IF the Scotland team have found themselves playing against some very mature opponents in this year's World Rugby Under-20 Championship then the age profile of the current squad might explain a lot.
Fifteen of the current Scotland squad of 28 players are what is termed 'a year young', which means they will be eligible to play in next season's tournament in Manchester. Moreover, two of this young group will be able to appear in the 2017 World Rugby Under-20 Championship, hosted by Georgia.
Head coach Sean Lineen is already looking ahead even though there is still one match to play in the 2015 championship. "Part of my job is looking at the succession planning so that we have as strong a team in advance as opposed to not getting caught out at the last moment."
There will be many more players falling under the Under-20 radar for next season, among them several who were unavailable for the current World Championship. Last season's exciting Under-18 midfield players George Taylor and Adam Hastings both opted out on account of a heavy exam schedule at their respective schools, Loretto and Millfield.
Two others, lock Calum Hunter-Hill of Stewart's Melville College and wing Ben Robbins, now with Edinburgh Rugby, were awarded MacPhail scholarships to progress their careers with time immersed in the cooking pot that is New Zealand rugby.
Lineen's job is also about managing and monitoring the development of young players in his squad. "We've got some exceptional players here but they're still learning to work in a team. These youngsters are away for nearly four weeks so it's not easy. But that's part of them learning how to be, if they choose, professional players."
But ultimately it is the on-field performance that makes a player a valued squad member and in that context, Glasgow's Scott Cummings impressed with a memorable moment against Argentina that caught Lineen's attention. The head coach explained: "Scott had cramp and was absolutely gone. Argentina were attacking but Scott hobbled back into the defensive line and stood there. Other guys in that situation would have been writhing on the ground but even though he was in absolute agony he got himself up.
"That's what you want guys to be able to do. It's about getting back into the defensive line and showing you're strong. And he did that. It was the best piece of video we showed that night and the players applauded Scott. That's how you learn about being part of a team."
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