Kenny Murray has stuck with the same back line as he sent out against the USA last Thursday and made three changes to his pack ahead of Scotland Under-20s’ final pool match against Uruguay at the Junior World Trophy in Kenya.
Craig Davidson and Oliver Minnis have been selected at loose-head and tight-head prop, respectively, replacing the rested Robbie Deans and the benched Cameron Norrie.
Meanwhile Ruaraidh Hart will make his first start of the tourn-ament in the second row.
The young Scots come into this game high on confidence after comprehensive wins over Zimbabwe and USA in their opening two matches of this campaign but expect their toughest challenge yet against the also unbeaten South Americans.
They must win this match to book a place in Sunday’s final against either Spain or Samoa, with qualification into next year’s top tier Junior World Championship the reward for winning this tournament.
“This is now our third game in 10 days so we have to freshen up where we can particularly in the front row,” said Murray.
“It is tough work for the big men running round the park three games in a row, so we have tried to move that around and give everyone a chance going into this third game and, touch wood, maybe a final as well.
“Uruguay are a very passionate team. I went to watch them against USA and when they won that one you could see how much it meant to them. They are passionate and they bring that into their game.
“They are going to be very physical and they really embrace the forward challenge in the line-out and scrum.
“Then they have some pretty physical carriers around that sort of breakdown area, so we have to be sharp there.
“They have a really good nine, he likes to snipe around the breakdown so we have to make sure we are solid in our D, and they have a really good goal-kicking 10, so discipline will be really important for us in our own half.”
Scotland U20s (v Uruguay at Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi, Kenya 2pm BST): D King; L Jarvie, B Salmon, F Thomson, F Douglas; A McLean, B Afshar (co-captain); C Davidson, C Tait, O Minnis, E Erskine, R Hart, L McConnell (co-captain), J Smith, J Morris. Substitutes: F Duraj, M Surry, C Norrie, J Parkinson, S Derrick, F Burgess, K Johnston, M Reid.
