Triumphant Scotland captain Liam McConnell held aloft the World Rugby U20 Trophy at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh on Wednesday after a 48-10 victory over USA in the final secured promotion to the World Rugby U20 Championship in 2025.
Scotland were made to work hard by a USA side that battled to the end, but ultimately were punished by their more clinical hosts.
“It means a lot,” admitted McConnell afterwards. “The last two years there have been some tough days. The whole squad are really happy, the management as well. It is a light at the end of the tunnel.
“It means everything [to be back in the U20 Championship]. We pride ourselves on being up there with the tier one nations and we think we are one of them and it is a good opportunity for the boys next year to go out there, wherever it is, and compete with the best sides in the world.
“They USA were up for it, it was a proper game at half-time but then we came out the second half and kept doing our thing and sort of broke them down.”
Japan – one of four former U20 Trophy winners in the tournament – finished third after beating 2008 champions Uruguay 75-22. They started quickly and never let up on the intensity to run out comfortable winners.
Earlier, the Netherlands rounded off their debut tournament appearance in style with another high-octane performance producing a 46-29 win in the fifth place play-off against former champions Samoa.
The Dutch ran in six tries to take their overall tally for the tournament to 20, their attack-minded approach bringing them two victories, having also beaten Kenya in the pool stage.
In the first game of the day, Hong Kong China ended a 12-game losing streak at the World Rugby U20 Trophy with a dominant 34-14 defeat of Kenya in the seventh place play-off.
FINAL: SCOTLAND 48-10 USA
Scotland became the second nation to win the U20 Trophy on home soil as they beat the only other side to do so, USA.
After a disappointing U20 Men’s Six Nations campaign earlier in the year, the host nation have been unbeatable all tournament, running in 32 tries in their three pool stage wins – crossing the 100-point threshold against both Samoa and Hong Kong China.
They scored eight more in the title decider against 2012 champions USA. Hard-working second-row Euan McVie led the way with a deserved hat-trick, hooker Jerry Blyth-Lafferty got two, and centre Johnny Ventisei and back-row Tom Currie also scored as Scotland took control from the start.
With national rugby legends John Jeffrey, Gavin Hastings, Greig Laidlaw and Frank Hadden – along with World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont and USA senior men’s head coach Scott Lawrence – among the crowd in the stands, the host nation quickly stamped their authority on the game.
They had come close to scoring twice by the time McVie, despite brave and concerted defence from USA, forced his way over from short range after a series of assaults on the try-line following a penalty kick to touch.
Scotland played with plenty of pace and panache, but a combination of determined USA tackling and occasional loose play repeatedly stopped their attacks.
Their pack, meanwhile, had the upper hand in the set-piece as well as the loose, winning penalty after penalty against a back-pedalling USA eight.
Two more chances went begging before a breakout from a rare USA sortie into Scottish territory led to the second try in the 27th minute. Conor McAlpine’s break took the home side from deep in their own half into USA’s 22. The ball was quickly spread right, and Ventesei cut back against the grain to score under the posts.
Another turnover led to another attacking platform for the physically dominant Scots. They built pressure through the phases, edging ever closer until Currie forced his way over.
Corbin Smith got USA on the scoreboard with a penalty early in the second period – only for hooker Jerry Blyth-Lafferty to score from a maul following a penalty at the restart.
Blyth-Lafferty sidestepped his way to a second in the 66th minute, following another short-range lineout, and McVie barged over for Scotland’s sixth eight minutes from time, before getting a thoroughly deserved hat-trick with three minutes left on the clock.
There was time for replacement Kerr Yule to score – before USA’s Oliver Cline’s well-judged cross-field kick found Keelan Farrell to dot down for a deserved consolation try with the clock in the red.
THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF: JAPAN 75-22 URUGUAY
Uruguay had to settle for fourth place after coming up against an irrepressible Japanese side in the third-place play-off at Hive Stadium.
Japan – relegated from the World Rugby U20 Championship last year – came out with a point to prove, scoring 11 tries and playing with a heady combination of pace, power and invention from the start.
Winger Tasuku Masuyama, flanker Shusui Kamei and hooker Kenshin Shimizu each scored twice, against a side Japan have beaten three times in four previous meetings.
Masuyama had a pair of highlight-reel tries in 60 seconds as Japan threatened to run away with it in the first 10 minutes. He had plenty of work to do for his first when he got hands on the ball on halfway, but burst through two tackles to score from 50m. And he skirted passed several defenders on a 30m weaving run to the line for his second.
They played with pace and plenty of low-down grunt, as their forwards took control of the set-piece. Kamei’s first try came two phases after a five-metre lineout, as he crashed under the posts unopposed.
Los Teritos needed points – and got them through an unstoppable, organised 22m maul on the half-hour, hooker Francisco García plunging over for his third try in Edinburgh. Uruguay tried to repeat the maul try trick twice more in the opening half, without success.
Kamei got his second three minutes into the second period as Japan continued as they meant to go on. There was brief respite for Uruguay as captain Franco Bertini charged over.
But fly-half Rieto Ito showed a clean pair of heels en route to the try-line for Japan’s sixth of the match after 53 minutes. Shimizu got his second – his seventh of the tournament – five minutes later, as they stretched their lead further.
Kent Iioka got his name on the scoreboard 14 minutes from time to take Japan past 50 points in the match. Jingo Takenoshita added their eighth in the 71st minute.
Felipe Bofill got a consolation for Uruguay two minutes later.
But Japan had the final say, as replacement Takaya Motohashi – on the pitch for just 13 minutes – outpaced the defence twice in the closing minutes of the game.
FIFTH PLACE PLAY-OFF: SAMOA 29-46 NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands ended their maiden appearance in the World Rugby U20 Trophy in style by running in six tries against Samoa to clinch fifth spot.
Gareth Gilbert’s men established a 29-5 interval lead with scores from Tobias de Prieelle, Niek Doornenbal and captain Kit Temperley.
Temperley claimed his second shortly after the break and Ilan Vaasen – who registered 16 points with the boot – and Kees de Bruin also touched down.
Samoa scored five tries in an entertaining encounter but ended the tournament in sixth spot as they slipped to their lowest-finish in Trophy history.
Potu Leavasa’s team and the Netherlands had both won a game apiece in their respective pools heading into this play-off for fifth place.
Three early penalties from Vaasen put the Netherlands 9-0 up and they scored the game’s opening try.
A superb passage of play saw Temperley go close in the left corner before possession was quickly recycled possession and De Prieelle powered over from close range.
Vaasen added the conversion and then booted another penalty to make it five successful goals from as many attempts to put his side 19-0 up. As the half hour mark approached, Doornenbal finished off a delightful handling sequence inside the left channel for a second Dutch try.
As half-time approached, Samoa got the try they desperately craved when Totoa Auvaa went over from close range for an unconverted score.
Antonio Popoalii was then sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on and the Netherlands grabbed their third try when Temperley charged down a kick and touched down in the left corner.
That made it 29-5 at the break and Temperley displayed his predatory instincts again early in the second half when crossing in the left corner.
Harry Hanipale went over from close range for Samoa but Vaasen replied with the Netherlands’ fifth try.
Captain Tagiilima Ripine and Benjamin Faavae also touched down for Samoa and De Bruin went over for the Dutch before Henry Aiono had the final say with a try for Leavasa’s men.
SEVENTH PLACE PLAY-OFF: HONG KONG CHINA 34-14 KENYA
Hong Kong China overturned an early 14-0 deficit to beat Kenya comprehensively and seal seventh place in the World Rugby U20 Trophy.
Tries from winger Eugene Ojiambo and second-row Andycole Omolo put the Kenyans ahead but Hong Kong China moved through the gears as the first half unfolded.
Scores from Ben Sheldon (two), James Kee, Hassan Lin and Dom Hedley put Joe Barker’s men 29-14 ahead at the break at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh.
Matthew Rickard added a late sixth as Kenya finished the tournament in eighth without a win and Hong Kong China snapped their 12-match losing streak.
Hong Kong China began brightly but Kenya struck the first blow in the third minute with a brilliant interception try from Ojiambo. The winger picked off Kee’s pass and raced clear from inside his own 22-metre line before diving under the posts.
Kenya soon scored again on the back of a quick penalty tap from fly-half Philip Okeyo. He embarked on a searing break inside the left channel and swapped passes with half-back partner Patrick Wainaina before unselfishly offloading to Omolo to score.
But Hong Kong China soon replied when influential hooker Sheldon nudged his way over from an expertly-executed driving maul. They soon struck again when outside centre Kee showed blistering speed to burst clear from inside his own half.
Hong Kong China then led for the first time when Barnaby Horberry and Kee combined brilliantly to send Lin scampering over in the right corner.
After Kenya centre Daniel Bett was sin-binned, Hong Kong China number eight Hedley squeezed over the line.
On the stroke of half-time, Kenya lost front-row Bramwel Mate to a yellow card and moments later Sheldon touched down for his second and Hong Kong China’s fifth try of the half.
Rickard, who also kicked two conversions, dived over in the left corner late on as Hong Kong China ran out comfortable victors to avenge their 22-16 loss to Kenya in last year’s U20 Trophy in Nairobi. – www.world.rugby
Photos: SNS Group
