Borderers Corey Tait and Finn Douglas on scoresheet for Scotland under-20 rugby team against USA

Southern Knights winger Finn Douglas scoring a try for Scotland's under-20s against the USA at the World Rugby U20 Trophy in Kenya yesterday (Photo by World Rugby)

Hawick’s Tait, 19, touched down the young Scots’ sixth and last try on 67 minutes, 50 minutes after Melrose’s Douglas, also 19, had opened the scoring.

Their other scorers included former Southern Knights scrum-half Ben Afshar at the double and the 20-year-old, now at Ayrshire Bulls, also kicked five conversions.

That win at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium, following a 64-33 victory against Zimbabwe on Saturday, July 15, sees head coach Kenny Murray’s Scots sitting at the top of their group, with ten points from two fixtures, one ahead of second-placed Uruguay.

They play the Uruguayans next Tuesday, July 25, also at the national stadium, with kick-off at 2pm, and the winner of that last pool match will go on to face either Spain or Samoa in the trophy’s final on Sunday, July 30, with a place in 2024’s World Rugby U20 Championship at stake.

Murray, 49, said he’d initially been frustrated at how the match was going but was happy about how it turned out.

“I was very frustrated coming up to half-time,” he said. “We didn’t really stick to our game-plan. We probably tried to win the game in the first ten minutes using a few lineout options, so there is a learning in that for some of our decision-makers at No 9 and No 10, then we missed a couple of tackles to hand over cheap points, so we need to be more clinical there.

“We put ourselves under a bit of pressure and it was a really good learning for the boys to find a way to win.

“We pretty much dominated the second half, which was really pleasing to see.

“I think it was about realising that we don’t need to force things. It is about backing our game-plan.

“Our game management in the second half was excellent. Our drive was good and we were just much better connected in defence, so we’re pretty happy with that and can build from here.”

Hooker Tait and winger Douglas were among five Borderers in yesterday’s match-day squad, both featuring in Murray’s starting XV.

Lauder’s Sam Derrick, Selkirk’s Matt Reid and Hawick’s Hector Patterson were among the replacements, Reid and Patterson being brought on with nine minutes left to play.

Selkirk No 8 Monroe Job and ex-Gala centre Kerr Johnston, now at Boroughmuir Bears, are also in the Scottish squad, having been called up to replace former Southern Knights flanker Rudi Brown, now at French club Vannes, and Ealing Trailfinders’ Geordie Gwynn after they were forced to pull out due to injuries.