Young Scots seek to finish with a flourish

Scotland are aiming to finish their Junior World Championship campaign on a high with a win over Argentina in the match tomorrow at Stadio Battaglini in Rovigo to decide the ninth and tenth placings.

A win would make it two results from five games for the Scots in the Championship and would give them a finishing position one higher than their seeding. Happily for Scotland they are not fighting for survival tomorrow, having secured their place in next year's competition in South Africa with victory over Tonga on Wednesday night.

The Scots watched Argentina in action in a tense match against host country Italy at Rovigo on Wednesday night and know what they must do to counter the powerful Pumas, who beat the Italians with four penalty goals to a try and a penalty.

Argentina showed their traditional strengths of powerful scrummaging but complemented this with excellent line-out work from their tall lock forwards. Behind the scrum their play was limited despite the presence of lively centres and a big and powerful winger. "Most of their back play revolved round their nine and ten," observed Simon Cross, the Scotland defence coach, "They don't commit many players to the breakdown but contest it fiercely."

Scotland were able to be more expressive in attack against Tonga and if the Scots can build on this they should challenge the Argentinians with inventive and pacy back play. As always it will depend on possession up front but the Scots forwards certainly gave themselves a confidence lift against Tonga.

Head coach Peter Wright has stuck with virtually the same side that played so well against Tonga. "I think these players deserve a reward for what they achieved on Wednesday night," said Wright who, conscious of Argentina's pack strength, has opted for five forwards on the bench.

Alex Spence of Heriot's returns to the bench but, with the reduction to two backs, Mike Doneghan misses out after making his comeback from injury with a second half showing against Tonga.

Wright expects Argentina to play a simple game. "They'll be physical and will run direct lines. We have to make sure our defence is up to the mark," he said. "But we definitely want to finish with a flourish tomorrow."

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