Scotland Club XV 13 - France Club XV 9: Scotland club together to earn revenge over gritty French

THE Scotland club stars hung on for victory that earned revenge for last year's 13-12 defeat in France, but how they made the home support sweat.

It was not a classic advert for club rugby but had terrific commitment from both sides, and the fact that the Scottish club scene has endured a two-month lay-off was evident as the home players ran out of steam in the late stages and had to rely on a timely interception by Malcolm Clapperton to deny France what seemed certain to be a match-winning try with the last act of the game.

Scotland coach Ally Donaldson said: "It was a gutsy effort by the forwards in difficult conditions after a long lay-off. It was great to see a big Borders crowd getting behind the team for what was a narrow victory."

The club international concept has been a major hit with the players and there was no mistaking the pride felt as they belted out O Flower of Scotland, having earlier been presented with their jerseys by John Rutherford, the former Scotland and British and Irish Lions stand-off.

The crowd size did not appear to be great at kick-off but the eventual figure of 2,100 was similar to the last representative match at Netherdale, when the South took on Northumberland on a similarly dreich night in December, and underlined the support for these games.

The French team was coached by Olivier Magne, one of the nation's most talented back rows, and had two former professionals in their ranks, the former Toulouse fly-half Mathieu Maillard and Montauban legend Fabrice Soldan at No8, while prop Adrien Falieres was briefly with Clermont Auvergne in the Top 14.

But it was the hosts who made the early running, wing Calum Anderson lighting up the touchline with a fine break. The conditions and lack of match practice inevitably contributed to a frustrating error count, but Scotland did make the breakthrough in only the seventh minute. Clapperton made a big tackle and turned over French possession, Scott Burnett, the Heriot's hooker, gathered and released Anderson and the Melrose winger coasted past Soldan over 30 metres to go round behind the posts, Scott Wight adding the conversion.

The home forwards seemed to hold the advantage in size, surprisingly, but they had their work cut out when the visitors started to hold onto possession, as Currie's Richard Snedden discovered when he was flattened making a brave tackle on big Orleans lock Simon Pinet. The scrum-half recovered in time to see Maillard open the French account from a penalty after the next phase, from over 40 metres out on the right.

Wight and Maillard both missed long-range efforts and the rain continued to hamper passing. The Scottish forwards scrummaged well on their ball and were rewarded with a penalty after 24 minutes, which Melrose stand-off Wight this time converted to restore the hosts' seven-point lead.

Fine defensive work earned another penalty, but Wight's effort fell under the crossbar, and the French began to reveal their attacking flair in the backs.

Scotland's eagerness over-stepped the mark and Maillard struck a second penalty, but there was still time for Anthony Frenet, the French centre, to break the patience of referee Llyr Geraint-Roberts and earn a yellow card for lying on the wrong side in a ruck after both sides had been warned. Wight fell short again from 45 metres and the sides headed inside with just four points separating the sides.

The third quarter was spent almost entirely in the French half, but the Scots lacked the precision and decision-making on the ball to make it count and the French defended stoutly, and too often picked off the home lineout for the liking of Scotland coaches Donaldson and Kevin Barrie.

Fraser Harkness, who scored in the defeat last year, tried a neat chip-and-chase, but the French cover just beat him and wing Fraser Thomson to the ball, and the hosts were made to pay for their failure to finish. From France's first attack into the Scottish half they won a penalty and Maillard cut the deficit to a point with 19 minutes remaining.

A scrum penalty handed him another opportunity two minutes later, but he fell short from more than 40 metres out, and a fine Harkness break had the Scots back in the ascendency but Thomson this time dropped his pass with clear space opening up.

Harkness' threat remained potent, however, and the full-back launched a swift attack on the right that still didn't produce the try, but did earn a penalty and another yellow card, this time Kwarazfelia being sent to the sin-bin and Wight taking the score to 13-9 with his long-awaited second penalty.

The French fought back and a yellow card for Kelly for a ruck infringement with ten minutes left aided their pack's determination to dominate the home pack.

But the Scots defence held firm and should have finished the game pressing the French 22, but their lineout misfired again causing some nervy last moments as the French threw everything into a frenetic, but ultimately futile, final assault where Clapperton intercepted Maillard's pass as a certain try beckoned.

Scorers: Scotland Club XV: Try – Anderson; Pens – Wight 2; Con – Wight. France Club XV: Pens – Maillard 3.

Scotland Club XV: F Harkness (Selkirk); C Anderson (Melrose), M Clapperton (Boroughmuir), J King, F Thomson; S Wight (all Melrose), R Snedden (Currie); A Dymock, S Burnett (both Heriot's), A Brown (Dundee), D Kelly (Ayr), R McKay (Glasgow Hawks), J Dalziel (Melrose) capt, M Cairns, R Weston (both Currie). Subs: G Reid (Ayr) for Dymock, A Hamilton (Currie) for Brown, both 46, P Burke (Ayr) for Cairns 52, S Sutherland (Ayr) for McKay 58, J Hunter (Ayr) for Snedden 69, G Wood for Burnett 75.

France Club XV: S Mercier (ES Catalane); G Lavergne (Bobigny), A Frenet (Bourg-en-Bresse), J Lesgourgues (Tyrosse), S Sarthou (Saint Etienne); M Maillard, G Dulay (both Valence D'Agen); A Falieres (Montlucon), R Escudier (Perigeux), N Mateos (Marmande-Casteljaloux), S Pinet (Orleans), M Ameur (Leucate), J Matheron (Monteux), L Lafitte (Tyrosse), F Soldan (Valence D'Agen). Subs: J-B Lafite (Perigeux) for Lesgourgues 40mins, F Cazalot (Lourdes) for Escudier, N Kwarazfelia (Lavaur) for Mateos, S Lassiasz (Montmelian) for Ameur, all 49, A Biscay for Lafitte 63, B Lombarteix (Monteux) for Dulay 68.

Referee: L Geraint-Roberts (RFU).

Attendance: 2100.