Both sides suffered the effect of yellow-cards – two apiece, in fact – that swung the momentum of the game, and which left the dark blues playing out the last five minutes of the game with 13 men, bringing out the strong character of the 2026 U20 side so ably captained by Joe Roberts.
The Scotland hooker was immense throughout but so too were so many of this Scotland team, not least their 17-year old stand-off Jake Dalziel, who led the backline attack and who crucially finished with a 100 percent set of statistics off the kicking tee.
This win, though, was proof that the system currently in place is capable of producing the desired result and, as Pringle hinted at, the lengthy learning process over two tough competitions is geared more towards the Junior World Championship than the Six Nations.
“I think what they’ve learned is what it takes to win a game – learning how to win – even when things aren’t going perfectly for us or we’re in a bit of pressure or things go against us,” he said. “I think the guys have really learned and understood what big momentum swings look like in games, what you have to do when there’s big moments in a game, and how you have to respond to certain things that you can’t control.
“So, I just think that the guys have matured a lot on the field, and I think that’s so important because this programme is about development.”
Reflecting on the final few minutes, when Scotland had to defend staunchly with 13 men, the head coach commented: “It was it a bit nerve-wracking. It was one of those games. We just kind of did it the hard way. But you have to give credit to Wales because I thought they really stuck in, and were really disruptive and really made it difficult for us.”
Wales’ strong start to the match produced the first points with a try from Will Evans, the Scarlets second-row finishing off a driven line-out with an explosive break from five meters out. Fellow Scarlet Carwyn Leggatt-Jones provided the extra points for a 7-0 lead.
Scotland had a chance to make an immediate reply but loss of possession on the Wales line allowed the men in red to effect an escape. The young Scots then fluffed another opportunity at a penalty-created five-meter line-out before coughing up a third chance for points by losing the ball to an interception by Leggatt-Jones in his own 22.
Then, when Wales returned to attacking mode, the Scots’ defence was stress-tested to the limit, with brave tackling initially preventing the young dragons from scoring but ultimately helpless in preventing tight-head prop Jac Pritchard from crashing over. Leggatt-Jones again showed his skill off the tee with his second conversion goal to give his side a 14-0 lead with 30 minutes gone.
Scotland reacted positively and, after some excellent continuity play from the forwards, Ollie Blyth-Lafferty plunged through a mass of Welsh bodies to score his team’s first try, that required some deliberation by the TMO, Dalziel making it a seven-pointer with his first conversion of the game.
Wales appeared to have gained from the restart but when Scotland ran the ball back at them from a Welsh kick ahead it initiated a potent counter-attack that ended with Alex Bryden showing soft hands and fellow centre Henry Kesteron running a fine angle to score the dark blues’ second try, Dalziel’s conversion levelling the scores.
Wales had pressure in the two minute period before the break but an over-kick by Leggatt-Jones ended the first half, leaving the two Celtic nations locked together at 14-14 going into the interval.
Scotland, playing with the breeze in the second half, made an immediate impact but an early attempt by Blyth-Lafferty to score a second try was thwarted by Wales’ ability to get bodies underneath the big prop, prompting the referee to call a ‘held-up’ decision.
At the other end, Wales failed to turn similar pressure into points before suffering the blow of a yellow-card shown to Will Evans after the huge second-row was deemed to have made head contact with Ollie McKenna following a reckless clear-out at the ruck.
Scotland immediately took advantage of their one man advantage, driving a five-metre line-out from which skipper Roberts exploded towards the line to score his side’s third try, Dalziel again adding the conversion points, putting the Scots in the lead for the first time in the match.
Scotland looked as though they would make Wales suffer a second time but this time the defence of the depleted red forward pack was strong enough to stop the navy blues from advancing over the line.
Then when Evans returned to the fray, Wales found a new resolve in their game, their clever handling producing a try by full-back Lewis Edwards and a conversion by replacement stand-off Lloyd Lucas to level the scores at 21-21.
But just when there seemed to be a momentum shidft, Wales suffered a second yellow-card, this time shown to Tom Bowen for a deliberate knock-on.
Scotland again made Wales pay, the resultant penalty allowing Dalziel to kick to the corner and an inevitable maul. This time there was no drive over the line. Instead it was a break to the blindside by replacement scrum-half Matthew Fick and his accurate pass to Dan Kelly that gave the pacy winger a try in the corner, from where Dalziel calmly kicked his fourth conversion.
Wales again bounced back and it seemed they had produced the equalising try when Osian Lewis was given a tilt at the Scotland line but a superb tackle by Fick caused the ball to be spilled in the act of scoring and a golden opportunity for Wales missed.
It was to prelude Fick’s exit from the game following a yellow-card for a deliberate knock-down as Wales attacked on the blind side. StraighTaway Wales pounded the Scotland line and came close to scoring only to be foiled by Roberts positioning his body under the potential scorer.
14-man Scotland were then reduced to 13 when replacement Ewan Caven committed the same offence as Fick a few minutes ealrier and Wales wasted little time in turning the screw. They should have profited when second-row Williams was given a scoring pass five meters from the line, only for the Bristol Bear to pass up another golden opportunity by spilling the ball, leaving Scotland to hold out for a further two minutes.
And this they did with a heroic finish on their own line to claim a deserved win to equal the performance of the class of 2017.
Teams –
Scotland: R McHaffie; D Kelly, H Kesterton, A Bryden, N Moncrieff (E Caven 63); J Dalziel, A Stewart-Harris (M Fick 63); O McKenna (J Stewart 60), J Roberts, O Blyth-Lafferty, A Blackett, D Halkon (F Mather 69), C Lindsay, J Utterson, H Preston (O Finlayson-Russell 26 , J McAughtrie 60).
Wales: R Cummings; D Scott, O Lewis (B Cutts 73), S Emanuel, T Bowen; C Leggatt-Jones (L Lucas 51), S Davies (C Gealy 69); G Leyland (H Nevin 54), T Howe (O Thomas 69), J Pritchard (Y Cook 60), W Evans, O Williams, T Cottle (A Ridgeway 58), C James (S Morgan 67), D Gwynne.
Referee: Gonzalo de Achaval (UAR)
Scorers –
Scotland: Tries: Blyth-Lafferty, Kesterton, Roberts, Kelly; Cons: Dalziel 4.
Wales: Tries: Evans, Pritchard, Edwards; Cons: Leggatt-Jones 2, Lucas.
Scoring Sequence (Scotland first): 0-5; 0-7; 0-12; 0-14; 5-14; 7-14; 12-14; 14-14 (h-t) 19-14; 21-14; 21-19; 21-21; 26-21; 28-21.
Yellow cards –
Scotland: Fick (74 mins), Caven (77 mins).
Wales: W Evans (45 mins), Bowen (62 mins),