Where are they now?

Following on from Munsty's interesting post yesterday about the Irish U20 squads of the 4 JWCs, I thought I'd try and dig out the Scottish equivalents and see what's happened to the players. Bold represents senior Scotland or Scotland A representation, italics represents Pro-12 or Premiership representation.

2011 Squad:
Backs: Sam Atkin (Edinburgh Accies), Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors/Ayr), Glenn Bryce (Heriot’s), Michael Doneghan (Glasgow Warriors/Stirling County), Danny Gilmour (Stirling County), Stuart Edwards (Stirling County), Kerr Gossman (Glasgow Warriors/Glasgow Hawks), Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors/Hawick), Craig Jackson (Melrose), Sean Kennedy (Stirling County), Jamie Stevenson (Westcombe Park), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors).

Forwards: Alex Allan (Loughborough University), David Cherry (Team Northumbria), Mitch Eadie (Bristol), Richard Ferguson (Melrose), Robin Hislop (Edinburgh/Boroughmuir), George Hunter (Glasgow Warriors/Glasgow Hawks), Robert McAlpine (West of Scotland), Colin Phillips (Edinburgh/Stewart's Melville), Grant Runciman (Melrose), Alex Spence (Heriot’s), Jamie Swanson (Boroughmuir), Mitchell Todd (Nottingham), James Tyas (Bath), Hamish Watson (Leicester Tigers)


2010 Squad:
Backs
Alex Black (Leeds Carnegie), Tom Brown (Edinburgh Accies), Alex Dunbar (Selkirk), Dougie Fife (Currie), Oliver Grove (Worcester Warriors), James Johnstone (Currie), Jonny Kennedy (Sale Sharks), Callum MacBurnie (Moseley), Matthew Scott (Currie), Michael Tait (Newcastle Falcons), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Hawks), Russell Weir (Loughborough Students)

Forwards
David Denton (Edinburgh Accies), Michael Fedo (Watsonians), Adam Fedorciow (University of Bath), Grant Gilchrist (Stirling County), Robert Harley (West of Scotland), George Hunter (Glasgow Hawks), Anthony Kent (London Scottish), Nicky Little (Hawick), Robert McAlpine (West of Scotland), Michael Maltman (Heriot's), Stuart McInally (Watsonians), Colin Philips (Stewart's Melville), Calum Stidston-Nott (London Scottish), Alun Walker (Currie)


2009 Squad:
Backs
Peter Jericevich (Glasgow Hawks), Henry Pyrgos (Wimbourne), Robbie McGowan (Stirling County), Andrew White (Glasgow Hawks), Alex Dunbar (Selkirk), Robbie Johnston (Leeds University and Leeds Carnegie), James Knight (Bedford), Ashleah McCulloch (Aberdeen Grammar), Steven Aitken (Aberdeen Grammar), Grant Anderson (Ayr), Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Paul Loudon (Durham University and Edinburgh Accies)

Forwards
Fraser Brown CAPTAIN (Watsonians), Finlay Gillies (Heriot’s), Gavin Cameron (Stirling County), David Morton (Bridgwater and Albion), Douglas Orr (Haddington), Grant Shiells (Kelso), Nick Campbell (Glasgow Hawks), Grant Gilchrist (Stirling County), Richard Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Robert Harley (West of Scotland), Struan Dewar (Heriot’s), Chris Fusaro (Heriot’s), Stuart McInally (Watsonians), Ryan Wilson (London Scottish)


2008 Squad:
Backs: Murray Allan (Loughborough University), Tom Bury (Boroughmuir and National Junior Academy), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Hawks and National Senior Academy), Lee Jones (Selkirk), Chris Kinloch (Edinburgh Academicals and National Senior Academy), Paul Loudon (Durham University), Stephen McColl (Dunfermline and National Senior Academy), Jamie Murray (Leeds Carnegie and Edinburgh Academicals), Peter Horne (Howe of Fife), Peter Jericevich (GHA and National Senior Academy), Steven Wilson (Dundee HSFP and National Junior Academy), Ross Samson (Newcastle Falcons).

Forwards: Jonny Baird (Watsonians), Steven Burton (Currie), Lewis Calder (Newcastle Falcons, CAPTAIN), Angus Dixon (Aberdeen Grammar FP), Adrian Duncan (Stewart's-Melville FP and National Senior Academy), Fraser McKenzie (Heriot's and National Senior Academy), Lewis Niven (Edinburgh Academicals), Neale Patrick (Dunfermline), Gary Strain (Glasgow Hawks and National Junior Academy), Craig Simmonds (Heriot's), Joe Stafford (Hillhead/Jordanhill and National Senior Academy), Richie Gray (Stirling County and National Senior Academy), Andrew Rose (Gloucester), Niall Shannon (Aberdeen Grammar FP).

ASBO - given you watched a little of the U20 JWC this time round, any players other than those in bold and italics we can expect to see making the grade shortly?

Any decent locks??

FES - almost unbelievably the answer is yes.

Big Rob McAlpine has been a wonderfully destructive presence in the line out.

The best hopes for lock (other than Gray and McKenzie who obviously have already 'made it') would be Grant Gilchrist (GG in NZ) and Robert McAlpine (Rob McAlpine from GA)

Ignoring those in italics and bold, others that could develop would be Sean Kennedy, Danny Gilmour, Kerr Gossman, James Tyas & Hamish Watson from the 2011 vintage, Matthew Scott & Grant Gilchrist from 2010, and Peter Jericevich (who has played for the 7s team) from the 2009 group - all-in-all, including those already 'there', not a bad tally

SchlongAs - I am enjoying these posts of yours very much.

George Carlin wrote:SchlongAs - I am enjoying these posts of yours very much.

Most kind, GC, I'll try to maintain the service! 8)

Gilchrist is 6ft8 and 18 stone apparently - not at all bad. Hopefully he can stick another half stone on in NZ and become a genuine 4 for Edinburgh next season.

McAlpine is 6ft7 and 16 stone 3lbs. Clearly more in the mould of a 5/back row player, but he's still young, so hopefully he can bulk up a little.

Encouraging that we have a couple of options coming through. Sorely needed at both Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Are McAlpine and Gilchrist signed up for Glasgow and Edinburgh? We have no depth while Edinburgh have virtually no-body!

Talking of "Where are they", I'm still seething at James Eddie and Scott Newlands being axed. I'm travelling so out of touch a bit. Can anyone tell me if either has been picked up? There are plenty of clubs they'd be useful for. Maybe with McKie off there may be a bit more investment in the squads.

Gilchrist is with Edinburgh, McAlpine with Warriors.

No news on Eddie or Newlands that I can find

Agreed, I really hope that Eddie in particular finds a good club. He's a good and obviously underrated player. Clearly his injury record isn't good, but I think he's worth taking a chance on, and he could clearly do a job at Premiership level.

Newlands has gone to Oyonnax in ProD2 in France apparently

Well at least he's found some rugby. Personally I see Newlands as a bit of a journeyman, and given Edinburgh's options in the back row, I wasn't surprised to see him axed.

Edinburgh have MacDonald (remember him!), Grant, Rennie, McInally, Denton and Talei as options in the back row, and only Rennie and possibly Talei will be away at the WC. I can understand why Newlands was deemed surplus to requirements.

Just looking up a few of these guys you mention ASBO - Hamish Watson appears to have a prominent role at flanker in the Leicester Academy which is no mean feat. 6ft1 and 14st 6lbs - decent size for a young lad.

There are also a few good articles on James Tyas at Bath, which seem to suggest we have another rampaging back row forward in the making. At 6ft3 and 16st 2lbs he's certainly got the physical attributes, and it sounds like he's a good ball player as well.

Yes, more backrows. Exactly what Scotland need

MBTGOG wrote:Yes, more backrows. Exactly what Scotland need

Ha, ha, Munsty, perhaps we could trade?!

Sean Kennedy (scrum-half), Danny Gilmour (fullback), Kerr Gossman (wing), Matthew Scott (flyhalf/centre) and Peter Jericevich (scrum-half)

Whatever happened to Peter Horne? He looked like a decent prospect but just seemed to vanish.

Still at Glasgow, think we'll see more of him now that Stortoni has retired

I saw him play 7's this season for Scotland as well. Quite a sharp player Horne.

Agreed MBTGOG - we seem to have a knack of having a glut of players in one position and then a complete lack of options in another. Here's to hoping that Gilchrist at lock can follow through on early promise.

Review of the squad & performances at the JWC in the Scotsman: Review

Nice to hear mention of an up and coming prop in Alex Allan - especially one that seems to be a good scrummager. He's a loosehead as well which is good. Chunk won't be around for ever, and Welsh appears to have stalled.