Scotland are considering Junior World Cup future

Ireland's rumoured decision to withdraw from the Junior World Championship could have a ripple effect as other countries, among them Scotland and Wales, also consider their positions.

Scotland under-20 head coach, Peter Wright, indicated that Scotland's future participation in the championship had been discussed at Murrayfield some time ago but added: "I don't think any withdrawal would be for two years yet."

Player welfare and finance appear to be the reasons behind Ireland's unconfirmed decision to pull out of next year's championship, the welfare issue being about the intensity of the competition - five matches in 17 days - at a time of year which should be about rest and recovery.

There is also the matter that students, who form the bulk of the squads, are having to make career-affecting sacrifices to prepare for and participate in the tournament. "I don't know how 19-year-old youngsters manage it," said former Edinburgh coach, Rob Moffat, who is in Italy for the event. He added: "If you consider the time away for the Six Nations and the World Championship it's considerable. Okay if you're full time . . ."

Yesterday the IRB issued the following statement: "We do not comment on speculation. The JWC continues to raise the bar in terms of standard and international exposure as well as playing a key player development role for participating unions. You only need to look at the 100 players who have graduated from the championship in the last three years to play Test rugby to see how successful it has been."

Scotland meanwhile are focusing on their fourth-round match against Tonga in Rovigo, victory in which will remove the fear of relegation from the top tier. Defeat, however, would leave Scotland in struggle for survival in the final match.

Full-back Stuart Hogg returns after a two-match ban imposed for a dangerous tackle, Mark Bennett and Sam Atkin switch positions and, in the forwards, Richard Ferguson starts at hooker in place of the injured David Cherry, while on the bench recently arrived hooker Mike Liness gets an immediate call-up.

Scotland U20: S Hogg (Glasgow); M Bennett (Ayr), S Atkin (Edinburgh Accies), D Gilmour (Stirling County), K Gossman (Glasgow Hawks); D Weir (Glasgow) captain, S Kennedy (Stirling County); A Allan (Loughborough Univ), R Ferguson (Melrose), C Phillips (Stewart's-Melville), M Todd (Nottingham), R McAlpine (West of Scotland), M Eadie (Filton College), H Watson (Leicester), J Tyas (Bath). Subs: M Liness (Edinburgh Accies), G Hunter (Glasgow Hawks), R Hislop (Edinburgh), J Swanson (Boroughmuir), J Stevenson (Westcombe Park), S Edwards (Stirling County), M Doneghan (Stirling County).