Scotland Under-20s smash records with century haul which includes two hat-tricks

Records tumbled as Scotland’s under-20 side defeated Samoa 123-15 in their opening pool match of the 2024 World Rugby U20 Trophy in Edinburgh.

It was as convincing as the scoreline suggests, with the hosts running in 19 tries, ten in the first half and nine in the second. It was the biggest winning margin in the tournament’s history, surpassing the mark set by Japan earlier in the day in the first Pool A fixture when they beat Hong Kong China 105-20. The points tally is also a tournament record and the biggest score ever recorded by a Scotland U20 side.

The aim for Kenny Murray’s team is to win promotion back to the top-tier World Rugby U20 Championship but only one nation goes up from the eight-team Trophy competition so the young Scots must win their group then come out top in the final on July 17. Having home advantage will help. Murray’s side fell short last year, losing to Uruguay in the pool stage in Nairobi, before beating Samoa 83-10 in the third-place play-off.

Scotland's Finlay Doyle scores a try during a World Rugby U20 Trophy match against Samoa at Hive Stadium, on July 02, 2024, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group for World Rugby)

Scotland's next match is against Hong Kong on Sunday and then it's Japan in what is likely to be the Pool A decider a week on Friday. All matches are at Hive Stadium in the capital.

Murray was pleased with his team’s performance, which included hat-tricks for winger Finlay Doyle and full-back Fergus Watson, but the head coach wasn’t getting carried away.

“Good start,” he said. “We knew the Samoans were going to be pretty physical, and we wanted to start fast against them. We spoke a lot about not thinking back to last year - we scored 80 points against them, but this is a new Samoan team.

“I thought the boys were excellent. 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, but generally it was a really good performance.

Scotland's scrum-half Conor McAlpine in action during the World Rugby U20 Trophy win over Samoa at Hive Stadium. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group for World Rugby)

“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.”

A dominant set-piece performance laid the foundations for the thumping Scottish victory. Ryan Burke, the Glasgow Warriors second-row, reigned supreme in the lineout and the Samoan scrum had no answers against a Scottish front row comprising the Blyth-Lafferty brothers, Jerry and Ollie, and Robbie Deans. All three got on the scoresheet during a rampant first half in which the hosts scored ten tries.

Burke got the ball rolling with the opening score and there were also tries in the first 40 for debutant Conor McAlpine, Andrew McLean, Johnny Ventisei, Watson and two for Doyle. Watson and Doyle completed their hat-tricks in the second half and there was a second score for Jerry Blyth-Lafferty as well as tries for captain Liam McConnell and replacements Ruaraidh Hart, Callum Norrie, Jack Hocking and Gavin Parry. McLean kicked 12 conversions and there was one apiece for McAlpine and Hocking.

It was a tough afternoon for Samoa who arrived in Scotland on Saturday but they did score two tries through their lock, Totoa Auvaa, both from close-range tap penalties. Panaua Niulevaea kicked a penalty and a conversion but they also had Kirisimasi Douglas sin-binned in the first half.

The Hive was sparsely populated for the tournament’s opening day and the hope is that the manner of Scotland’s victory will encourage a few more to come out and watch the remaining games.