Scotland U20s Six Nations: Historic conquest in Normandy is target

Scotland have never won in this fixture, either as under-20s or in the old under-21s guise, and regularly find themselves pitching club players up against fully professional youngsters from France's Top 14.

Without the sizeable figures of Richie Gray and Stuart McInally this season, the Scots have a smaller pack but they have no less talent and, led by Glasgow Hawks prop George Hunter, are a team intent on making history in Caen tonight. With Mark Bennet and Stuart Hogg standouts and, even without the injured Duncan Weir, they also possess one of the most potentially-lethal back divisions that Scotland have fielded at this level for some time.

"The quality of competition is where the under-20s is tough," said coach Peter Wright, "because they are playing against guys who are playing Magners League and Heineken Cup rugby and then, when we go to the World Cup, we play against guys playing Super 14, so to be competitive at this level is difficult, but that is the great challenge we have set them."

Scotland U20's team:

v France at Stade Velodrome de Venoix, Caen, Normandy, tonight, kick-off 6pm GMT

15 S Hogg (Glasgow/Hawick)

14 M Doneghan (Glas/S County)

13 M Bennett (Ayr)

12 H Leonard (Boroughmuir)

11 K Gossman (Glasgow/Hawks)

10 C Jackson (Melrose)

9 J Stevenson (WestcombeP)

1 R Hislop (Edin/Boroughmuir)

2 R Ferguson (Melrose)

3 G Hunter (Glasgow/Hawks)

4 M Todd (Nottingham)

5 R McAlpine (West of Scotland)

6 J Tyas (Bath)

7 H Watson (Leicester)

8 G Runciman (Melrose)

Subs: D Cherry (Team Northumbria), C Phillips (Edinburgh/Stewart's Melville), A Kirkland (Glasgow Hawks), A Spence (Heriot's), S Kennedy (Stirling County), T Steven (Glasgow Hawks), G Bryce (Stirling County).

France squad: J-P Barraque (Biarritz), P Berard (Montpellier), C Bourgeois (Pau), J Buttin (AS Clermont Auvergne), R Colliat (Castres), J Come (Racing Mtro 92), V Delmas (Colomiers), W Demotte (Clermont Auvergne), W Desmaison (Bayonne), J-M Doussain (Toulouse), G Galan (Toulouse), K Gimeno (Montpellier), P Julien (Agen), Y Lesgourgues (Biarritz), L Magnaval (Toulon), M Marie (Biarritz), M O'Connor (Grenoble), G Palis (Albi), J Plisson (Stade Francais), S Taofifenua (Perpignan), S Vahaamahina (Brive), T Visensang (Bayonne).

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