Glasgow Warriors youngster offers theory over Scotland Under-20 struggles and insists progress is being made

Max Williamson and others have made the senior breakthrough despite player pathway problems

Scotland fans grasping for anything to be optimistic about following another underwhelming Six Nations campaign will find little solace in searching further down the system.

If the senior men’s results were largely disappointing then the picture was even gloomier with the under-20s who finished rock bottom of the table with five defeats, one bonus point and a total points differential of -105.

It would be an easier task to fix all of Scotland’s potholes than mend the player pathway system but the latter is an issue that will become a priority in the inboxes of whoever succeeds Mark Dodson as Scottish Rugby’s CEO and Jim Mallinder as performance director.

Glasgow Warriors' Max Williamson in action during a BKT United Rugby Championship match against Dragons at Scotstoun on February 17, 2024. (Photo by Calum Chittleburgh / SNS Group)

With Super Six/Series disbanded, the solution as to how best bridge the gap between youth and senior rugby remains in the realms of trial and error, with professional A games and expanded academies the latest ideas to be rolled out.

There is an undoubted paradox that, while the Scotland age-grade sides continue to struggle as a collective, a number of graduates from that set-up have forged their way through into the first-team set-up at both Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh.

One of those to benefit from Franco Smith’s willingness to give youth its place at Scotstoun is Max Williamson. The giant lock offers a wry smile at mention of the Scotland under-20s, having been a part of the group that finished bottom of the heap in 2022 and 2021.

“I certainly know what it feels like and it’s not nice,” he said of this season’s whitewash. “Even though it’s only six or seven weeks it feels like a lot longer when results aren’t going your way. You sometimes feel a bit helpless and there’s not much you can do so you just keep fighting for it. It’s a good development opportunity as difficult as it is. You do learn a lot from each game but it’s tough.”

If players like himself, Alex Samuel, Gregor Hiddleston, Euan Ferrie, Ben Afshar and Harry Paterson have subsequently proved themselves good enough to play at a senior professional level, why do Scotland continue to struggle at that age group? Williamson has a theory.

“With the young players from the start of Covid we struggled a bit with physical development,” he offered. “Our actual rugby playing looked good, we’re just a bit small and need a bit more physicality but it’s coming.

“Looking at this one there were a lot more positives. They played a lot better, looked more organised and were in the games for longer so it is moving in the right direction but it’s not a quick fix.

“If you look at Ireland’s 20s five years ago, they weren’t performing. It’s that slow thing so hopefully in three years’ time the performance will come from the set up.

“It’s difficult because sometimes it takes some guys until 23 and that’s when people feel more like it. Angus Fraser, he was 23 when he was coming in and sometimes people develop at different times.

“It’s not clear cut at 20s who is going to develop well because there's still a lot that goes on in those next three years and I think they are really important. Not everyone is ready to come out and be ready for pro games, I certainly wasn’t. It’s a different game.”