SCOTLAND face Australia at the AJ Bell Stadium in Salford today in the fifth place semi final of the World Rugby under-20 Championship, arguably the most important game in history for the Scots at this age level.
Victory in today’s match would guarantee the Scots a best ever and finishing place in the global championship of sixth or fifth. Defeat, however, would still offer the chance in the last round of the tournament to better or equal last year’s best ever place of eighth.
Less than two weeks ago at the same venue, Scotland pulled off a spectacular 15-10 win in their first match against Australia in the opening round, a victory that hurt the young Wallabies psychologically. “We have the chance to play Scotland again. It’s an opportunity to rectify a result we weren’t happy with.” said the Australia under-20 coach, Adrian Thompson.
Pride will demand that Australia finish no lower than last year’s fifth position. “The next two games are important to us. We can either finish fifth or fall down the ladder.” stated the Australia captain and scrum half James Tuttle.
Curiously, Scotland played Australia at the same stage in last year’s tournament, when they lost 31-21 at Calvisano - after leading 7-5 at half-time, they conceded four second-half tries. Twelve months on, Scotland know exactly what they must do to neutralise their opponents and how much they have to improve on their winning performance against Italy.
"The first 20 minutes against Italy were very very good.” said the Scotland under-20 coach, John Dalziel. “But then we started to get scrappy at the breakdown.
"They will have their Super Rugby centre Campbell Magnay [red carded and suspended for two matches] back after his two-match suspension.” warned Dalziel, whose backline defence will also have to be alert to the subtle play of stand-off Mack Mason, voted man of the match against England.
This will be a huge test for all the Scotland players and provides the best possible opportunity for the professionals in the team to show why they are where they are.
For the match tomorrow, Dalziel has been circumscribed by tournament-ending injuries to hooker Jake Kerr and centre George Taylor and a likely one match set-back for flanker Matt Smith.
Scotland start with Lewis Anderson at hooker and Lewis Wynn at blindside flanker and Jamie Ritchie moving to the other side of the back row. Hawick’s Fraser Renwick has been called up to the squad and will take his place on the bench. The Gala full-back Ruarai Howarth replaces the injured George Taylor in the squad.
Scotland under-20 : B Kinghorn; R Nairn, T Galbraith, M McPhillips, B Robbins; A Hastings, H Fraser; M McCallum, L Anderson, Z Fagerson, C Hunter-Hill, S Cummings, L Wynn, J Ritchie, A Miller Replacements F Renwick, D Elkington C Sheldon, A Craig, S Burnside, C Shiel, C Gray, R Norville
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