Scotland provided Wales with the first opposition at under-21 level in 1987 at Wrexham and Wales not only won 39-19, but have now lost only two of the 16 matches against Scotland – at Inverleith in 1995 and Llanwern in 1998. Last season Wales gave their opponents a 64-20 battering at Caerphilly.
Coach Chris Davey and his assistant Kevin Hopkins have had success in this season’s Six-Nations by beating Italy at Benevento by 27-16 and England at Neath by 35-9, while Scotland have lost 13-5 against Ireland in Dundee and by 37-14 to France at Vichy.
Centre David Bishop (Bridgend) came off against England and broke down again in training, while lock James Stamatakis (Cardiff) was injured in a match against Neath last Saturday.
However, Gavin Henson is available and with Johnny Vaughton moving inside, there is a first start for Will Kershaw-Naylor of Bristol, formerly from Monmouth, on the right wing.
Jonathan Thomas moves from No 8 to lock to replace Stamatakis and James Malpas of Cardiff is fit to return in the back row, with Nathan Brew brought back on the bench, where Cardiff lock James Goode, son of the former Wales under-16 coach Roger Goode, makes a first appearance.
Scotland include Jonathan Rimmer of Pontypridd at full back after two replacement appearances, but despite five changes overall, they keep the same 22 players that lost in France last month – their eighth succussive loss.
Teams.
Wales: G Swales (Swansea); W Kershaw-Naylor (Bristol), J Vaughton (Swansea), G Henson (Swansea), M Nuthall (Pontypridd); N Robinson (Cardiff), M Phillips (Llanelli); P James (Neath, capt), K Crawford (Ebbw Vale), R Thomas (Newport), B Griffiths (Llanelli), J Thomas (Swansea), M Lewis (Pontypridd), R Pugh (Swansea), J Malpas (Cardiff).
Replacements: N Brew (Newport), S Williams (Newport), R Richards (Neath), G Morris (Pontypridd), H Bennett (Swansea), J Goode (Cardiff), R Sowden-Taylor (Cardiff).
Scotland: J Rimmer (Pontypridd); N Walker (Borders), G Morrison (Glasgow Hawks), P Philip (Edinburgh), A Turnbull (Watsonians); A Warnock (Boroughmuir), C Cusiter (Boroughmuir); J Malakoty (Glasgow Hawks), J Henry (Leicester), G Cross (Heriots FP), A Strokosch (Boroughmuir), M Rennie
(Newcastle), S Swindall(Glasgow Hawks), A Hogg (Edinburgh, capt), K Brown (Melrose).
Replacements: F Thomson (West of Scotland), A Dickinson (Dundee HSFP), D
Callam (Hawick), A Miller (Gala), M McMillan (Stirling County),
P Goodman (Newcastle), P Boston (Tynedale).
Referee: D Rose (Ireland).
