Coach expects tough test for Under-19 team

SCOTLAND Under-19 team manager Paul Kesterton has warned his young side against any complacency for today's match against their Italian counterparts at Parabiago near Milan.

"As the senior side have found out, Italy are never easy to play at home," said Kesterton, adding: "They are always well supported at home and play with real passion. This group of Italians will have had a lot of experience together having played not only in the Five Nations Under-18 Festival last season but also the FIRA Under-18 tournament."

The Scotland team, which contains four players from last season's National Youth Cup-winning Stirling County side, had mixed fortunes as an U18 side last term, losing heavily to England twice and falling 23-13 to Wales in the final match of the Five Nations Festival in Noceto.

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Several new players, who missed out on selection at Under-18 level, have been brought into the squad this season, partly as a result of later development and partly because several of last season's U18 squad, among them winger Courtney Morrison, are taking a gap year.

Scotland Under-19s: Glenn Bryce (Stirling County); Michael Doneghan (Stewart's Melville FP), Danny Gilmour (Stirling County), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Hawks), Kerr Gossman (Glasgow Hawks); Stuart Edwards (captain, Stirling County), Stevie Turnbull (Hamilton); Nick Fraser (Boroughmuir), David Cherry (Edinburgh Academicals), Steve Quigley (Hull Ionians), Blair McPherson (Ayr), Robert McAlpine (West of Scotland), James Tyas (Brighton College), Robbie Boswell (Stirling County), Cammy Orr (Boroughmuir). Subs: Richard Ferguson (Melrose), Duncan Morrison (North Walsham), Chris Keen (Kelso), Andrew Kirkland (Glasgow Hawks), Lewis Crosbie (Dunfermline), Jamie Forbes (Watsonians), Craig Jackson (Melrose).

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