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Scott on scoresheet in loss to Aussies

Scott on scoresheet in loss to Aussies

Hugh Barrow21 Jun 2016 - 06:38
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Scots now face Wales

Scotland under-20 will play their Welsh counterparts for 7th place in the World Rugby Under-20 Championship, after a 35-19 defeat at the hands of a strong Australian outfit in the 5th place semi-final play-off.

In a game where the lead changed hands on five occasions, Scotland trailed Australia 12-14 at the break, with the former’s points coming through tries from scrum-half Hugh Fraser and wing Robbie Nairn, and an Adam Hastings conversion.

Scotland came out firing in the second-half, with captain Scott Cummings scoring to put his side after 44 minutes, yet the men in gold fought back to score three tries in the last 25 minutes to secure a 35-19 victory.

Head coach John Dalziel said: “ Once again we really showed up against a top team, but we’re just looking for that bit of consistency, which unfortunately a lack of is putting us under so much pressure at times.

“We had opportunities to score more points and win that game, but our errors let us down at crucial points in the match.

“We’re hugely proud of the guys, their efforts can’t be faulted, but we’ve got to pick ourselves up again for another huge game against Wales."

Australia made a bright start to the game as prop Tyrel Lomax scored after only three minutes, with stand-off Mack Mason adding the extras to give his side 7-0 lead.

Scotland responded just four minutes later when shrewd scrum-half Hugh Fraser sniped around the fringes of the ruck to dart in for his side’s opening score. Adam Hastings casually slotted the conversion to make it all square at 7-all.

Another good passage of play from Scotland was rewarded when flyer Robbie Nairn scooped up a loose ball from around the ruck and bolted in from half-way to put the men in blue ahead after 14 minutes. Hastings couldn’t quite find the target with his conversion attempt from the touchline (12-7).

The junior Wallabies reply came in the 25th when powerful centre Sione Tuipolotu charged over the whitewash, with Mason’s conversion regaining the lead for his side (14-12).

Australia were reduced to 14-men on the half-hour mark when influential lock Lukhan Lealaiaulolo-Tui was shown a yellow-card for a dangerous tackle on Hastings.

Scotland, however, were unable to take advantage of their extra-man missing three penalty attempts on goal in the ten minutes prior to the interval.

Half-time: Scotland under-20 12 – 14 Australia under-20

Less than a minute after the turnaround, the TMO was called into action as Scotland hooker Lewis Anderson challenged Australia’s Mason for a loose ball over the line, yet the referee’s call went in favour of the latter.

However, all was not lost and Scotland’s pressure and persistence paid-off as captain Scott Cummings led from the front and charged over the whitewash on the 44-minute mark to put his team ahead. Fraser’s conversion gave Scotland a five-point lead (19-14).

The lead again changed hands 10 minutes later when Australia broke from their own line against the run of play and scored under Scotland’s posts, with Tuipolotu grabbing his second try of the game. Mason chipped the ball over the bar to regain the lead for his side (21-19).

Building on their momentum, Australia crossed the line for their fourth try when they exposed an overlap in the outside channels, to allow back-row Liam Wright to score in the corner. Mason made amends with the boot following a missed penalty attempt in the 61st minute, and converted the try to widen the gap in favour of the men in gold (28-19).

Australian replacement Jordan Jackson-Hope sidled through the Scotland defence in the 78th minute to score his side’s fifth try, with Mason’s conversion closing the scoring at 35-19 to the junior Wallabies.

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