Scotland snap two-year wait for Under-20 Six Nations win as rising star grabs plaudits
Young Scots overpower Welsh at Hive Stadium
Scotland Under-20s finally had something to cheer about in the Six Nations on Friday night, winning their first match in the tournament since 2023.
The young Scots defeated Wales 27-12 at the Hive Stadium. The victory in Edinburgh was only their second in 24 under-20 Six Nations matches. The other one also came against the Welsh two years ago.
Skipper Freddy Douglas, who earned a senior Scotland cap against Portugal during the Autumn Nations Series, put in a man-of-the-match performance.
It was Douglas who powered over for the first try but Wales soon levelled when Ioan Emanuel touched down. Scotland’s second try came when a loose Welsh throw was pounced on, leading to a slick attack finished by Jack Brown after a pinpoint cross-kick and Nairn Moncrieff offload.
Wales’ Tom Cottle was sent off for a reckless challenge on Scotland scrum-half Noah Cowan but it was the visitors who struck next with Harry Thomas scoring a try.
Kenny Murray’s men stuck to their task, though. Replacement fly-half Isaac Coates slotted a penalty and then Douglas put the result beyond doubt with his second score.
“We were obviously very pleased to get a win,” said Murray afterwards. “It can be a tough old campaign when you’re not winning games. We were really pushing to get that win. It wasn’t a perfect performance; we made some errors which could have cost us and we got some luck with some discipline decisions. That’s great because sometimes we just don’t get much luck.”
Scotland conclude their campaign next week against France and Murray added: “Importantly, it gives the boys a smile on their faces and helps going into the final game in Paris next weekend.”
England, meanwhile, are closing in on a first Under-20s Grand Slam since 2021 after grabbing a bonus point in their 33-24 victory over Italy in Bath.
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