: FT in Auckland Scotland U20 18- 27 Samoa U20 - tries @farndalej @SamPecqueur @Jamie_T_Ritchie +pen R Hutchison

Scotland under-20 put in an improved performance in their second pool game of the JWC against Samoa at the ECOLight Stadium, Pukehoke, yet fell short, going down 27-18, the difference in points all coming from the tee.



It was a tit-for-tat battle, yet Scotland’s inability to capitalise on chances at goal proved to be the difference between the two sides as Samoa’s 100 percent kicking record, was superior to Scotland’s two successful kicks from five attempts.

Scotland under-20 head coach Sean Lineen, said:

“Looking back at the game, it was three tries apiece, we displayed a lot of great stuff in attack and we fronted up well defensively against a very big and physical Samoan outfit.

“We scored three cracking tries and a lot of boys really stuck their hand up today – Jamie Ritchie was excellent in his first game, Jamie Farndale was full of energy around the park and Zander Fagerson made a huge impression when he came on.

“Unfortunately, we were exposed in the transition phases of play, and sometimes we were just that fraction of a second too slow, but this is all part of the boys development and the sharpness will hopefully come with playing at this high level.

“Had we kicked our goals, the game would have been a draw, which is a bit disappointing, but these are the small margins we, as a group, need to work on to tighten up.”

A conversion was the difference at half-time with stand-off Rory Hutchinson kicking an early penalty yet failing to add the extras to wing Jamie Farndale’s try on the cusp of the half-time - the Pacific Islanders converting their sole try and adding a penalty to give them a 10-8 lead at the break.

The Samoans gained the upper-hand in the early exchanges of the second-half, as they widened the gap further, with two converted tries in the opening ten minutes of the half, stretching their lead to 24-8.

Wing Sam Pecquer replied on behalf of Scotland only three minutes later as he crossed the whitewash, before a 20 minute period of calm on the scoreboard. 24-13.

The next score came through the boot of opposition stand-off William Talataina Mu, landed a penalty to maintain his 100 percent record throughout the game and extending his side’s lead.

Scotland’s riposte came through lock Jamie Ritchie, who scurried over the line on his under-20s debut, yet it wasn’t quite enough as the referee called for full time before the Scots could march any further on their comeback trail.

FT score: Scotland 18 Samoa 27

Scotland under-20 team v Samoa under-20, Friday 6 June at ECOLight Stadium, Pukekohe (kick-off 1.35pm local, 2.35am UK)

15 Damien Hoyland (Melrose) *

14 Jamie Farndale (Edinburgh Accies/Edinburgh Rugby) **

13 Blair Hutchison (Loughborough University/Melrose)

12 Neil Herron (Glasgow Hawks/Scotland 7s) **

11 Sam Pecqueur (Edinburgh Accies)

10 Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints)

9 Alex Glashan (Edinburgh Accies/Scotland 7s) **



1 Phil Cringle (Edinburgh Accies/Edinburgh Rugby) **

2 Sam James (London Wasps)

3 D'arcy Rae (Ayr/Glasgow Warriors) **

4 Andy Cramond (Aberdeen Grammar)

5 Glen Young (Newcastle Falcons)

6 Jamie Ritchie (Strathallan School/Howe of Fife) *

7 Gabriel Carroll (Loughborough University)

8 Tommy Spinks (London Scottish) (c)

Substitutes

16 Cameron Fenton (Strathallan School/Howe of Fife) *(for Damien Hoyland 75’)

17 Jack Cosgrove (Worcester Warriors) (for Phil Cringle 49’)

18 Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Hawks)(for D’arcy Rae 49’)

19 Lewis Carmichael (Melrose) * (Glen Young 31’)

20 Magnus Bradbury (Boroughmuir/Edinburgh Rugby) **(for Gabriel Carroll 58’)

21 Ben Vellacott (Hartpury/Gloucester) (for Alex Glashan 58’)

22 Gavin Lowe (Glasgow Hawks/Glasgow Warriors) **(for Rory Hutchinson 49’)

23 Chris Dean (Edinburgh Accies/Scotland 7s) **(for Blair Hutchinson 49’)

This article was originally posted on 6-Jun-2014, 04:13 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 6-Jun-2014, 10:12.