Scotland Under-20 To Front Up To The French

Scotland under-20 head coach Eamon John today named his team for the 6 Nations opener against France at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium on Friday night (kick-off 7.30pm). Inverness-born scrum-half, Alex Black (Leeds Carnegie) has earned the right to start against the French while Sale Sharks’ Jonny Kennedy joins at inside-centre, having come through his club’s Heineken Cup clash with Toulouse unscathed. Like ALL Scottish Rugby youth, age-grade and Scotland Women matches, admission to Scotland under-20 v France under-20 in Inverness on Friday 5 February (kick-off 7.30pm) is FREE – no need for a ticket, just turn up and take your seat! Scotland under-20 head coach Eamon John today named his team for the 6 Nations opener against France at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium on Friday night (kick-off 7.30pm). Inverness-born scrum-half, Alex Black (Leeds Carnegie) has earned the right to start against the French while Sale Sharks’ Jonny Kennedy joins at inside-centre, having come through his club’s Heineken Cup clash with Toulouse unscathed. Eamon John said: “The key is to take advantage of playing at home and start our campaign well. “We must be ultra-competitive and take every chance we get to win this game. We’ll be looking to start well, aggressively, and on the front foot; and take our game to them on Friday night. “You can expect everything from the French: physicality and flair, but we also know Scottish teams can beat France, especially on home soil, and that’s what well be looking to do.” Alex Blair (Edinburgh Accies) and Oliver Grove (Worcester Warriors) – brothers of full Scotland internationalists Mike Blair and Alex Grove – will start at stand-off and right wing respectively while the team welcomes the return of six players who benefit from the experience of last season’s under-20 Junior World Championships in Japan: Like ALL Scottish Rugby youth, age-grade and Scotland Women matches, admission to Scotland under-20 v France under-20 in Inverness on Friday 5 February (kick-off 7.30pm) is FREE – no need for a ticket, just turn up and take your seat!Tom Brown (full-back, Edinburgh Accies) and left wing Alex Dunbar (Selkirk) complete the back three, Robert Harley (West of Scotland) and Grant Gilchrist (Stirling County), return to partner in the second-row, while hooker Alun Walker (Currie) and captain Stuart McInally (number 8, Watsonians) are the last of the “old heads”. Aside from Black, Blair and Grove, competitive under-20 debuts are being made by props Craig Owensen (Heriot’s) and Colin Phillips (Stewart’s Melville), and back-row pair Michael Maltman (Heriot’s) and Zimbabwean-born David Denton (Edinburgh Accies), who qualifies through his Glaswegian mother. Scotland under-20 team to face France under-20 at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium (kick-off 7.30pm) 15 Tom Brown (Edinburgh Accies)* 14 Oliver Grove (Worcester Warriors)13 Jonny Kennedy (Sale Sharks)12 Alex Dunbar (Selkirk)*11 Dougie Fife (Currie)** 10 Alex Blair (Edinburgh Accies)*9 Alex Black (Leeds Carnegie) 1 Craig Owensen (Heriot’s)**2 Alun Walker (Currie)3 Colin Phillips (Stewart’s Melville)**4 Robert Harley (West of Scotland)*5 Grant Gilchrist (Stirling County)*6 Michael Maltman (Heriot’s)**8 Stuart McInally CAPTAIN (Watsonians)*7 David Denton (Edinburgh Accies)* Replacements16 Lindsey Gibson (Melrose)17 George Hunter (Glasgow Hawks)18 Matthew Reid (Heriot’s)19 Callum Stidston-Nott (London Scottish)20 Kris Hamilton (Caithness)**21 Matthew Scott (Currie)**22 James Johnstone (Currie)* * Denotes a member of the Scottish National Contracted Academy** Denotes a member of the Scottish Rugby National Academy supported by the Scottish Institute of Sport Referee: Alan Falzone (FIR) SCOTLAND UNDER-20 6 NATIONS SCHEDULEFriday 5 February – Scotland under-20 v France under-20 (Tulloch Caledonian Stadium (kick-off 7.30pm)Friday 12 February – Wales under-20 v Scotland under-20 (Cardiff Arms Park, kick-off 7.05pm)Friday 26 February – Italy under-20 v Scotland under-20 (Capoterra, Sardinia, kick-off 5pm tbc local)Friday 12 March – Scotland under-20 v England (Firhill, kick-off 7pm)Friday 19 March – Ireland under-20 v Scotland under-20 (Dubarry Park, Athlone, Ireland, kick-off 7.35pm) RBS 6 NATIONS – SCOTLAND V FRANCEFewer than 6,000 tickets remain to see Scotland take on France in the RBS 6 Nations Championship on Sunday 7 February at Murrayfield, kick-off 3pm.  However, tickets are selling fast.Tickets can be purchased in person from the Scottish Rugby Ticket Centre, Roseburn Street, Edinburgh, Monday to Friday from 9am to 8pm and on Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Tickets may also be bought via the 24-hour hotline on 0844 335 3933 at www.scottishrugby.org There are no ticket sales on match day.