Edinburgh teenager Ritchie raring to go in France

The 18-year-old, who will captain the team in Gueugnon tonight, is one of a number of Scottish representatives to have made club appearances in the league this season.

And Ritchie, who made his GUINNESS PRO12 debut against Leinster in October, thinks the high-level experience offered by the competition plays a big role in the development of the Under-20 outfit.

"There's a lot of experience in the squad, with guys playing rugby in France in a professional environment and players involved at Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby," he told the Scottish Rugby website.

"I feel this breeds a more competitive edge to the team and helps bring the boys forward.

"There's a pretty positive vibe around the squad, and there's a belief that we could do something really special, so we're in a good place.

"We're definitely excited to be getting out there. From a personal point of view, I'll be looking to lead by example and do the best job I can do, which I'm sure is the mentality of the whole squad just now."

And Ritchie is also confident the Scotland squad will be prepared for the challenge posed by Les Bleus.

"We expect the French to come at us with a few big boys up front, especially through a strong scrum and with their line-out drives, so we'll be looking to take them on in that area," he added.

"We'll take it all in, and the more they get up for it, the more we'll get up for it as well. We know how passionate they are, so we want to match that, and even better it."

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