Townsend and Redpath named in Scotland squad for Under-20 Six Nations
The championship, which was postponed in the winter due to Covid, will begin in Wales later this month, with all games being staged at Cardiff Arms Park.
Sean Lineen, the Scotland U20 head coach, will take 32 players to the tournament, 18 forwards and 14 backs.
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Hide AdIt is a youthful selection and included among the backs are Christian Townsend, son of Scotland coach Gregor, and Murray Redpath son of former Scotland captain Bryan and younger brother of Cameron, who made his full international debut in the Calcutta Cup win over England earlier this year.
“They are good young lads,” said Lineen. “As you’d expect, they are very coachable. They know their rugby pretty well. I’m really looking forward to coaching them.”
Townsend and Redpath junior both play in the same positions their fathers did, stand-off and scrum-half respectively, thus creating the intriguing possibility of their forming a halfback partnership as their dads did so successfully in the mid-1990s and early 2000s.
“Murray is a cheeky young lad, a bit like his dad,” said Lineen. “He is clever and he has a real maturity about him. When he crosses the whitewash there is a real competitor there.
“Christian studies the game well. He has a lovely pass on him and he has really grown into his role these last couple of months. He takes the ball to the line well.
“As you would imagine, he understands the game really well. He gets into position nice and early and is a heads up rugby player. There are parts of his game to improve as there would be with anyone in that age.
“He is one of the three tens we have, with Cammy Scott and Euan Cunningham. We have three good young stand-offs to mould and shape over the next five weeks.”
While the spotlight will inevitably fall on Townsend and Redpath, the pair will have to earn their chance to play in Wales.
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Hide Ad“We just treat them the same,” noted Lineen. “They get the stick like everyone. They are down to earth and just part of the 32-man squad. That’s the way we look at it and that’s the way it should be. They’ve got to earn their places just like the other 30.”
The team will be captained by Alex Samuel, the Glasgow Warriors second row who was invited to train with the Scotland senior squad during this season's Guinness Six Nations.
Lineen reported that his young charges were full of vim and vigour but sorely lacking in gametime after a lost season due to Covid. They have played a couple of training matches against England and the coach was impressed with what he saw.
The Scots will play their opening fixture of the championship against Ireland, on Saturday 19 June (kick-off 2pm) followed by games against England on Friday 25 June (2pm), Italy on Thursday 1 July (2pm), France on Wednesday 7 July (5pm) and Wales on Tuesday 13 July (8pm).
The matchday squads will consist of 26 players rather than the usual 23 due to the condensed format of the competition.
Every match will be broadcast in each of the Six Nations territories either on terrestrial TV, national broadcaster streaming platforms or via Six Nations digital channels.
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Scotland fixtures and squad for U20 Six Nations
Sat 19 June (2pm) v Ireland
Fri 25 June (2pm) v England
Thur 1 July (2pm) v Italy
Wed 5 July (5pm) v France
Tues 13 July (8pm) v Wales
(all matches at Cardiff Arms Park)
Forwards
Jamie Drummond (Ayrshire Bulls)
Patrick Harrison (Southern Knights/Edinburgh Rugby)
Duncan Hood (Heriot’s Blues)
Tom Banatvala (Durham University)
Michael Jones (Boroughmuir Bears)
Corey Bowker (Leeds Beckett University)
George Breese (Stirling Wolves)
Olly Frostick (Ealing Trailfinders)
Cole Lamberton (Watsonians Rugby/Edinburgh Rugby)
Alex Samuel (Stirling County/Glasgow Warriors) CAPATIN
Max Williamson (Stirling County/Glasgow Warriors)
Euan Ferrie (Glasgow Hawks)
Harri Morris (Southern Knights)
Rhys Tait (Southern Knights)
Ollie Leatherbarrow (Exeter University)
Rory Jackson (Ayrshire Bulls/Glasgow Warriors)
Ben Muncaster (Watsonians Rugby/Edinburgh Rugby)
Archie Smeaton (Cambridge University)
Backs
Ethan McVicker (Melrose Rugby)
Murray Redpath (Newcastle University)
Cameron Scott (Southern Knights/Edinburgh Rugby)
Euan Cunningham (Stirling County/Glasgow Warriors)
Christian Townsend (Ayrshire Bulls)
Thomas Glendinning (Glasgow Hawks)
Scott King (Heriot’s Rugby/Edinburgh Rugby)
Michael Gray (Boroughmuir Bears/Glasgow Warriors)
Elliot Gourlay (Sale Sharks)
Finlay Callaghan (Ayrshire Bulls/Glasgow Warriors)
Adam Scott (GHA)
Ollie Melville (Boroughmuir Bears/Glasgow Warriors)
Harry Paterson (Heriot’s Rugby/Edinburgh Rugby)
Ross McKnight (Stirling County)