Back-row trio to help wounded Scots prove point against champions

Scotland Under-20 head coach Sean Lineen wants back-rowers Rory Darge, Connor Boyle and Jack Hill to lead by example this evening when they take on last year’s champions Ireland to kick off this year’s Six Nations.

The Scots head into the encounter in Cork on the back of a very poor 2019 when they disappointed in this event and then were relegated from the World Championship. As a result, the young guns have a point to prove this time.

And if they are to have any chance of beating last year’s Grand Slammers on their own turf then the breakdown area and physicality will be key.

Southern Knights No 8 Darge, who missed all of last year’s age-grade programme through injury, skippers the side and will form a back-row unit with in-form Watsonians man Boyle and Durham University’s highly-thought-of Hill.

“Rory is an impressive young man who has had a few injuries in the past so for him to come through that adversity is great and he is held in high regard by the group,” Lineen said of the newly-appointed leader, who played for the Under-20s when very young back in 2018.

“He is really well balanced, really reliable in terms of what he does on the field and is very determined.

“While Connor did a good job as captain [last year] and he is a really determined man too, now he can concentrate on his own game and still be a massive leader and support

Rory on the field. Having two guys like that on the pitch makes a big difference, they are full of energy and full of that will and desire to win. It is good having competitive animals like that.

“Jack is the bigger lad in the back row and has been going well in training, he complements the other two well.”

Dan Gamble, the 18-year-old Heriot’s tighthead prop, also has a big job on his hands and he will have to summon all of the knowledge gained from training with WP Nel and Simon Berghan at Edinburgh

Rugby this season in this one against a big Irish front row.