Before the RWC 2023 young Scottish rugby players to watch this season
Last year we rounded up four young Scottish rugby players who have the potential to become big names in rugby and make their mark on the international stage. Rufus McLean, Jamie Dobie, Ewan Ashman and Ross Thompson are four players to watch, all of whom had a solid last season since publication, and now the four All-players play for Scotland. Rugby World Cup 2023 fans can buy Scotland Vs Romania Tickets from our website.
Now that they’ve cemented their place in and around Gregor Townsend’s squad, here are four other young Scottish rugby players who can follow in those footsteps in the 2022/23 season and continue the strong growth of Scotland’s emerging players.
Matt Currie
Centre Matt Currie first on the list is 21-year-old Edinburgh rugby. Currie started his football career in his hometown playing for the Dumfries Saints RFC at Park Farm. He then went on to Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh where he could really develop his skills and change the position of the outer centre striker on his own, furthering his play in Scotland’s Super 6 club match and for Watsonians’ potency could play.
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Currie played all five U20 Six Nations matches in 2020 and just a few months later made his professional debut for Edinburgh against Munster in PRO14 at BT Murray field. He signed his first professional contract in January 2022 and even became the team’s vice-captain shortly after being signed down when he played against Welsh side Ospreys, just 20 years old.
Currie’s strength lies in heads-up football. He is exceptionally good with the ball, especially in the wide pass, and is an excellent reader of the game. He is quick on the line, strong in tackles and has demonstrated mature leadership skills.
With centres James Johnstone, George Taylor and Jordan Venter pulling out of the Capitals side, this season could be the perfect opportunity for Currie to land a regular starting spot. Despite already training with the Scottish first team, his good performance at the DAM Health Stadium this year could have easily earned him his first cap.
Connor Boyle
Another Edinburgh player with the potential to have a bright future is back striker Connor Boyle. Despite being only 22, Boyle has impressed as a flanker over the years, first playing 1XV rugby in Stewarts Melville and representing Scotland at U16 and U18, then captaining the U20 team for two games. 2019 Six Nations Rugby Championship and 2019 World Rugby Championship. Rugby World Cup 2023 fans can buy Ireland Vs Scotland Tickets from our website.
Boyle has made more than 20 appearances for the club since making his debut against Connaught in Edinburgh in October 2020, scoring three goals. He has fierce competition for playing time, with players like Scottish internationals Hamish Watson, Jamie Ritchie and Luke Crosbie all playing their club rugby in the capital, but his minutes are good. Still, a useful and reliable asset to head coach Mike Blair.
Boyle is a shrill defender. A talent for putting pressure on opponents and working hard to interrupt the game for those around him, while being agile and progressive in attack, makes him a versatile player. One of the strongest parts of the Scottish squad is at the back, but with his career still, a long way to go, Boyle has every chance to do that.
Stafford McDowell
The second graduate on the list from Merchiston Castle School is the mighty Glasgow Warriors centre, Stafford McDowell. McDowell, like his Edinburgh counterpart Matt Currie, is from Dumfries but has played his club rugby with Stewartry and Ayr. He was only 19 when he broke through to the first team of the Glasgow Warriors under Dave Rennie and since then he has played almost 40 games, including 25 starts.
Stafford McDowell won the Young Player of the Year award in Glasgow in 2018/19 and has been a fixture inside and outside the squad since signing his first professional contract with the 2014/15 PRO12 champions. On the international scene, the 6ft 4 utility defender has represented Scotland at U18 and U19 levels, captained the U20s and was involved with a number of Gregor Townsend teams, but has yet to secure his first full cap. Rugby World Cup 2023 fans can buy Scotland Rugby World Cup Tickets from our website.
McDowell, 24, has struggled a bit in recent months under Glasgow boss Danny Wilson but has made a fresh start, with Franco Smith named head coach last month. Stafford McDowell is a strong ball handler, but he is also very smart with his style of play to create space around him and catch his teammates’ holes, which makes him great at both the 12 and 13.
He can also play as a fullback, is very handy from the boot and is a solid and organized defender. Centre-forward is another position where Scotland has some quality players, but McDowell’s versatility makes him a very useful young Scottish rugby player and has a more active role in Glasgow this year with another international call-up probably just around the corner.
Ollie Smith
The last name on the list is former Strathallan and Ayrshire Bulls guard Ollie Smith. The 22-year-old joined the Glasgow Warriors ahead of the 2018/19 season as a Stage 3 academy player and has come a long way since. He made his professional debut against arch-rivals Edinburgh in January 2021, when his side won 23-22 in Scotland.
Since then, Smith has made 21 appearances for the Warriors, scoring five goals and making nine appearances and three goals for the Scotland U20s. He also won the 2021/22 Young Player of the Year award after his breakthrough season, which included a brace in the Champions League game against La Rochelle.
Smith is the only player on this list to have already played for Scotland after putting on his shirt for the first time in last month’s 34-31 defeat to Argentina in Santiago. While Smith has proven to be a top player in the eyes of the general public and coaches in Scotland, his future is long and exciting. Rugby World Cup fans can buy Rugby World Cup 2023 Tickets from our website.
His direct movement and ability to pick the perfect line make him a very effective threat in the back. He has shown what he can do on rugby’s biggest podium, and a good campaign in Glasgow this season could earn him a place with a Scottish team that has only a handful of defenders to choose from.
Scottish Rugby
There is a large group of young Scottish rugby players who are making themselves known in the rugby world and who, if properly trained and perform well, can have a very long and successful career at the top of the game. Scotland has done a great job in recent years developing young talent to grow and propel players in the squad to a place in the squad. Hopefully, this trend will continue, which is what these four players, along with many others, seem to be doing.
Scotland will face current world champions, South Africa, in the Rugby World Cup 2023 in Group B of the competition.
The Springboks will make their debut for Gregor Townsend’s men in Marseille on Sunday, September 10, 2023, having previously met in 1999 and 2015.
Scotland’s next match will be against the Asia Pacific 1 qualifiers in Nice on Sunday, September 24 in two weeks, before taking on the Euro 2 qualifiers in Lille on Saturday, September 30.
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