YOU know you’re getting old when you have to write an article about the son of a player that was ages with you and whose entire career you followed, watching him perform distinguished service for his country many times.
The Rucker has to tell you that he has been a bit wary of writing about a superb young prospect but can no longer resist mentioning the name of Adam Hastings.
Son of Gavin and nephew of Scott – who they? – young Adam was a very fine footballer and athlete at George Watson’s School in Edinburgh where both his father and uncle were also educated.
As a sign of his rugby ambitions, young Hastings went south to the famous Millfield School in Somerset which has produced the likes of Gareth Edwards and JPR Williams, England captain Richard Harding, Chris Oti, and Matt Perry – oh, and singer Lily Allen and Scottish Game of Thrones actress Rose Leslie, too.
Adam signed up for Bath’s excellent academy and last year was promoted into the senior academy. Having played for Scotland Under-18s, it was no surprise when he was named in the under-20 training squad that is currently at Murrayfield.
The good news is that he is almost the same height as his father already, and the even better news is that the under-20 squad is full of talents like him.
Rory Hutchinson played at number 10 for all five of Scotland’s Under-20 Six Nations matches last season, the Scots finishing third in the competition with a 100 per cent home record.
Other backs at the training camp that we have been told to watch out for are Robbie Nairn, another sporting all-rounder who has already been snapped up by Harlequins, while John Macphail scholarship winner Ben Robbins is definitely another one to look out for.
And if you bear in mind that Blair Kinghorn couldn’t attend the camp because he is already signed to Edinburgh Rugby and they need him at the moment, then we appear to have real potential among the backs.
In the forwards, James Ritchie was another who couldn’t attend the camp because he is also doing a job for Edinburgh, while Zander Fagerson is needed by Glasgow Warriors. It says it all about these talented youngsters that they are so highly thought of by Alan Solomons and Gregor Townsend.
Of the 30-man squad named by head coach John Dalziel, more than half of them are BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy players, with 12 players operating at stage three level and a further four at stage two.
That’s not to mention the likes of Ruairi Howarth of Gala and Boroughmuir pair Scott Burnside and Jake Kerr who were among seven players unavailable through injury.
The Rucker could go on and on because we really do have a brimful of talent in the Under-20s and further down the international age grades, which leads to a serious point.
Scotland Under-20s will play England Under-20s at Broadwood Stadium on February 5. If you want to see the future of Scotland, get along there. You will not be disappointed.
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