Scotland U20s suffer England mauling
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Scotland’s age grade side suffered another setback as they were no match for Six Nations and world champions England, going down 57-13 at a packed Kingston Park in Newcastle.
Campbell Ridl scored on his U20s debut just 6 minutes in, able to race away after a lovely step before dotting down in the corner with Ben Coen missing his first conversion of the tournament.
Scotland responded almost immediately as Fergus Watson collected Mathew Urwin's pinpoint crossfield kick. Windy conditions denying the conversation to keep the score level at 5-5
However 13 minutes in England muscled their way over to regain the lead Kepu Tuipulotu finishing a driving maul.
Putting his side at a disadvantage they desperately did not need, Urwin saw yellow in the 22nd minute for a knock-on that was deemed to have denied England a line-break.
Despite the numerical deficit, Jack Brown fired a long range penalty to bring to score back to 12-8.
Scotland struggled under sustained pressure on the line as Kane James finally broke through on the half hour mark with Coen adding the extras.
Just three minutes later prop Tye Raymont finished a move that began with a James turnover with a Tuipulotu grubber in between as Coen made it 26-8.
Tuipulotu would come again, muscling in from a pick and go in the corner to leave Scotland trailing 31-8 with minutes to go until the break.
Scotland came flying out the traps in the second half but were unable to convert pressure into points Freddy Douglas held up over the line and before the visitors knocked the ball on just minutes later.
Douglas gave away penalty for not retreating allowing England to kick to the corner. Tom Burrow made the most of a line out to score in the 44th minute before Coen made it 38-8 as the floodgates were well and truly open.
Missed tackles again proved costly for Scotland as full-back George Pearson stepped his opposite man Brown and broke through to score with substitute Josh Bellamy adding insult to injury to stretch the score to 45-8.
Before the hour mark England reached 50 points as after Bellamy found Jack Bracken in space on the right wing.
On the 69th minute, Scotland scored their first points points in almost an hour. Some strong work down the wing from 23 helping the side make valuable distance before quick hands gave Olly Duncan the space to burst though and bring the scoreline back to 50-13 after 15 could not add the afters.
England would have the last word, with Angus Hall’s try and a Coen conversion bringing the score to 57-13 and wrapping up a dire night for Scotland.
Scotland’s night made all the more difficult by the injury suffered by captain Johnny Ventisei before kick-off.
Regardless of the missing centre, Scotland’s problems lay in the worryingly high number of missed tackles, allowing England to scythe through at will.
Hoping for a better outcome, Scotland host a Wales side that beat Ireland 20-12 in their last outing.
Line-ups:
England U20s: Pearson, Bracken, Hall, Lilley, Ridl, Coen, Friday, McEachran, Tuipulotu, Raymont, Sodeke, Burrow (c), Kpoku, Timmins, James
Replacements: Gulley, Scola, Sela, Ainsworth-Cave, Treacey, Weimann, Bellamy, Offiah
Tries: Ridl, Tuipulotu 2, James, Raymont, Burrow, Bracken, Pearson, Hall
Conversions: Coen 4, Bellamy 2
Scotland U20s: Brown, Moncrieff, Waugh, Yule, Watson, Irwin, Cowan, Shearer, Stephen, Blyth-Lafferty, Godsell, Halkon, Duncan, Douglas (c), Logan
Replacements: Roberts, McKenna, Stewart, Moss, Allen, MacArthur, Wolfenden, van Wyk
Tries: Watson, Duncan
Penalties: Brown
Sin-bin: Urwin
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