Jake Dalziel got proceedings underway in front of a sold-out Hive Stadium as Scotland kicked left to right. A big hit came in from Nairn Moncrieff from the off as Scotland looked to start with intent.

The first attack came the way of the French following a scrum for a Henry Widdowson knock on. Some free-flowing passes through the heart of the midfield saw the ball almost find the hands of Luka Keletaona, but upon a stumble in his stride he knocked on as he hit the 22 and allowed Moncrieff to mop up the danger.

Scotland thought they had the opening score in the 10^th minute through Dan Halkon after some ill discipline from the visitors. Consecutive infringements gave Dalziel the chance to kick for the corner and from there the Scottish maul motored for the line, which Halkon hit through a flurry of bodies. However, after TMO consultation referee Reuben Keane penalised Oliver McKenna for obstruction. Just a minute later, a sensational last-ditch tackle from Campbell Waugh dragged Tom Leveque into touch in the corner.

Leveque was not to be denied as he got France on the board in the opposite corner. After a penalty went against Scotland, the visitors were patient in the lineout drive and switched play through a Keletaona cross-field kick. Leveque lurked and gathered before dropping a shoulder to find the whitewash. The kick for an extra two went awry (0-5, 15 mins).

Play became condensed in the middle third of the pitch as both sides vied for control, but a rip in the ruck gave the visitors a chance to spring into life with a huge carry from Romeo Bonnard Martin. From there the backs got involved to cut through the Scottish rearguard. Neat interplay between Joachim Senga Kouo and Baptiste Tilloles resulted in the full back racing clear to dot down under the posts. This time Keletaona converted. France quickly consolidated their lead with another seven points, as second-rower Baptiste Veschambre went over low to conclude some relentless phases (0-19, 30 mins).

Five minutes before the break France secured their bonus point somewhat fortuitously through centre Adrien Drault. Another attack down the left caused the issues, where Jake Dalziel found himself in a straight foot race with winger Melvyn Rates. As the two plummeted on the ball, neither gathered and it broke loose to Drault who had the easiest of tasks to ground it.  Flanker Tana Keletaona added to the score as he charged through under intense pressure from two Scotland bodies. His namesake fly half landed one kick from two (0-31, 38 mins).

Half Time: Scotland U20 0-31 France U20

Scotland dominated the early exchanges of the second period, especially at scrum time through Ollie Blyth-Lafferty and Oliver McKenna, after four battles in a row came their way in the opening five minutes of the second period. Scotland’s hard work was rewarded when captain Joe Roberts got them on the board with an electric try. The maul was proving a handy platform for attack, and it was Roberts from the rear of the drive once more who was able to find the line after breaking away and putting the afterburners on to win the race to the corner. A tricky kick for left footed Dalziel missed the mark by a whisker (5-31, 49 mins).

It was a carbon copy which reaped rewards just five minutes later as replacement hooker Jamie McAughtrie found the turf as everyone from both teams ploughed into the lineout maul. At the rear of a brilliantly tight drive for the line was McAughtrie, with ball tucked firmly under his arm as he descended to the deck. This time it was pinpoint from the boot of Dalziel to get Scotland into double figures for the night (12-31, 57 mins).

The Scots were really clicking into gear in the second half and went over for a third time through the lively antics of Campbell Waugh. An exceptional offload from Jake Dalziel pulled the strings  as the French defence struggled to step up quick enough. As Dalziel took ball in hand from the ruck, Waugh ran a perfect inside line to sneak through unchallenged to the reception of a now raucous Hive Stadium. Dalziel followed up his assist with a conversion (19-31, 67 mins).

After giving themselves a strong foothold, Scotland were put back under the cosh. After initially repelling the attack and holding the ball up on the line, Scotland were undone and the tie was all but beyond them, as Adrien Drault scored his second of the match with the help of an impressive offload out the back door from Nils Punti. The score was converted (19-38, 71 mins).

Scotland weren’t laying down and secured a bonus point of their own through Jackson Rennie – the substitute’s second in as many matches. Searching for the line Scotland kept their foot on the throttle to launch wave after wave of attack, despite repeated infringements from their visitors. It was Rennie who landed the crucial blow to burrow over, with Dalziel again adding the extras. No sooner had Scotland got their bonus point then France added another, with Timeo Frier finding the line under close attention (26-45, 79 mins).

Full Time: Scotland U20 26-45 France U20

Scotland U20: 15. Henry Widdowson 14. Nairn Moncrieff 13. Campbell Waugh 12. Harry Clark 11. Rory McHaffie 10. Jake Dalziel 9. Adam McKenzie; 1. Oliver McKenna 2. Joe Roberts © 3. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty 4. Alfie Blackett 5. Dan Halkon 6. Christian Lindsay 7. Harvey Preston 8. Rory Purvis.

Replacements: 16. Jamie McAughtrie (for Preston, 49 mins, Preston for Roberts, 52 mins), 17. Jamie Stewart (for McKenna, 49 mins) 18. Jackson Rennie (for Blyth-Lafferty, 65 mins) 19. Fin Ronnie 20. Sam Byrd (for Blackett, 49 mins) 21. Archie Appleby (for Halkon, 70 mins) 22. Hamish MacArthur (for McKenzie, 72 mins) 23. Calum Jessop (for Clark, 75 mins).

France U20: 15. Joachim Senga Kouo 14. Tom Leveque 13. Adrien Drault 12. Bastien Rasal 11. Melvyn Rates 10. Luka Keletaona 9. Baptiste Tilloles; 1. Samuel Jean-Christophe 2. Gabin Garault 3. Mael Turpin 4. Baptiste Veschambre 5. Romeo Bonnard Martin 6. Marceau Marzullo © 7. Tana Keletaona 8. Elyjah Ibsaiene.

Replacements: 16. Yanis Bass 17. Edouard-Junior Jabea Njocke 18. Ruben Pargade 19. Nils Punti 20. Lucas Andjisseramatchi 21. Nathan Llaveria 22. Gabin Kretchmann 23. Timeo Frier.

Player of the Match: Joachim Senga Kouo (France)

Referee: Reuben Keane

AR1: Robbie Jenkinson

AR2: Jack MacNeice

TMO: Leo Colgan

The post Match Report: Scotland U20 26-45 France U20 appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

Oliver McKenna returns at loosehead prop in the other forwards change, while the only alteration in the back line sees Adam McKenzie start at scrum-half for the first time.

McKenna is joined in the front row by hooker Joe Roberts, who captains the side, and tighthead prop Ollie Blyth-Lafferty.

Halkon partners Alfie Blackett, who continues in the second row. Christian Lindsay moves from the second row to blindside flanker and makes up the back row with openside Harvey Preston and number 8 Rory Purvis.

McKenzie links up with Jake Dalziel at stand-off in the half-backs. Harry Clark, a late replacement for the injured Ross Wolfenden against Wales, continues at inside centre with Campbell Waugh again on his outside.

Nairn Moncrieff is on the right wing, with Rory McHaffie on the left, and Henry Widdowson once more starts at full-back.

Hooker Jamie McAughtrie and props Jamie Stewart and Jackson Rennie are primed to come on in the front row, with Fin Ronnie, Sam Byrd and Archie Appleby offering loose-five options from the bench.

The lineup is completed by Hamish MacArthur and Calum Jessop, the two backs replacements in a 6-2 bench split.

The remaining tickets are available HERE.

Scotland U20 team to play France U20 at Hive Stadium on Friday (kick off 6.15pm) – live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

15. Henry Widdowson (Edinburgh Rugby)
14. Nairn Moncrieff (Edinburgh Rugby)
13. Campbell Waugh (Glasgow Hawks)
12. Harry Clark (Watsonian FC)
11. Rory McHaffie (Edinburgh Rugby)

10. Jake Dalziel (Merchiston Castle School/Melrose RFC)
9. Adam McKenzie (Watsonian FC)

1. Oliver McKenna (Glasgow Warriors)
2. Joe Roberts – Captain (Glasgow Warriors)
3. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (Edinburgh Rugby)
4. Alfie Blackett (Cardiff Metropolitan University)
5. Dan Halkon (Glasgow Warriors)
6. Christian Lindsay (Edinburgh Rugby)
7. Harvey Preston (Glasgow Hawks)
8. Rory Purvis (Glasgow Warriors)

Replacements

16. Jamie McAughtrie (Ayr RFC)
17. Jamie Stewart (Edinburgh Rugby)
18. Jackson Rennie (Glasgow Warriors)
19. Fin Ronnie (Watsonian FC)
20. Sam Byrd (Edinburgh Rugby)
21. Archie Appleby (Northampton Saints)
22. Hamish MacArthur (Edinburgh Rugby)
23. Calum Jessop (Heriot’s Rugby)

The post Halkon returns as Scotland U20 team named for France appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

However, the respite proved brief. Attempting to run the ball out of the danger area, Scotland were caught out by Steff Emanuel who read the play perfectly and intercepted. From there, Luke Evans needed no second invitation, powering over the line to open the scoring. Carwyn Leggatt-Jones was unable to add the extras (5-0, 6 mins).

Across minutes eight and 12, Rory McHaffie and Jamie Stewart were caught offside respectively. On both instances, Leggat-Jones opted for a shot at the posts and converted both of his penalty attempts to increase the Welsh lead (11-0, 12 mins).

Scotland’s defence continued to be tested by the hosts, stretching the blue jerseys. Winger Bailey Cutts was able to find a way through, piercing down the left wing to dot down for five. Leggatt-Jones’s conversion missed the mark (16-0, 16 mins).

Scotland responded with intent, working their way into the Welsh 22 ahead of the 20 minute mark. As the Scots encroached the five-metre line, the forward pack did a lot of the hard work to drive the Welsh defensive back, before Hamish MacArthur sniped over from close range. After double-checking the grounding through the TMO, referee George Selwood awarded the try, and MacArthur added the conversion to level the scores.

Before the restart, the TMO alerted Selwood to possible foul play in the build-up. A review showed Byrd rolling the neck of a Welsh player at the ruck, and with that the seven points wiped away and a penalty awarded to Wales instead.

The next fifteen minutes settled into somewhat a frantic stalemate inside the blustery Cardiff Arms Park. Both sides were undone by basic errors, with handling mistakes stalling promising attacks.

Scotland spent much of the time that remained defending but showed real resilience to keep Wales out. After earning a turnover inside their own half, the forwards packed down for a scrum as the clock approached the final minute, only to concede a penalty for not driving straight. Leggatt-Jones stepped up and made no mistake from the tee, extending Wales’ lead as the half-time whistle followed shortly after (19-0, 40 mins).

Half-time: Wales U20 19 – 0 Scotland U20

Scotland made an impressive start to the second half, underlining the attacking threat they carry. MacArthur was initially held up over the line, but the breakthrough was only moments away. After Wales conceded two penalties inside their own 22, Scotland earned a scrum in prime territory from which MacArthur fired the ball to Jake Dalziel, who slipped a smart pass inside to Campbell Waugh, and the centre crashed over from close range. Dalziel converted his conversion for the extras (19-7, 46 mins).

Wales soon mounted their own response after earning a lineout inside Scottish territory. Playing the ball to the front, the breaking down the wing. Spotting space out wide, Leggatt-Jones delivered a deft cross-field kick to Dylan Scott, who gathered and finished well. Leggatt-Jones’ conversion went begging with the wind carrying it wide (24-7, 54 mins).

Wales secured their bonus-point try from a lineout on the fringes of the five-metre line. After a series of forceful carries from the pack, Evan Minto muscled his way over from close range. Lloyd Lucas converted to stretch the lead for the hosts (31-7, 61 mins).

A response was coming from Scotland, spending much for the following ten minutes inside Welsh territory but small mistakes proved costly in converting their opportunities into points. But soon the tide began to turn, with a Scottish lineout on the five-metre line. Captain Joe Roberts’ ball found the target, Jack Marshall. Dalziel’s conversion sailed between the sticks to narrow the deficit (31-14, 62 mins).

The ensuing 10 minutes saw Scotland camped on the Welsh line, repeatedly knocking on the door and asking questions of the home defence. Phase after phase, they pressed with intensity, but Wales held firm and Scotland were left frustrated, unable to turn pressure into points. A wave of substitutions injected fresh energy, and the visitors soon found another gear. Within minutes of entering the fray, Jackson Rennie crashed over for Scotland. Dalziel added the conversion to narrow the deficit (31–21, 75 mins).

Scotland’s attack was now flowing with confidence and tempo – albeit too little, too late – but they remained ambitious as the clock ticked into the red. They continued to probe the Welsh defence, stretching Wales from touchline to touchline. As Scotland looked to shift the ball to the edge once more, it slipped through Moncrieff’s fingertips and into touch, bringing the game to a close.

Full-time: Wales U20 31 – 21 Scotland U20

Scotland U20: Henry Widdowson; Nairn Moncrieff; Campbell Waugh; Harry Clark; Rory McHaffie; Jake Dalziel, Hamish MacArthur; Jamie Stewart; Joe Roberts – Captain; Ollie Blyth-Lafferty; Christian Lindsay; Alfie Blackett; Sam Byrd; Harvey Preston; Rory Purvis

Replacements: Jamie McAughtrie (62 mins for Jack Marshall); Oliver McKenna (54 mins for Stewart); Jackson Rennie (62 mins for Ollie Blyth-Lafferty); Archie Appleby; Fin Rennie (54 mins for Alfie Blackett); Jack Marshall (57 mins for Rory Purvis); Adam McKenzie (54 mins for MacArthur) ; Calum Jessop (54 mins for Waugh due to Head Injury Assessment)

Wales U20: Rhys Cummings; Dylan Scott; Bailey Cutts; Steff Emanuel; Tom Bowen; Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, Sion Davies; Dylan James; Tom Howe; Jac Pritchard; Luke Evans; Osian Williams; Deian Gwynne; Caio James; Evan Minto

Replacements: James Talamai; George Tuckley; Yestyn Cook; Oscar Rees; Alex Ridgway; Luca Woodyatt; Lloyd Lucas; Luc Anfield

Referee: George Selwood (RFU)
Assistant Referees : Jamie Parr and Henry Pearson (both RFU)
TMO: Dan Jones (RFU)

Attendance: 4,966

Player of the Match: Deian Gwynne (Wales)

The post Wales U20 31 – 21 Scotland U20: Match Report appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

U20 Head Coach Fergus Pringle said: “We were a bit frustrated with some of our execution in the game against England, but our effort and work rate were there, for us it’s really just about taking what was positive ahead with us and into the Wales match on Friday night.

“They’ve had two close games, and we know they’re a quality side so we’ll have to be at our best, if we can build upon what we played last week and put in a really accurate and clinical performance then it’ll be another step forward.

“We’ve had some great support in both games we’ve played, there were a lot of parents out in Italy and we had 6,000 supporters with us at the Hive last week, so the credit goes fully out to the boys for creating some excitement and buzz so we’re looking forward to seeing some travelling support come Friday.”

The teams

The stats

• Sam Byrd and Alfie Blackett lead the breakdown stats with 59 and 56 attacking ruck entries respectively this season.
• Scotland won their previous encounter with Wales in a 27-12 win at the Hive to round off last years U20 Six Nations campaign.
• Rory McHaffie is currently tied for second highest try scorer of the tournament, he is neck-and-neck with Wales centre Steff Emanuel

The post U20 Preview: Wales v Scotland appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

In an unchanged front row, loosehead prop Jamie Stewart is joined in the front row by hooker Joe Roberts, who vice-captains the side, and tighthead prop Ollie Blyth-Lafferty.

Christian Lindsay and Alfie Blackett continue in the second row, while Sam Byrd at blindside flanker, and Rory Purvis at number 8 join Preston in the back row.

Hamish MacArthur continues at scrum-half, and is again partnered by Jake Dalziel at stand-off to complete the half-backs.

Captain Ross Wolfenden is again selected at inside centre, with Campbell Waugh on his outside. Nairn Moncrieff is on the right wing, with Rory McHaffie on the left, and Henry Widdowson again starts at full-back.

There are two potential debuts in the forward replacements. Archie Appleby, a late addition to the wider training squad, is primed to come on in the second row, while back row Jack Marshall returns from injury to make his first matchday squad. Hooker Jamie McAughtrie, props Oliver McKenna and Jackson Rennie and second row Fin Ronnie are the other forward replacements.

The lineup is completed by Adam McKenzie and Calum Jessop, who return as the two backs replacements in a 6-2 bench split.

Scotland U20 team to play Wales U20 at Cardiff Arms Park on Friday (kick off 7.15pm) – live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

15. Henry Widdowson (Edinburgh Rugby)
14. Nairn Moncrieff (Edinburgh Rugby)
13. Campbell Waugh (Glasgow Hawks)
12. Ross Wolfenden – Captain (Edinburgh Rugby)
11. Rory McHaffie (Edinburgh Rugby)

10. Jake Dalziel (Merchiston Castle School/Melrose RFC)
9. Hamish MacArthur (Edinburgh Rugby)

1. Jamie Stewart (Edinburgh Rugby)
2. Joe Roberts – Vice-captain (Glasgow Warriors)
3. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (Edinburgh Rugby)
4. Christian Lindsay (Edinburgh Rugby)
5. Alfie Blackett (Cardiff Metropolitan University)
6. Sam Byrd (Edinburgh Rugby)
7. Harvey Preston (Glasgow Hawks)
8. Rory Purvis (Glasgow Warriors)

Replacements

16. Jamie McAughtrie (Ayr RFC)
17. Oliver McKenna (Glasgow Warriors)
18. Jackson Rennie (Glasgow Warriors)
19. Archie Appleby (Northampton Saints)
20. Fin Ronnie (Watsonian FC)
21. Jack Marshall (Saracens/Loughborough University)
22. Adam McKenzie (Watsonian FC)
23. Calum Jessop (Heriot’s Rugby)

The post One change for Scotland U20 clash with Wales appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

The weekend’s international rugby begins on Friday night at Cardiff Arms Park. The Scotland Under-20 side will be looking to build on their recent performances as they take on Wales in the heart of the Welsh capital.

• Date: Friday, 20 February 2026
• Kick-off: 7:15pm
• Venue: Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

How to watch The match will be available to watch live on BBC digital platforms. Supporters can access the coverage via the BBC Sport website and the BBC iPlayer, providing live access to the next generation of talent as they compete away from home.

Wales v Scotland – Guinness Men’s Six Nations

The senior sides meet on Saturday afternoon at the Principality Stadium. With the Doddie Weir Cup on the line, Scotland will be aiming to retain on the road.

• Date: Saturday, 21 February 2026
• Kick-off: 4:40pm
• Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff

How to watch on TV and live stream

• TV: BBC One
• Live stream: BBC iPlayer and Premier Sports

The match will be broadcast live on BBC One, with the program including full match build-up and expert analysis. For those with a subscription, Premier Sports will also provide live coverage of the encounter. Fans on the move can stream the action via the BBC iPlayer or the Premier Player app.

Weekend Rugby at a Glance

• Friday: Wales U20 v Scotland U20 – Live on BBC digital platforms (7:15pm)
• Saturday: Wales v Scotland – Live on BBC One & Premier Sports (4:40pm)

With two significant fixtures taking place in Cardiff, it is another important weekend for Scotland teams before the fallow week.

The post How to follow Scotland v Wales this weekend appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

England however capitalised on their next opportunity where they were awarded a scrum, after Scotland lost the ball forward. From the base of the scrum, Lucas Friday chipped the ball over the Scottish defence and with Finn Keylock in close pursuit, her gathered to dot down. Keylock was unable to convert (0-5, 8 mins).

Wolfenden quickly made amends for his earlier penalty, winning a crucial turnover just metres from Scotland’s try line to deny England a second score before the 13-minute mark.

The visitors did extend their advantage soon after. A Scottish lineout inside their own 22 went astray and fell into the hands of England’s Jimmy Staples, who crashed over the whitewash. Keylock added the extras (0-12, 23 mins).

An impassioned Scotland responded with urgency. After England fumbled the restart, the hosts found themselves with prime attacking territory inside the Auld Enemy’s half. With referee Ben Connor playing advantage for offside, Scotland kicked to touch and retained possession. Following sustained pressure from the forward pack, Hamish McArthur sniped over from close range to get Scotland on the board. He was unable to convert his own try (5-12, 28 mins).

Although England remained in front, their discipline began to falter. A string of penalties allowed Scotland to build pressure and earn a five-metre line out, and when the visitors were again caught offside, the hosts were awarded advantage. After hard work from the pack, the ball was worked to McHaffie, who powered across the line. McArthur converted to level the scores, while England’s Seb Kelly was shown a yellow card, reducing the visitors to 14 players (12-12, 33 mins).

Despite their numerical disadvantage, England struck back before the break quickly making their way into Scotland’s half. Captain Connor Traecey crashed over, and Keylock converted to restore the lead (12-19, 38 mins).

Scotland, however, refused to let the half slip away as they asked questions of England’s defence as they earned another penalty for a lineout inside England’s 22. After relentless work from the forwards, Jamie Stewart forced his way through as the clock ticked into the red. McArthur’s conversion drifted wide, leaving Scotland trailing by just two points at the interval.

Half-time: Scotland 17 – 19 England

It was a tense start to the second half for Scotland as England looked to strike early, chipping in behind the defensive line. A foot race followed between Widdowson and two men in white, all scrambling to be first to ground the bouncing ball. After some deliberation with the TMO, the match officials ruled the grounding simultaneous, denying the visitors the score. Following that decision, England returned to a full complement of 15 as Kelly re-entered the fray following his yellow card.

Moments later, Scotland found themselves under pressure to exit their own half, and with that possession fell to England full-back James Pater. Spotting space, he accelerated down the right wing and finished in the corner to secure the bonus-point try. Keylock added the extras (17-26, 46 mins).

England continued to probe, applying sustained pressure and pinning Scotland deep on the fringes of their try line. Fresh off the bench, Calum Jessop made an immediate impact for the hosts, producing a crucial strip of the ball to deny what looked a certain score.

Between the 50th and 60th minutes, neither side was able to establish any sustained foothold, as a flurry of penalties conceded across the park repeatedly dismantled any attacking platform.

A difficult spell followed for Scotland as they were camped inside their own 22. In the 65th minute, England’s Sonny Tonga’uiha appeared to have forced his way over the whitewash, but after TMO review, Finn Ronnie was adjudged to have knocked the ball back illegally at the ruck and was shown a yellow card, resulting in the try being disallowed. Play was brought back for a penalty, and although England looked to capitalise, Harvey Preston held them up over the line.

With the numerical advantage telling, England struck again. Gathering a crossfield kick from Dalziel, Tyler Offiah combined neatly with Will Knight to manufacture space on the right wing, allowing Knight to dot down in the corner. Keylock converted to stretch the lead further (17-33, 72 mins).

Despite their best efforts in the closing stages, Scotland were unable to claw back the deficit in the time that remained.

Full-time: Scotland 17 – 33 England

Scotland: Henry Widdowson, Nairn Moncrieff, Campbell Waugh, Ross Wolfenden (captain), Rory McHaffie; Jake Dalziel, Hamish MacArthur; Jamie Stewart, Joe Roberts, Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, Christian Lindsay, Alfie Blackett, Sam Byrd, Jack Utterson, Rory Purvis.

Replacements: Jamie McAughtrie (for Blyth-Lafferty, 74 mins), Oliver McKenna (for Stewart, 53 mins), Jackson Rennie (for Roberts, 74 mins), Fin Ronnie (for Blackett, 53 mins), Harvey Preston (for Utterson, 56 mins), Oliver Finlayson-Russell (for Purvis, 53 mins), Adam McKenzie (on for McHaffie, 67 mins), Calum Jessop (on for Wolfenden, 50 mins).

England: James Pater; Sam Winters; Nick Lilley; Victor Worsnip; George Pearson; Finn Keylock; Lucas Friday; Oliver Scola; Jimmy Staples; Sonny Tonga’uiha; Elliot Williams; Patrick Hogg; Aiden Ainsworth-Cave; Seb Kelly; Connor Treacey (captain).

Replacements: Kealan Freeman-Price; Oliver Spencer; Harry Wright; Freddie Ogden-Metherell; George Marsh; Asa Stewart-Harris; Will Knight; Tyler Offiah.

Referee: Ben Connor (WRU)
Assistant referees: Carwyn Sion and Lucas Yendle (both of WRU)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (WRU)

Attendance: 6,255

Player of the Match: James Pater (England)

The post Match Report: Scotland U20 Men 17 – 33 England U20 appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

U20 Head Coach Fergus Pringle said: “A lot of hard work went into that game, a good two months’ worth of prep. We went in with a clear plan, and we felt the boys executed it really well.

“We wanted to try and get a win away from home, we hadn’t done that in my time here and we know Italy is a tough place to go and get a win so that really was very pleasing. We need to move on pretty quick and focus on the week ahead because we know it’s going to be a massive challenge against England.

“It’s really unfortunate for Henry, he injured himself while scoring a try. Ross comes back in recovered and he’s been training really well; he brings some stability and experience so I’m certain he’ll pick up where Henry left off last Friday.

“It’s a big game, It’s England week. But to be honest our main focus is on ourselves, how we prepare and get everything ready to be sure to control the things that we can. We’ll have to be at our very best to challenge England in any way.”

Stand-off Jake Dalziel said: “We know England’s quality, they’ve got some unbelievable players in their backline and their forwards are really physical. But we’re full focused on what’s ahead and trying to repeat what we did last Friday.

“Coming in on Sunday the buzz in the group was up another level, even the guys that didn’t play are buzzing to fight for that jersey and get out in front of a home crowd.”

The teams

The stats

• Scotland conceded the fewest number of turnovers of any team in round 1, conceding only 10.
• Scotland were one of two teams to achieve a 100% ruck success rate at 92, with France being the only other completing all 69.
• Scotland lock Alfie Blackett claimed more lineouts than any other player in Round 1 of this year’s U20 Six Nations (9); in fact, it was the most lineout takes of any Scotland player in the Championship since 2021 (Euan Ferrie, 9 v Wales).
• A win tomorrow would be Scotland U20’s first back-to-back home wins in the Six Nations since 2016, having beat Wales last time out at Hive Stadium, and their first consecutive wins in the tournament since 2015; it would also be the first time since the U20 Six Nations began that Scotland have started with two wins.

The post U20 Preview: Scotland v England appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

“Coming in on Sunday, the vibe and the buzz in the group was up another level,” he said. “In training you can see it rubbing off on everyone. Even the guys that didn’t play are really buzzing to fight for that jersey and get out there on Friday night.”

Despite the noise generated by travelling supporters in Italy, Dalziel is particularly excited about the prospect of running out in front of a home crowd for the first time at U20 level.

“I’ve not played at home for the 20s yet, so it’s going to be good,” he said. “Hopefully we get some good numbers down — guys that are going to be loud and cheer us on.”

Scotland now turn their attention to England, whom they face this Friday 13 February at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh, in what promises to be a step up in intensity.

“I’d say England will be on another level up this week and obviously coming off a win themselves, it’s going to be another challenge,” Dalziel added.

With confidence building off the back of that win in Treviso, Scotland will be aiming to carry the energy of their opening performance into another big test on home soil. Tickets for Friday night’s match are still available, with supporters encouraged to come along and get behind the team.

Watch the full interview with Jake Dalziel.

The post Interview: Dalziel targets home impact after Player of the Match debut appeared first on Scottish Rugby.

The other change comes in the front row, where Jamie Stewart, who came off the bench at tighthead prop on Friday, shows his versality by moving across the scrum to start at loosehead.

Stewart is joined in the front row by hooker Joe Roberts, who vice-captains the side, and tighthead prop Ollie Blyth-Lafferty.

Christian Lindsay and Alfie Blackett return in the second row, while Sam Byrd at blindside flanker, Jack Utterson at openside and Rory Purvis at number 8 again make up the back row.

Hamish MacArthur continues at scrum-half, with Player of the Match Jake Dalziel at stand-off to complete the half-backs.

Outside centre Campbell Waugh continues in the midfield, combining with the returning Wolfenden. Nairn Moncrieff is on the right wing, with Rory McHaffie on the left, and Henry Widdowson again starts at full-back.

Hooker Jamie McAughtrie is primed to come on in the front row alongside props Oliver McKenna and Jackson Rennie, who could make his competitive U20 debut. Second row Fin Ronnie and back rows Harvey Preston and Oliver Finlayson-Russell complete the forward replacements.

The line-up is completed by Adam McKenzie and Calum Jessop, who return as the two backs replacements in a 6-2 bench split.

Scotland U20 team to play England U20 at Hive Stadium on Friday (kick off 7.15pm) – live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

15. Henry Widdowson (Edinburgh Rugby)
14. Nairn Moncrieff (Edinburgh Rugby)
13. Campbell Waugh (Glasgow Hawks)
12. Ross Wolfenden – Captain (Edinburgh Rugby)
11. Rory McHaffie (Edinburgh Rugby)

10. Jake Dalziel (Merchiston Castle School/Melrose RFC)
9. Hamish MacArthur (Edinburgh Rugby)

1. Jamie Stewart (Edinburgh Rugby)
2. Joe Roberts – Vice-captain (Glasgow Warriors)
3. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (Edinburgh Rugby)
4. Christian Lindsay (Edinburgh Rugby)
5. Alfie Blackett (Cardiff Metropolitan University)
6. Sam Byrd (Edinburgh Rugby)
7. Jack Utterson (Edinburgh Rugby)
8. Rory Purvis (Glasgow Warriors)

Replacements

16. Jamie McAughtrie (Ayr RFC)
17. Oliver McKenna (Glasgow Warriors)
18. Jackson Rennie (Glasgow Warriors)
19. Fin Ronnie (Watsonian FC)
20. Harvey Preston (Glasgow Hawks)
21. Oliver Finlayson-Russell (University of St Andrews)
22. Adam McKenzie (Watsonian FC)
23. Calum Jessop (Heriot’s Rugby)

The post Two changes for U20 England clash appeared first on Scottish Rugby.