Report: Wales U18 45-12 Scotland U18

An excellent early effort from Lucy Ronald kept Wales’ driving maul out. The red pack made it’s way to the line, but the Scotland stand-off got underneath the ball and held it up.

Ronald amazingly stopped another try moments later. From the goal line drop out Megan Thomas made her way to the line, but Ronald was there once more to hold the ball up.

But the score seemed inevitable, and it was Grace Boyd who fought her way over from close range. Sienna McCormack converted. (7-0, 6 mins)

A second try soon followed, with Taufa Tuipulotu tapping a penalty from five metres out and smashing her way over. McCormack again converted. (14-0, 11 mins)

Wales’ backs were offloading at will, and when Thomas found Lily Foscolo on the right she wrestled out of the last tackle and under the posts. McCormack converted. (21-0, 20 mins)

Scotland got themselves on the board through a brilliant defensive read from Neve Murray. The full-back spotted an offload coming from Wales on their right wing and got herself in the passing channel, intercepting the ball and sprinting into the corner from halfway. (21-5, 28 mins)

Half time: Wales U18 21-5 Scotland U18

Wales started the second half with another score, and it was a second for Tuipulotu who raced onto a loose ball and went over untouched on the left. McCormack converted once more. (28-5, 37 mins)

The fifth try came three minutes later, with the Welsh forwards doing the hard work up the middle before the ball went out left to Beatrice Morgan who scored from a metre out. (33-5, 40 mins)

Wales were getting real joy from their direct running and offloading, and Amelia Bailey’s delicate midfield pop put Thomas through the middle for her second score. McCormack converted. (40-5, 46 mins)

McCormack had been excellent from the tee for Wales, and finally got a try to add to her tally when Wales recovered their own grubber kick and the stand-off went over two phases later under the posts. (45-5, 57 mins)

Scotland deservedly got another score before the end, when Danielle Kaschula made massive metres through the middle and two phases later Aoife Powrie-Smith slalomed through Wales’ midfield and ran under the sticks. Niamh Waters converted. (45-12, 67 mins)

Full time: Wales U18 45-12 Scotland U18

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Head Coach Lindsey Smith said: “We didn’t have as much possession, and didn’t adapt to the way the game was going, but that’s a real learning for us and for some players that might be the first time they’ve experienced that.

“I thought in the first 15 minutes we were a bit slow but we grew into the game, our set piece was okay and first-up tackling was good, but we maybe need more breakdown work around went to go for it and when to leave it.

“Again we showed we can defend in our 22, there was real bravery and commitment, and I think that’s really promising for us.

“The players have really grown in confidence across the festival, especially in our defence, we showed real urgency in goal-line defence. There’s been big improvements in our set-piece and the leadership skills in that area of the game, we’ve got players calling lineouts in at this level and showing they can do it.

“I also thought the players handled the exposure at this level really well, especially since that’s the highest level a lot of the players have played in, and the performance behaviours on and off the pitch were what we wanted to see as well.”

Wales U18: 15. Beatrice Morgan 14. Lily Foscolo 13. Megan Thomas 12. Megan Jones 11. Freya Perry 10. Sienna McCormack 9. Lily Hawkins 1. Erin Carson 2. Taufa Tuipulotu 3. Grace Boyd 4. Erin Jones 5. Tegan Bendall 6. Grace Hulbert 7. Chloe Roblin 8. Amelia Bailey CAPTAIN

Replacements: 16. Lola Mee 17. Betsan Yip 18. Georgia Morgan 19. Begw Jones 20. Efa Thorp 21. Alys Roberts 22. Soffia Walters 23. Breannagh Davidson 24. Evie Ellis 25. Livy Kuropatwa 26. Rya Caviell 26. Zillah Radrodro

Scotland U18: 15. Neve Murray 14. Connie Sanderson 13. Kat Bird 12. Niamh Waters 11. Bethan Mathieson 10.Lucy Ronald 9. Emma Wyllie 1. Amy Vance 2. Emily Sansom 3. Lilly Clarkson 4. Anna Stoddart 5. Pip Sutherland 6. Eve Mackay CAPTAIN 7. Juliet Ramsay 8. Estella Vaughan 

Replacements: 16. Eilidh Rose 17. Ellen Nimmo 18. Danielle Kaschula 19. Megan Hutchison 20. Layla Mitchell 21. Gemma Gordon 22. Rhianna Bodle 23. Megan Laurie 24. Aoife Powrie-Smith 25. Lucy Symon 26. Sophie Gilvear