Scotland U19 went through heartbreak at Meggetland on Sunday as Japan National Schools scored a late try to beat their hosts 10-7.
Scotland had beaten their visitors 22-14 last week, and started off this week where they left off, scoring through second row Hamish Bain, with fly half Josh Henderson converting for an early 7-0 lead.
At that stage, few would have guessed that they would be Scotland’s only points of the day.
Japan got their first points after ten minutes, through Shimotori, to narrow the gap to 7-3. The game then went through a slow patch, with the only potential troubles on the scoreboard for the remainder of the half being a missed Scotland penalty, sending the sides in at half time at 7-3.
Scotland were under pressure early in the second half, but managed to hold out, before superbly breaking from inside their own half, only for Ewan Fox to be hauled just short of the Japanese try line.
Scotland looked like they might hold out for the duration, but with a minute to go, Japan secured a lineout near the Scotland line and drove over to score the most heartbreaking of tries for their hosts, sealing a famous 10-7 victory.
Full Time: Scotland U19 7-10 Japan National Schools
Scotland U19 XV:
15 Bruce Sorbie (GHA RFC)
14 Ali Greig (Stewarts Melville RFC)
13 Lewis Berg (George Watson’s College)
12 Grant Huggan (Hawick RFC)
11 Ross McCann (Stewarts Melville RFC)
10 Josh Henderson (Glasgow Hawks RFC)
9 Charlie Shiel (Currie RFC, captain)
1 Ben Christie (Loughborough University)
2 Fraser Renwick (Hawick RFC)
3 Daniel Winning (London Irish)
4 Jamie Ure (Worthing RFC)
5 Hamish Bain (Currie RFC)
6 Luke Crosbie ( Currie RFC)
7 Thomas Gordon (Currie RFC)
8 Andrew Grant-Suttie (GHA RFC)
Replacements: 16 Matthew Emmison (Aberdeenshire RFC) 17 Jamie Ross (Kirkham GS/Sale) 18 Blair Robertson (Kelso RFC) 19 George Blackwell (Kirkham GS/Sale) 20 George Bordill (Sandbach School/Sale) 21 Andrew Simmers (Heriots RFC) 22 Rob Kay (Heriots RFC) 23 Sean Chapman (Hawick RFC) 24 Ewan Fox (High School of Dundee/Dundee High Rugby).
