Over a week since their last game and with the dust settled on the Young Scots campaign, this writer has found the time to look back on a tournament full of promise and choose six players to keep an eye on.
Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (Tight-head, Edinburgh Rugby)
Before any mention of skill and technical qualities, the first thing you will notice when watching the Edinburgh born forward is his frame.
At just 19 years old, Blyth-Lafferty stands at a towering 1.92m and according the SRU’s page, weighs 136kg. The numbers might bring less attention where it not for the fact that they belong to a prop, where such a height is a rarity.
It makes sense therefore that Blyth-Lafferty is a danger man when carrying. However, what caught the eye during the campaign was his work rate.
Always present at the breakdown, the former Boroughmuir forward was most effective in helping Scotland in the attacking phases at the ruck and readily cleaning opposition players out.
Despite only winning one game, the tight-head’s was also an important member of a Scottish scrum with the second highest win percentage (81%), topped only by champions France.
With a dearth of options beyond Zander Fagerson, who is often found playing full the full 80, there is a room for Blyth-Lafferty to stake a claim in the coming years.
Freddy Douglas (back-row, Edinburgh Rugby)
It is difficult to call Douglas’ impact a revelation given he’d played in the competition last year and now has a senior cap to his name, but this year’s edition confirmed to all his potential to be a staple of the senior side for years to come.
As a sorry Welsh defender or two Frenchmen will tell you after finding themselves bundled over before watching the flanker touch down, Douglas is a menace with ball in hand.
However, even more impressive was the work he did without it. Steals at the breakdown are his bread and butter, joint top of the stats (8) with Ireland’s Michael Foy despite having played two games fewer is an outrageous return.
A quiet leader whose qualities were sung by teammates and staff alike upon his return to action for the third round, Edinburgh have some talent on their hands in the back-row with Liam McConnell also in the mix.
Reuben Logan (Back-row, Northampton Saints)
Like Blyth-Lafferty, Logan represents a physicality the forwards have been crying out for in the senior set-up.
It must be said the former Wasps player was neck and neck with consummate grafter and fellow back-rower Dan Halkon for inclusion but edged ahead thanks to his ball carrying skills.
Second for metres carried, third for metres gained and carries, the number eight was absolutely devastating powering forward and repeatedly punching holes through defences for his teammates.
There remain rough edges to his game which need smoothened, only natural for young players. Notably his impressive 51 tackles which were undermined by the 11 he missed in the competition.
If Logan can build on the game time he is receiving at Northampton Saints, the experience would go a long way in putting himself on Gregor Townsend’s radar.
Hector Patterson (Scrum-half, Edinburgh Rugby)
Limited to just two substitute appearances before injury ruled him out for the rest of the tournament should tell you that Patterson’s inclusion hints at strong potential.
Electric with the ball and ramping up the speed of the game when introduced against Italy and Ireland, Patterson’s style most resembles George Horne in the senior side.
Denied a try earlier on against Ireland due to a teammate’s knock-on in the build up, the scrum-half made headlines when he finally dotted down after kicking the ball forward for almost the length of the pitch to help Scotland restore some pride and win the second half.
Quick ball from the ruck and a frenetic pace might not currently be Townsend’s requirement for a starting nine but Patterson will no doubt see that as an afterthought, with stiff competition in his position at club level as Ali Price, Ben Vellacott and Charlie Shiel all fight for the berth.
With a Junior World Championship approaching in the summer, Patterson will have the opportunity to work with Noah Cowan and make a statement in Italy.
Fergus Watson (Back-three, Glasgow Warriors)
After performances for his club with Biggar RFC put him on the radar, Watson has quickly made himself an integral part of the U20s set-up, missing only 15 minutes of the Six Nations.
Three tries in the five games was a impressive return for the electric winger who continued to look to burn his opposite man when given the chance to do so.
His pace is of course an impressive part of his game, but Watson showed he was more than capable of putting in a strong tackle when required, the highlight being putting an Irish player on his back which set-up Hector Patterson’s try.
Usually a full-back, Watson showed impressive versatility in covering the extremities of the park and, although it may be a little early for talk of a club debut given the strength of the Glasgow Warriors side, the 19 year old has time on his side to build on his increasingly convincing case.
Jack Brown (Back-three, Edinburgh Rugby)
Unfortunate not to make his Edinburgh debut against Benetton at the weekend, few could argue Brown was not deserving of a chance to replicate his impact from the Six Nations for his club side.
Strong in the air and intelligent with his kicking, the full-back has an air of the Blair Kinghorn about him, chewing up the turf when he has the ball in hand.
A bright spark in an otherwise underwhelming opening two rounds, Brown went from strength to strength to finish the tournament as first for metres carried, metres gained, second for carries and third for offloads (the one vs Ireland a particular highlight).
The long range penalty against England showed another string to his bow for the Livingston born player.
A couple of missed tackles as the last man would be the only blot on his report card but otherwise Brown is well on his way to forging a strong career in Scottish rugby.
