Marshall starts in Scotland U20s opener
Newcastle Falcons Tom Marshall will earn his first U20s cap for Scotland on Tuesday, as the Falcons back row starts against South Africa on the opening day of the 2019 U20s World Championship.
Marshall, who qualifies for Scotland through his mother, has forced his way into a settled Scottish side after impressing with two tries in the warm up fixture against Old Glory DC, and is one of only three changes to the side that faced England U20 in the final match of the U20 Six Nations earlier this year.
Joining the club’s senior academy last summer, Marshall was a member of the Falcons’ AASE scheme at Gosforth Academy that reached two successive national AASE finals.
He made his first appearance for Falcons A whilst still at school in the 17/18 A League season and earned his first senior cap for the club this season, starting on the openside flank against Exeter in the Premiership Rugby Cup.
Kicking off at 14:30 BST, Scotland’s opening game can be watched live via the [World Rugby website][1], with highlights on ITV4 at 23:00.
Head Coach Carl Hogg, said: “We open this year’s World Rugby U20 Championship against a tough and physical Springboks outfit, but we have selected an exciting side that has the ability to threaten any defence.
“As a squad, we’ve enjoyed a hard training week in Washington, as well as a pre-tournament game against Old Glory DC that will stand us in good stead leading into this week’s physical contest with South Africa.
“It’s really important that we get off to a good start in this year’s Championship, so it’s imperative that we play with real tempo in our game, but also make smart decisions on where we play the game.
“There is no doubt that South Africa will bring a physical approach with a strong set piece. We need to ensure that we contest at every opportunity.
“We know how tough a test we face, but we can’t wait for the challenge that awaits us in Rosario tomorrow morning.”
[1]: http://world.rugby/u20
