Scots on course to reach record World Championship high after stunning win over Ireland

Scotland put themselves within touching distance of achieving a best-ever second place at the end of the group stage of the World Rugby under-20 Championship by defeating Ireland with a five-try bonus haul in yesterday’s second round Pool B match at Kutaisi, writes Alan Lorimer.

Only Italy stand in the way of the Scots’ highest pool position but if Scotland can reproduce the style of game they deployed against Ireland then hopes should be realistically high of a win against the Azzurri.

Yesterday, in hot conditions at the AIA Arena in Georgia’s second city, both the manner of victory and the win itself was pleasing. Scotland came from behind after trailing 10-0, playing scintillating rugby and producing adventurous running from their backs, before having to fend off a late challenge from Ireland in the last five minutes of the match.

“There was lots and lots of good stuff today and we looked the better side. But at times there was a lack of composure at key times,” cautioned the Scotland head coach, John Dalziel.

“We tried to put the ball wider today. I thought too that we had a good kick counter that hurt them.”

Blair Kinghorn illustrated the Scots’ ability to counter the high kick with a defence-splitting run to set up one of Scotland’s five tries.

Scotland also impressed in the scrums while, individually, Darcy Graham, Matt Fagerson, Conor Eastgate, Ross Mccann and Stafford Mcdowall enhanced their growing reputations.

The young Scots looked winners in the opening phases but it was Ireland who struck first with a penalty goal by Conor Dean, the stand-off then converting an opportunist tappenalty try by scrum-half Jack Stafford.

Scotland’s riposte was a sensational try by Mccann. The Scots attacked from close to their line with an exchange of passes between Stafford Mcdowall and Graham that sent the Hawick wing racing deep into Irish territory.

When Graham was stopped, he shot a pop-pass to Mccann, who raced over between the posts leaving Eastgate with an easy conversion.

Then, when Fraser Renwick scored off a rolling maul, Scotland took the lead for the first time. Eastgate and Dean then traded penalties before Graham ran in his second try of the tournament, Eastgate converting. Ireland hit back with two touchdowns from winger Jack Kelly, with one converted. But Robbie Nairn’s converted try and an Eastgate touchdown put the seal on a memorable win.