Sole's decision on wind quickly justified

Published on Wednesday 29 January 2003 00:00

The Scotsman, March 17, 1990

Scotland 13, England 7

DAVID Sole, the choice fortified by the knowledge that England had in their three previous matches been so quickly in front that they had never had any pressure from the scoreline, took the wind on winning the toss.

Scotland had marched out on to the field rather than run, with something of the cool deliberation of a gun-slinger relishing the shoot-out. Not that it had done much for the Lions when they similarly sought to throw down the gauntlet in last summer’s First Test in Australia.

McGeechan wanted his men to take the game to England from first to last, to run at them. Soon, his old field lieutenant, Finlay Calder, from a quick tap-penalty, was sounding the charge with a veritable bugle call of a surging thrust.

Whereupon England were penalised for going over the top. Chalmers - who had already narrowly failed with one longish penalty - kicked a fine goal.

Shortly, as the scrum collapsed, Probyn stamped on Sole. Again Chalmers exacted the three points.

The English response was a truly glorious try. From the visitors’ scrum feed, Mike Teague picked up and drove. The heel, as Jim Telfer ruefully noted, had compromised his reaction to the point where, instead of bursting away blind as Scotland - and, in particular, Derek White at No 8 - had expected, Teague broke to the open, breaching the gain-line before being brought down by Calder.

Rob Andrew had also gone blind, drawing Chalmers. Thus, when Hill erupted from Teague’s break, Lineen was committed by the scrum-half whose long pass to Carling beat Scott Hastings.

Jeremy Guscott took Carling’s pass and, dummying Gavin Hastings, completed the score. Simon Hodgkinson failed with the kick across the wind, which no doubt was partly why he shook his head at Carling’s inquiry when

England were subsequently afforded penalty chances across the wind from the other flank.

Paul Ackford was spoken to for his retaliatory attentions to Chris Gray, though he evidently had the wrong man anyway. Chalmers kicked a good goal that, with half-time beginning to loom, was all the better for being so timely.

Nine-four seemed little insurance for a second half into the wind, well though Scotland were playing - and it began ominously, with Gavin Hasting’s kick-off going into touch without pitching.

However, from the resultant scrum, Teague knocked on. Now Scotland had the put-in, Jeffrey serving Armstrong on the blind. The scrum-half made ground and, taking Andrew’s tackle on the inside, got the ball out to Gavin Hastings.

The full-back juggled with the ball but held the pass and, doing just enough to pull Underwood towards him, un-corked just about the most important chip to materialise in this galaxy since the micro was invented.

Stanger saw the chance before England fully saw the danger. Though the kick reared on alighting, he plucked it adroitly out of the air to complete the move. Chalmers could not kick the goal, but the only further score was a penalty goal by Hodgkinson.