Jonny Kennedy ruled out of Under-20s' toughest assignment yet

Published on Thursday 11 March 2010 22:04

SCOTLAND will go into their Six Nations Under 20 championship match against England at Firhill tonight without muscular Sale Sharks centre Jonny Kennedy, who was withdrawn yesterday after a scan on his injured ankle.

James Johnstone, the former Merchiston centre who is now with Currie, is promoted from the replacements to win his second starting place, having lined up against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park three weeks ago, and new Glasgow signing Duncan Weir comes on to the bench.

The loss of Kennedy reduces Scotland's physical presence in midfield, but Johnstone brings clever handling skills to the Scots' backline as he showed with his involvement in Tom Brown's two tries against Wales.

This will be Scotland's toughest test thus far in the championship as coach Eamon John acknowledged. He said: "They've reached two back-to-back world cup finals at Under-20 level, and clearly with a lot of players from the Premiership they are bound to be strong.

"But we've scored six tries and averaged two per match so far. It's important that we get our attack right. For that to happen we must get out starting points right in the set-piece. Then we can build our game.

"If we can reproduce the second half form we showed against France then we have a chance. The team are up for it. They're all looking forward to playing against England because they feel there is so much to gain from this game."

England lost their last game 10-25 to Ireland, but for that match they were missing a number of leading players on Premiership duty. "Ireland beat a different England side. There is no Premiership rugby this weekend" said John.

Returning to the England team are the Harlequins and former Newcastle stand-off Rory Clegg, who played in the under 20 World Cup final last season, and the Leicester lock Calum Green. And just to underline the enormity of the task facing the Scotland front row England have named the 130kg Bristol prop Miko Vunipola on the bench.

Scotland U-20: T Brown (Edinburgh Accies); O Grove (Worcester Warriors), J Jphnstone (Currie), A Dunbar (Selkirk), D Fife (Currie); A Blair (Edinburgh Accies), A Black (Leeds Carnegie); N Little (Hawick), A Walker (Currie), C Philips (Stewart's-Melville), R Harley (West of Scotland), M Reid (Heriot's), M Maltman (Heriot's), D Denton (Edinburgh Accies), S McInally (Watsonians) captain. Subs: L Gibson (Melrose), G Hunter (Glasgow Hawks), A Hall (Newcastle Falcons), C Stidston-Nott (London Scottish), K Hamilton (Caithness), M Scott (Currie), D Weir (Glasgow Hawks)

England U-20: T Catterick (Newcastle Falcons); M Watson (London Irish), A Forsyth (Leicester Tigers), T Casson (Harlequins), Sam Smith (Harlequins); R Clegg (Harlequins), Sam Harrison (Leicester Tigers); L Imiolek (Sale Sharks), J George (Saracens), J Marler (Harlequins), C Green (Leicester Tigers), C Matthews (Harlequins), J Gibson (London Irish), J Rowan (Leeds Carnegie, captain), J Wray (Saracens) Replacements A Ellis (London Wasps), M Vunipola (Bristol Rugby), D Wright (Gloucester Rugby), W Welch (Newcastle Falcons), J Pasqualin (Gloucester Rugby), M Atkinson (Sale Sharks), J Joseph (London Irish)