessford (Heriot’s), Steven Longwell (Ayr), Murray McCallum** (Heriot’s), Russell Nimmo (Heriot’s), Robert McAlpine (Ayr), Callum Marshall (Heriot’s), Neil Irvine-Hess (Melrose), Blair Macpherson (Ayr), Grant Runciman (Melrose), Will Bordill (Ayr), Tommy Spinks (Glasgow Hawks), Iain Moody (Melrose), Pete McCallum (Ayr).BacksMurdo McAndrew (Melrose), David Armstrong (Ayr), Chris Laidlaw (Boroughmuir), Gregor Hunter (Gala), Robbie Nelson (Currie), George Taylor (Melrose), Ross Curle (Ayr), Archie Russell (Ayr), Harvey Elms (Currie), Fraser Thomson (Melrose), Kerr Gossman (Glasgow Hawks), Jordan Edmunds* (Boroughmuir), Craig Gossman (Ayr).