Ireland Club XV 26 - 21 Scotland Club XV: Scots club XV fall just short

TWO fine second half tries brought Scotland to the verge of a first away win in seven years of club internationals with the Irish, but they could not finish off in a frenetic finale camped inside the Irish 22.

The Scots lost to the Irish at Netherdale last year and were intent on revenge, and after beating France in Ayr two weeks ago were also targeting a first back-to-back success. In truth they had enough ball from a strong pack display and produced enough attacking play to win this pulsating encounter, but their failure, particularly in the first half, to execute the final passes in the Ireland 22 proved their undoing.

Scotland coach Ally Donaldson said: “It is very disappointing to get so close, and at the end there to have a scrum five metres out and then see the ball hacked downfield.

“The difference was that they made us work a lot harder for our tries than we made them. They got their tries too easily. But the way the guys came back in the second half and at the end is testament to the team spirit and desire they have.”

The match was hosted by Old Belvedere rugby club, the home to such Irish legends as Tony Reilly, Ollie Campbell and Karl Mullen, and a good crowd of several hundred made their presence felt throughout a good physical and fast-paced advert for club rugby in both countries.

Two lost lineouts and a forward pass by Dean Kelbrick to Rob Colhoun, after a great break by the Glasgow Hawks centre, ruined promising early work by Scotland and allowed the Irish territory from which they took the lead with a Craig Ronaldson penalty in the tenth minute.

The Scots roared back and a terrific free-flowing attack launched by Fraser Thomson, the Melrose full-back, from deep inside his own half, and taken on by Sean Crombie and Alan Brown, the impressive tighthead, rolled Ireland into their own half and Calum Anderson broke to the 22 which drew a penalty, but Lee Miller pulled his kick wide.

Ross Curle made a scything break over halfway minutes later but his pass to Dougie Fife flew into touch and though Rory McKay stole the Irish lineout, the Scots were turned over in midfield and Ireland swiftly took advantage with their pacy openside flanker Barry O’Mahony diving over for an easy try.

Within two minutes the Scots were on the score-sheet, however, Thomson launching a trademark counter-attack from deep inside his half, rounding the cover on the right touchline, drawing defenders before releasing Anderson. He continued in support and when Anderson drew the last man, he passed back inside to Thomson and he sprinted in from the 22. Miller converted and another fine break by Anderson should have brought a second score, but the Aberdeen Grammar was well tracked by Cathal Quinn, the Irish left wing, and he got to him a few metres from the line, and Anderson threw a loose pass.

Again, the Irish took advantage with a Ronaldson penalty and, with three minutes of the half remaining, O’Mahony showed terrific pace and angle of run to break on the left and cut inside to beat Thomson’s tackle for a fine individual try, worthy of his ‘Man of the Match’ award on its own.

Ronaldson’s conversion put Ireland 18-7 up at the break, and after Scotland started the second half with a concerted period of pressure in the home 22, but were kept out by dogged Irish defence, and the hosts then extended the lead with a try by full-back Roger McBurney, who exposed less impressive Scots cover.

Scotland fought back strongly and tries by skipper Crombie and McKay breathed new life into the second half, Miller converting both to cut the deficit to 23-21.

Ronaldson put it back to 26-21 with ten minutes remaining and though the Scots finished strongly and had the opportunity with a scrum five metres from the line, they could not apply the finishing touch against a terrific Irish defence to claim an historic win.

Scorers: Ireland: O’Mahony (2), McBurney; Con: Ronaldson; Pens: Ronaldson (3). Scotland: Tries: Thomson, Crombie, McKay. Cons: Miller (3).

Ireland Club XV: R McBurney (Ballymena); C Aherne (Lansdowne), K Lett (Clontarf), M Kelliher (Young Munster), C Quinn (Cork Constitution); C Ronaldson (Lansdowne), G Hurley (Cork Constitution); R Sweeney (St. Mary’s College), G Slattery (Young Munster), C Condon (Dolphin), P Donnellan (Cork Constitution), F Walsh (Shannon), S Crawford (Clontarf) (capt), B O’Mahony (Clontarf), H Hogan (St. Mary’s College). Subs: F Cogan (Clontarf) for Hogan 38mins, L Og Murphy (Young Munster) for Walsh 48, R Byrne (UCD) for Slattery, H McGrath (Young Munster) for Condon, both 60, B Keeshan (Dolphin) for Ronaldson 70.

Scotland Club XV: F Thomson (Melrose); C Anderson (Aberdeen Grammar), R Curle (Ayr), D Kelbrick (Glasgow Hawks), D Fife (Currie); L Miller (Gala), A Black (Edinburgh Accies); J Cox (Currie), S Crombie (Boroughmuir) (capt), A Brown (Dundee HSFP), S Sutherland (Ayr), R McKay (Glasgow Hawks), G Dodds (Melrose), R Colhoun (Ayr), R Weston (Currie). Subs: G Holborn (Melrose) for Brown, N Dymock (Dundee) for Cox, both 50mins, R Hawkins (Dundee) for Sutherland, A Rose (Boroughmuir) for Dodds, both 55, F Brown (Heriot’s) for Crombie, M Ward (Aberdeen Grammar) for Black, D Gilmour (Stirling County) for Kelbrick, all 65.