Scotland to Face USA in World Rugby U20 Trophy Final

After defeating Kenya 30-17 in the second game of the day at Edinburgh’s Hive Stadium on Friday to take first position in Pool B, the USA were the first team to secure their spot in the championship game. When Scotland played Japan in the Pool A decider, they had to wait until the last game of the day to find out who their opponents were.

The match was supposed to pit Scotland’s strength and power against Japan’s speed and deft handling, but it ended up being a one-sided encounter as the hosts neutralized Japan’s threatening back three to win 46–10.

In the third-place play-off, Japan will now take against Uruguay following Los Teritos’ 32-16 victory over the Netherlands in Pool B.

Samoa and the Netherlands will compete for fifth place after the Pacific Islanders defeated Hong Kong China 39-19 to win the tournament. Hong Regime In the inaugural game on Wednesday, China and Kenya will compete for seventh place.

POOL A: SAMOA 39-19 HONG KONG CHINA

This turned out to be a far more competitive match after both sides lost by lopsided scores in their games against Scotland and Japan. The right winger Taitaifono Tavita gave Samoa a quick start with a try in the second minute, and they led by a narrow 17–12 at halftime. But Hong Kong China retaliated, scoring a try and setting up another with a strong lineout drive.

Hooker Ben Sheldon scored their first goal straight out of the maul, and Hong Kong China carried the ball into midfield where Marcus D’Acre stepped beneath the posts when the next one stood still.

With a 12-10 deficit, Samoa did not take long to get back in front thanks to a powerful pick-and-go from number eight Benjamin Faavae and more points from Panua Nuilevaea.

After sending tight-head Alauni Fatu to the sin bin for a careless late challenge, Samoa played the final eight minutes of the half with 14 men, although they still led 17–12 at the end of the half.

But in the first moments of the second half, Hong Kong China took the lead when winger Matthew Rickard scored in the left corner just after his effort was waved off.

Hong Kong China had all the momentum as they saw a chance to snap an 11-match losing streak in the competition. However, winger Panaua Niulevaea’s 70-meter sprint home after intercepting Blake Elliot’s pass reversed the tide of the match.

The game appeared to be improving for Hong Kong China when Tavita chipped the ball over the top and it rebounded nicely for him to recover and score his second try. When Niulevaea kicked a penalty and then intercepted another telegraphed pass to score his second, there was no longer any room for debate about the result.

With his fourth conversion kick, Niulevaea increased his total score to 21 points in a 39-19 victory that seemed closer than the score indicates.

POOL A: SCOTLAND 46-10 JAPAN

Scotland’s thrilling six-try victory against Japan secured their spot in the U20 Trophy final against the USA, and they are now just 80 minutes away from making their way back to the World Rugby U20 Championship.

After both teams easily won their opening two Pool A matches, setting records in the process, the hosts showed their superiority at the Hive Stadium in Edinburgh.

After being thoroughly destroyed by a colorful Scottish team, Japan will now take against Uruguay in the third-place play-off. The Scots won this battle for the top spot in the table thanks to a first-half double from winger Geordie Gwynn, who scored his first tries of the competition, giving his team a 12-0 lead at halftime.

Following the break, Kenny Murray’s team further cemented their dominance with goals from the industrious Finlay Doyle, the pivotal fly-half Andrew McLean, flanker Freddy Douglas, and substitute Jack Hocking.

Following a slow beginning, McLean’s brilliant break on halfway gave Scotland the lead in the eighth minute. After locating Gwynn to provide assistance, the winger darted ahead and scored through the right channel, setting up a try that McLean converted to put the score 7-0.

After that, Scotland’s chances became more few, but in the twenty-fiveth minute, Gwynn’s deft handling allowed him to break past a helpless Japan defense with a spectacular burst of pace, giving Scotland another goal.

Scotland produced a brilliant play four minutes into the half that saw them transfer the ball through the Japan defense and into the right channel. Though he might have scored himself, Gwynn selflessly gave Doyle a clever offload to get him over in the corner.

McLean then defied his diminutive stature in the 49th minute, displaying remarkable strength to cross the line for a try that he converted. Douglas crossed the goal line shortly after, and in the 55th minute, Japan lost flanker Koki Kawagoe due to a yellow card.

Substitute Tasuku Masuyama scored an unconverted try for the Japanese, giving them a consolation try. The immensely effective McLean and Tom Currie then added more penalties.

Although Japan’s flanker Shushi Kamei had one more chance to score, Hocking’s last-minute touchdown sealed an incredible performance by Scotland.

Also Read: USA Secures Spot in World Rugby U20 Trophy Final

POOL B: KENYA 17-30 USA

After winning a spot in Wednesday’s World Rugby U20 Trophy final, the USA are just one victory away from making their first appearance in the World Rugby U20 Championship since 2013.

Since the age-grade tournament’s second edition in 2009, which Kenya’s Chipu won 33–32, the teams had not faced off in the U20 Trophy. And around fifteen years later, the rematch got off to an equally close start with neither team scoring in the first fifteen minutes.

A pair of Kenyan breakaway attempts were undone by handling errors, and Oliver Cline had an opportunity to put the United States on the scoreboard when his penalty kick went wide of the posts.

But the first goal of the game was well worth the wait. With 16 minutes remaining, USA took the lead thanks to a burst down the middle by tight end Luke Schaefer, and Keelan Farrell’s quick hands and fast throw from Raymond Hahn set him up for a run to the line. Max Threlkeld was up in support to gather up the ball at the base of the ruck and dive over for the opening try after Farrell was stopped just short.

The left-footed center Tito Edjua subsequently took over as the goal-kicker after Cline failed the conversion and another penalty attempt. Edjua’s second effort at goal was successful.

The USA had squandered numerous scoring opportunities when two offensive lineouts went tragically awry in the middle of the half. In contrast, Kenya capitalized on the first opportunity presented to them by kicking a penalty in the 36th minute following a pushback by their pack against the Americans.

Edjua kicked toward the nearby Murrayfield Stadium and put a 38-meter penalty kick through the poles to give the USA the first points of the second half. Schaefer then scored a close-range header. Edjua scored the two extra points and made the score 18-3 once more with a precise stroke of the putter.

USA had established themselves as the clear winners at this point, and scrum-half Solomon Williams’ choice to explore the blindside at a ruck near the Kenya line paid off as Edjua converted with confidence and Farrell received a well-earned touchdown.

As the game moved into its final quarter, it appeared as though the USA would win handily thanks to Rand Santos’ completion of the forwards’ hard work for the try bonus point.

However, Samuel Otete’s spectacular run to the line ignited the Chipu, and two minutes later, the left wing was involved in their next try after Daniel Bett, his replacement, grounded an attempt to kick ahead.

Kenya appeared to be a different squad, but with two converted tries remaining between the two sides, time was running out and the Americans could finally exhale with relief.

POOL B: URUGUAY 32-16 NETHERLANDS

In the end, Uruguay overcame the Netherlands in a thrilling match in Pool B to finish second behind the United States and secure a play-off for third place against either Japan or Scotland.

In their first-ever match, the Dutch had a 10-3 lead at the half at Edinburgh’s sun-kissed Hive Stadium. They have had a great start to this year’s event.

However, Los Teritos, the defeated finalists from the previous year, took the lead with two scores soon after the half, and they did not look back in a dominant second half that saw four tries scored.

After losing to Japan and Scotland, Uruguay will now face the loser, while the Netherlands will play Samoa on Wednesday in the play-off for fifth place.

Uruguay took the lead early on thanks to a penalty from fly-half Francisco Landauer. The Netherlands responded in the fifteenth minute when Teun Karst, a second-row player who has been impressive throughout the tournament, ducked his way over from five meters out.

Complete-back Ilan Vaasen increased his team’s lead to 10-3 with a conversion and a subsequent penalty kick. However, Tom van Ooijen, the Netherlands’ substitute hooker, was sin-binned for leading with his arm just as the half was about to end.

Additionally, Uruguay made the most of their man advantage three minutes into the second half when center Santiago Gini hacked the ball forward, setting up livewire scrum-half Pedro Hoblog to race under the posts for a try that Landauer converted to tie the score at ten points apiece.

Uruguay took the lead again in the fiftyth minute when Landauer darted through the Dutch defense inside the left channel with some exquisite agility.

Seven minutes later, Uruguay captain Franco Bertini managed to score a close-range try, and Landauer added a conversion to make the score 24-10. The fly-half had previously converted his own try to make it 17-10.

The Netherlands’ Vaasen converted a penalty kick on the hour to trim Uruguay’s lead to 11 points, but Uruguay’s class paid off in the 63rd minute when center Augusto Flangini’s hypnotic movement got him past the Dutch defense to make the score 29–13.

In the last moments, Vaasen and Landauer traded penalties until the Netherlands’ eighth player, Mart van der Veen, received a sinbinned for misbehavior.