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Emerging Scotland Squad Named for Italy Match This Weekend

A 31-player Emerging Scotland squad has been named ahead of Saturday’s fixture against Italy Under-23s at Hive Stadium (kick off 6.45pm).

The match will be the first time Emerging Scotland have played and the fixture forms part of the National Academy pilot programme which was launched in September to add increased value to the development of a selected group of promising players. Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has coached the players during the programme along with forwards coach John Dalziel, defence coach Steve Tandy, scrum coach Pieter De Villiers and skills/contact coach Pete Horne.

The Emerging Scotland game is part of the Scottish Rugby Male Performance Pathway which was outlined earlier this year, including A team matches for Scotland, Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby.

The squad includes several players who were involved in Scotland U20s’ World Rugby U20 Trophy win in the summer including captain Liam McConnell who made his Edinburgh Rugby debut at the weekend against Gloucester.

McConnell featured in Scotland A’s recent win over Chile along with Mikey Jones, Harri Morris and Jack Brown who are also named.

In the forwards, brothers Ollie and Jerry Blyth Lafferty are included along with Rob Carmichael who toured Chile and Uruguay in the summer with Gregor Townsend’s Scotland squad and featured for Edinburgh Rugby at the weekend.

Former Scotland U20 captain and back row Rhys Tait is selected, the 22-year-old currently playing his rugby at Doncaster Knights.

Vannes number 8 Rudi Brown, who scored 3 tries in 4 matches for Scotland U20 during the 2023 U20 Six Nations, will be involved.

In the backs, stars of the Scotland Under-20s squad in recent years Amena Caqusau and Kerr Yule have been named along with wingers Lewis Wells and Kerr Johnston who have both previously trained with the Scotland squad.

Ealing Trailfinder Geordie Gwynn, who scored two tries in Scotland U20s’ Trophy final against USA, makes the squad.

Still eligible to play for Scotland Under-20s in next year’s Six Nations, Dan Halkon, Joe Roberts, Jack Brown, Nairn Moncreiff and Matthew Urwin are all selected.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend said: “This fixture enables us to bring our best young players together, have a week of training with national team coaches, and take on a quality international side.

“Similar fixtures that will look to expose emerging talented Scottish players to high level competition will aim to be included going forward. Probably the most important element of a young player’s development is learning by playing at a higher level than you’ve previously experienced. The game has always been the best teacher and we believe that our players will reap the benefits from this experience.

“We’ve enjoyed our involvement in coaching the young players through the national academy. It takes us back to the reasons why you are a coach in the first place, to help people improve.

“This has allowed us first hand to learn more about our best young developing players by working with them more regularly.”

Scottish Rugby High-Performance Advisor, David Nucifora said: “Connecting talented players who are progressing through the pathway to the national team coaches and to the opportunity of playing an international fixture adds huge value to their development.

“Our aim needs to be to find ways of expediting the development of young Scottish players capable of playing at the pinnacle of the game and I believe an experience such as this will be significantly beneficial.”

Emerging Scotland Squad

Forwards

  • Jerry Blyth-Lafferty (Edinburgh Rugby)
  • Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (Edinburgh Rugby)
  • Rudi Brown (Vannes)
  • Rob Carmichael (Edinburgh Rugby)
  • Tom Currie (Edinburgh Rugby)
  • Macenzzie Duncan (Glasgow Warriors)
  • Dan Halkon (Glasgow Warriors)
  • Mikey Jones (Edinburgh Rugby)
  • Liam McConnell (Edinburgh Rugby)
  • Euan McVie (Edinburgh Rugby)
  • Harri Morris (Edinburgh Rugby)
  • Callum Norrie (Glasgow Warriors)
  • Cairn Ramsay (Currie Chieftains)
  • Joe Roberts (Glasgow Warriors)
  • Callum Smyth (Glasgow Warriors)
  • Rhys Tait (Doncaster Knights)

Backs

  • Sinjin Broad (Heriot’s Rugby)
  • Jack Brown (Edinburgh Rugby)
  • Amena Caqusau (Glasgow Warriors)
  • Geordie Gwynn (Ealing Trailfinders)
  • Brent Jackson (Glasgow Warriors)
  • Kerr Johnston (Glasgow Warriors)
  • Nairn Moncrieff (Edinburgh Rugby)
  • Conor McAlpine (Edinburgh Rugby)
  • Ben Salmon (Glasgow Warriors)
  • Cammy Scott (Edinburgh Rugby)
  • Nathan Sweeney (Edinburgh Rugby)
  • Findlay Thomson (Edinburgh Rugby)
  • Matthew Urwin (Glasgow Warriors)
  • Lewis Wells (Edinburgh Rugby)
  • Kerr Yule (Glasgow Warriors)
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