Scotland edge out Wales in tense Junior Worlds tussle

Junior World Championship

Scotland (14) 28

Tries: Blyth-Lafferty, Kesterton, Roberts, Kelly Cons: Dalziel 4

Wales (14) 21

Tries: W Evans, Pritchard, Edwards Cons: Leggatt-Jones 2, Lucas

Scotland claimed fifth place at the Junior World Championship after beating Wales in Tbilisi thanks to a stirring late defensive stand.

The Scots ended a strong campaign by securing their joint best finish in the tournament, repeating the effort of the class of 2017 that featured Blair Kinghorn, Matt Fagerson, Darcy Graham and Stafford McDowell.

It was 14-14 at the break after tries by Scarlets forwards Will Evans and Jac Pritchard were cancelled out by the Edinburgh pair of prop Ollie Blyth-Lafferty and centre Henry Kesterton.

Wales paid the price for a pair of yellow cards for Evans and wing Tom Bowen with Scotland hooker and talisman Joe Roberts and wing Dan Kelly scoring either side of an effort by Welsh full-back Lewis Edwards.

Scotland ended the game with 13 men after yellow cards for Matthew Fick and Ewan Caven, but the young men in red were unable to force extra time and finish sixth.

Scotland avenged their Six Nations defeat in Cardiff to finish fifth while Wales failed in the bid for their best finish since being runners-up in 2013.

It represents a turnaround in fortunes for the Scots after they were relegated to the World Trophy in 2019 and, after two tournaments in the second tier, came 10th on their return to the Junior World Championship last year.

Neither side hit the heights of their previous successes – Wales against Australia and Scotland versus Argentina – but it was a tense and tight encounter at Avchala Stadium.

Wales opened the scoring in the 10th minute when hefty Scarlets lock Evans crashed over from close range, with his club-mate Carwyn Leggatt-Jones adding the extras.

Both sides, perhaps due to the schedule of five games in 21 days, racked up the errors and penalties in a scrappy first quarter.

Wales had the wind at their backs and extended their lead to 14-0 approaching the half hour when prop Pritchard eventually went over after manful goalline defence.

The Scotland response was swift and impressive to level the scores after 35 minutes.

First prop Blyth-Lafferty rolled over and then centre Kesterton hit a terrific angle in the 22 to reward an attack that started deep in the Scottish half.

Wales led 19-0 when the sides met at Cardiff Arms Park in the Six Nations and on that occasions translated the wind-assisted advantage into a bonus-point win.

This time they went into the break on level terms and were at a man disadvantage five minutes after the restart when Evans was shown a yellow card for a dangerous clear-out.

Scotland struck immediately when captain Roberts scored his fifth try of the tournament from a driving line-out, taking a leaf out of prolific former Glasgow hooker Johnny Matthews' book.

Wales dug deep to limit the damage and went over from the first play after being restored to 15 men, Edwards going over with a touch of fortune after a Steff Emanuel pass went through the hands of Scotland scrum-half Asa Stewart-Harris.

It was advantage Scotland again when wing Bowen was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on.

The punishment was swift down his flank, Kelly racing over down the right while Wales were attempting to defend another line-out drive.

Wales responded but the 14 men were denied a fourth score in the corner after a terrific covering tackle on lock Osian Williams by replacement scrum-half Matthew Fick.

Fick was then yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on in the 75th minute but Roberts led from the front to get under the body of prop Hudson Nevin as he drove over the line.

Scotland were then reduced to 13 men with Ewan Caven also sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on, only for Williams to spill the ball with the line at his mercy in the 79th minute.

Scotland U20: Rory McHaffie (Edinburgh); Daniel Kelly (Edinburgh), Henry Kesterton (Edinburgh), Alex Bryden (Glasgow), Nairn Moncrieff (Edinburgh); Jake Dalziel (Newcastle), Asa Stewart-Harris (Saracens); Oliver McKenna (Glasgow), Joe Roberts (Glasgow, capt), Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (Edinburgh), Alfie Blackett (Cardiff Met), Dan Halkon (Glasgow), Christian Lindsay (Edinburgh), Jack Utterson (Edinburgh), Harvey Preston (Glasgow Hawks).

Replacements: Jamie McAughtrie (Ayr), Jamie Stewart (Edinburgh), Jackson Rennie (Glasgow), Finlay Mather (Grammar Tec), Oliver Finlayson Russell (University of St Andrews), Matthew Fick (Edinburgh), Calum Jessop (Heriots), Ewan Caven (Gloucester).

Yellow card: Fick 74, Caven 76.

Wales U20: Lewis Edwards (Ospreys); Rhys Cummings (Cardiff), Osian Darwin-Lewis (Cardiff), Steffan Emanuel (Cardiff), Tom Bowen (Cardiff); Carwyn Leggatt-Jones (Scarlets), Sion Davies (Cardiff); George Leyland (Bristol), Tom Howe (Cardiff), Jac Pritchard (Scarlets), Will Evans (Scarlets), Osian Williams (Bristol), Tom Cottle (Cardiff), Caio James (Gloucester), Deian Gwynne (Gloucester, capt).

Replacements: Oscar Thomas (Bath), Hudson Nevin (Scarlets), Yestyn Cook (Scarlets), Alex Ridgway (Bath), Sam Morgan (Ospreys), Cai Gealy (Bristol), Lloyd Lucas (Cardiff), Bailey Cutts (Bath).

Yellow cards: Evans 45, Bowen 62.