U20 World Trophy: 19-try Scotland blow away Samoa for record win in campaign opener

ALAN LORIMER @ Hive Stadium

IT may have been a cool day at Hive Stadium, under the shadow of the national bowl at Murrayfield, but Scotland blew hotter than they have ever done by recording a World Rugby under-20 points total in their 19-try demolition of Samoa, in the opening round of the Trophy, beating the 105 figure set by Japan bizarrely only four hours earlier in their match against Hong Kong China, the Scots’ opponents in their next match on Sunday. 

All very satisfying,  but it is round three when Scotland play Japan that is already marked out as the tournament decider. Japan, relegated last year from the top-tier championship, were as clinical against Hong Kong as the Scots were against Samoa. Being able to score more points in their round one match may give Scotland a slight psychological edge over the Japanese, but whatever advantage they may have accrued, the Scots know that their round three match against Japan will be an entirely different beast.

After what has been a difficult two seasons for Scotland at under-20 level, the result and to a greater extent the scoreline was more than welcome for head coach, Kenny Murray, who had instilled in his charges the need to impose themselves early in the game.

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“I thought the boys were excellent,” said Murray. “Right from the start of the game we played the way we wanted to play  – we applied pressure and we were clinical. Then at half-time we spoke around turning the screw and not letting them off  –  and I think we did that.

“There are things we need to work on. We gave away a couple of soft tries and our goal-line D [defence] needs to be better. We defended well for long bits of the game. We were physical outfield, with some good turnovers and really good double hits but there were a couple of soft moments and that gives us something to work on.

“In the first half I thought our kick-off reception was excellent but in the second half we gave them a couple of easy retentions at kick-off, so a few things to work on.”

Murray was also satisfied that a number of the less experienced players in the squad rose to the occasion. “I spoke about Conor McAlpine before the game in terms of his character. He’s been out for a long time with an ACL injury. So he’s back playing and really talented.

“Andrew McLean played well. I thought he showed his running ability as a 10. He’s not scared to attack the line and he’s got good gas. I thought the boys did well, as did the guys who came on … Hector Patterson as well. We gave Jack Hocking a run at 10 just to give him 10 minutes in case he has to cover there.”

The match marked a return to action for skipper Liam McConnell, who missed most of the Six Nations with an injury but who now looks back to form. “I was just trying to get on the ball as much as possible and make yards having been out for a wee while.  I played 20 minutes of a warm up game before this but this was my first game since the Six Nations and my ankle is feeling good,” stated the former Boroughmuir man.

Scotland wasted little time in taking charge of the game, exuding power in the scrums and playing with pace in the early minutes of the games and showing good ball retention forcing the South Sea islanders into a mode of continuous tackling.

Eventually the Scots’ pressure yielded points as Scotland attacked from a line-out maul, shipping the ball wide for McConnell to make the initial breech in the Samoan defence before Ryan Burke added the finishing touches with his side’s opening try.

Scotland’s forward power was again evident as the big men drove a penalty-created line-out from ten metres out to create a try for Jerry Blyth-Lafferty, this time successfully converted by McLean.

The Scots were on something of a roll, confirmation of which came when clever passing by the backs in which Fergus Watson was a key contributor ended with a close range try for McAlpine, McLean making the score a seven pointer for a 19-0 lead.

It was clear the home side were chasing the bonus try, their ambition realised after a scintillating try by McLean working a wrap-around move with centre Findlay Thomson.

McLean added the extras, again, and then, after a Samoan penalty goal by Panaua Niulevaea, the former Boroughmuir Bears’ playmaker repeated his kicking success by converting a try by Finlay Doyle, the wing showing good pace and clever footwork to scorch in for Scotland’s fifth try of the half to increase their lead to 31-3.

What was becoming a first half rout continued as Ollie Blyth-Lafferty celebrated his under-20s debut with a try, followed up by a second from Doyle, both converted by McLean.

Arguably the best of the first-half scores came from John Ventisei after Doyle had combined cleverly with McAlpine. McLean missed the conversion this time but was on target converting tries by Watson and Robbie Deans to send Scotland into the break with a barely believable 66-3 half time advantage.

There was no let up at the beginning of the second half as Jerry Blyth-Lafferty continued the flow of scores with his second of the evening. Doyle then completed his hat-trick quickly followed by a try from replacement second-row Ruaraidh Hart both touchdowns converted by McLean.

In between these two scores, Samoa were able to salvage some pride with a try from close range surges that ended with Totoa Auvaa bundling over.

The scoreboard once more moved quickly in Scotland’s favour after Watson ran in two tries, the second converted by McLean for a 97-8 lead, increased again after replacement front-row Callum Norrie crashed over leaving McLean with an easy kick.

A temporary lapse in defensive duties by Scotland allowed Samoa a second score and again it was second-row Auvaa who claimed the honours, Niulevaea supplying the conversion points.

But Scotland still had the energy and ambition to score more points, duly delivered with tries by McConnell, replacement centre Kerr Yule and replacement hooker Gavin Parry, McLean adding one further conversion and Hocking the final kick of the game to complete a historic record-breaking win for the Scots.

Teams –

Scotland: F Watson; F Doyle, J Ventisei, F Thomson (K Yule 52), G Gwynn (J Hocking 40); A McLean, C McAlpine (H Patterson 52); R Deans (B White 46), J Blyth-Lafferty (G Parry 46), O Blyth-Lafferty (C Norrie 46), E McVie (R Hart 46), R Burke, L McConnell, F Douglas, T Currie (J Morris 55).

Samoa: P Niulevaea; T Tavita, S Vaimauga, K Douglas, T Moors; A Popoalii, J Singh; H Hanipale, P Avito, S Ioelu, T Auvaa, H Faavae, J Fuimaono, T Ripine, B Faavae .

Referee: Katsuki Furuse (Japan)

Scorers –

Scotland: Tries Burke, J Blyth-Lafferty 2, McAlpine, McLean, Doyle 3, O Blyth-Lafferty, Ventesi, Watson 3, Deans, Hart, Norrie, McConnell, Yule, Parry; Cons: McLean 13, Hocking.

Samoa: Tries Auvaa 2; Con: Niulevaea; Pen: Niulevaea.

Scoring Sequence (Scotland first): 5-0; 10-0; 12-0; 17-0; 19-0; 24-0; 26-0; 26-3; 31-3; 33-3; 38-3; 40-3; 45-3; 47-3; 52-3; 57-3; 59-3; 64-3; 66-3 (h-t) 71-3; 76-3; 78-3; 78-8; 83-8; 85-8; 90-8; 95-8; 97-8; 102-8; 104-8; 104-13; 104-15; 109-15; 111-15; 116-15; 121-15; 123-15.

Yellow cards –

Scotland: Douglas (19 mins)

Man-of-the-Match: Scotland’s forward power created the means for the backs to show their running ability but it was the control at stand-off that really mattered in which context Andy McLean put on an impressive show that will give him confidence going forward in this tournament.

Talking point: It’s worth recalling that Scotland defeated Samoa 83-10 in last season’s under20 Trophy tournament played at altitude in Nairobi. So this scoreline was perhaps not the surprise it might seem. All the same, to score 123 points in a match is prodigious and for now has put Scotland top of the table in terms of total points scored in an under-20 international. Quite some achievement after a miserable two years and well done to this current squad of players. But a descent from this heady height will be necessary as Scotland prepare for their shoot-out with Japan on 12th July. Not one to miss.

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