Jake Dalziel and Scotland U20 on the rise and what it could mean for senior team

Gregor Townsend hopes the impressive displays by Scotland Under-20 at the Junior World Championship in Georgia will lead to several of the squad graduating to the senior national team.

Jake Dalziel has shone for Scotland Under-20s despite being just 17. | Getty Images

The under-20s, coached by Fergus Pringle, have beaten Italy, Japan and Argentina and will equal the best ever finish by Scotland at this level if they can defeat Wales on Friday in Tbilisi in the fifth-place play-off.

There have been a number of outstanding performances, with stand-off Jake Dalziel again catching the eye after his initial breakthrough in this year’s U20 Six Nations. Still just 17, Dalziel has been a composed and creative presence for Pringle’s side and has also taken on the vice-captaincy.

Jake Dalziel has shone for Scotland Under-20s despite being just 17. | Getty Images

The son of Scotland forwards coach John Dalziel, the teenager has agreed to join Newcastle Red Bulls for next season but Townsend revealed that Bath were also interested in the fly-half.

The last Scotland U20 team to finish fifth at the World Championship was the class of 2017 which included players of the quality of Darcy Graham, Blair Kinghorn, Matt Fagerson, Stafford McDowall, Luke Crosbie, Alex Craig, Robbie Smith and Ross McCann who have all gone on to win full caps.

A great story for Scottish rugby

Townsend hopes it will be a similar story with the current U20 squad. The national coach has been hugely impressed by the young Scots whose only defeat in Georgia has been the 36-26 reverse against New Zealand in which they claimed a four-try bonus point.

“I think it's the story of the last few years in Scottish rugby,” said Townsend. “The quality of performance that they're delivering, the consistency, and now this opportunity to finish fifth or sixth.”

Townsend, whose senior team take on Fiji at Murrayfield on Saturday, said Pringle had done a superb job. The South African was appointed U20 head coach in January after spending last summer as forwards coach with the senior Scotland squad while John Dalziel was with the British and Irish Lions

Scotland Under-20 head coach Fergus Pringle. | SNS Group / SRU

“They look like a team,” said Townsend. “Credit goes to Fergus, I think he's done a brilliant job.

“It's just been great to see the individual players too coming through. Speaking as a Borderer, it's been great to see Borders players in the team. It's probably been a while since you saw five or six Borderers in the team.

“You've got players from all over Scotland that show that you can get that pathway and come through and perform at that level.”

‘A 17-year-old vice-captain’

Melrose-born teenager Dalziel is one of the Borderers who has flourished and Townsend commended his maturity. He will not turn 18 until next month.

“He's a 17-year-old vice-captain,” said Townsend. “His first game against Italy as a 17-year-old, he looked just so mature.

“You're going to make mistakes in that position at any age, but to learn from them and keep composed, that's a big credit to him and coaches and his dad and his family. That's really encouraging.

“There are some real quality players in that squad. I would hope or expect there's going to be three, four, five, even probably more coming through this year's 20s in the next few years.”

Townsend works with Red Bull as a rugby adviser but said he was not involved with the discussions that saw Dalziel sign for Newcastle. He said that Bath coach Johann van Graan also spoke to the player.

“John had told me that there were two or three clubs [interested in Dalziel]. I think Bath flew up to meet him, Johann van Graan flew up to meet him. Obviously Scottish Rugby were keen to keep him in Scotland and Newcastle had spoken to him. I think there was another club in England too, he could have gone there.

“From his point of view, his family point of view, it's not too far away [from their Borders home]. It's great that he's going to be in a professional environment and that's key.

“I don't think we can contract everybody in Scotland that is in that 20s group, but there'll be clubs in England, some in France. They'll be looking out for those players. So as long as they're getting that opportunity to get into pro environments.”