Scotland U20s fly-half Nathan Chamberlain struck a dazzling hat-trick in an incredible seven-try win in Wales that fired the Scots up to second in the table.
Head coach Sean Lineen had asked for his side to finish this year’s Championship strongly after last week’s defeat to France, and certainly got that as Scotland delivered a scintillating 80 minutes of rugby in Colwyn Bay.
Lineen’s men were electric right from the off, win Rufus McLean bolting in for an early settler before Chamberlain grabbed his first to build a 17-0 half-time lead.
Wales did register second-half tries for Morgan Strong, Bradley Roderick and Dom Booth, but couldn’t contain Scotland’s dazzling all-angles attack that yielded two more excellent tries for Chamberlain, added to by Connor Boyle, Ollie Smith and lastly Robbie McCallum.
Scotland earned a dream start in their efforts to leapfrog Wales in the table, benefiting from a couple of early penalties before wing McLean cleaned up a loose lineout and bolted through the opposition defence and around last defender Mason Grady.
Wales fly-half Sam Costelow got the chance to respond with a penalty from inside his own half minutes later, pushing his effort wide, Nathan Chamberlain making no mistake from closer in at the other end.
A huge hit from openside Boyle on Costelow helped earn another Scottish penalty, kicked to touch, but from that point both struggled to break into each other’s 22 as the arm-wrestle intensified.
The visitors looked the more dangerous, cutting some lovely lines off both No.9 and No.10, and made the breakthrough on 29 minutes when Chamberlain dummied left before diving over the line from five metres out.
Costelow got another penalty chance just before the interval, this time from just inside the opposition half, but couldn’t convert – leaving Scotland a healthy 17-0 lead at the break.
The hosts set about clawing their way back immediately after the restart and had instant success, playing their way upfield before No.8 Strong drove over at the back of a maul.
The away side were unflustered though and continued to pin Wales back in their own half, then scoring a superb third as lock Cameron Henderson burst away from an attacking lineout before delivering a fine offload for Boyle to finish.
Chamberlain kicked the extras for a 24-5 lead but minutes later Costelow sucked in two defenders before getting the ball away on the left, eventually finding its way back inside for outside centre Roderick to finish strongly.
Scotland soon had the bonus point on the hour, and in some style, as Chamberlain attacked down the left from halfway, chipped over the defence and collected for an easy run-in to the line.
At 31-10 you suspected the game may be done but hooker Booth had other ideas, showing incredible speed in chasing down a poke-through to touch down in the corner on 63 minutes.
Ioan Lloyd converted for 31-17 but back came Scotland once more on 68 minutes, replacement Cameron Scott skipping away down the left before passing back inside to the waiting Chamberlain.
Plenty more good news was to come for Scotland too, with Smith getting over on 71 minutes and McCallum breaking away with the last play to push his side past the 50-point mark.
