Wright's young Scots braced for Irish crunch

SCOTLAND play what is their most critical match so far in the Junior World Championship when they take on Ireland in their final Pool C match at Rovigo today, the result of which will determine the two groups each country will occupy for the last two rounds.

This a stiff test psychologically. The games against South Africa and England presented the Scots with physical challenges but in each match Scotland were decidedly the underdogs.

Today the pressure is different against an Ireland side that admittedly did slightly better against England and South Africa but which is not dissimilar to Scotland in style and size, making Ireland favourites today but not by a long shot.

A four-try win for Scotland today would almost certainly put them in the middle group of countries (5th-8th) and with it the removal of championship relegation fears.

"To get into the middle group we have to win with a bonus point," said Scotland coach Peter Wright, adding: "We can look at all the possible outcomes from the other games but all we can do is play against Ireland.

"We've got to win and go for the fourth try. This game could be the hardest of the pool matches because both teams know that they need a bonus point win."

Scotland, however, know that they have struggled against Ireland in the World Championship losing in 2008 and again last year in Argentina in the final round.

Moreover Scotland lost to Ireland in the Six Nations under-20 match in Inverness earlier this year with the 15-0 scoreline if anything flattering the Scots.

But Ireland coach Mike Ruddock believes that Scotland have improved since the Six Nations. He said: "Following two very physical battles we have turned our attention to a Scotland team that is much improved from the Six Nations. They played very well against England and play a very expansive off-loading game. We will have to be at our best to beat them and that is our goal".

For this crucial match Wright has selected the same side that started against England. The only changes in the 22 are on the bench where Stuart Edwards, injured in a pre-tournament training match against Australia, makes a welcome return and is joined by Alex Spence, who suffered a shin blow against South Africa.

Scotland U20: G Bryce (Heriot's); S Atkin (Edinburgh Accies), M Bennett (Ayr), D Gilmour (Stirling County), K Gossman (Glasgow Hawks); D Weir (Glasgow Warriors) captain, S Kennedy (Stirling County); A Allan (Loughborough University), D Cherry (Team Northumbria), C Phillips (Stewart's-Melville), Mitch Todd (Nottingham), Robert McAlpine (West of Scotland), M Eadie (Filton College), H Watson (Leicester Tigers), James Tyas (Bath) Subs: R Ferguson (Melrose), G Hunter (Glasgow Hawks), R Hislop (Edinburgh), J Swanson (Boroughmuir), J Stevenson (Westcombe Park), S Edwards (Stirling County), A Spence (Heriot's)

Ireland U20: T O'Halloran (Galwegians/Connacht); A Conway (Blackrock/Leinster), B Macken (Blackrock/Leinster), L Marshall (Ballymena/Ulster), A Boyle (UCD/Leinster); P Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), K Marmion (UWIC/Exile); J Tracy (UCD/Leinster), N Annett (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) (capt), T Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), M Kearney (Clontarf/Leinster), I Henderson (Queen's University/Ulster), E McKeon (Galwegians/Connacht), D Gallagher (Dublin University/Ulster), J Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster) Subs: D Doyle (UCD/Leinster), C Carey (Ballymena/Ulster), D Qualter (Buccaneers/Connacht), S Buckley (Garryowen/Munster), P du Toit UCD/Leinster), J McKinney (Queen's University/Ulster), C Gilroy (Dungannon/Ulster)

Referee: G Garner (Eng).