Scotland Universities 0 - 7 France Universities: Students handed harsh lesson by slick visitors

The match was set to be moved earlier in the day given the wet conditions, but the Watsonians' ground was playable and both teams started the encounter at a high tempo.

However, Scotland began to give the ball away to the visitors too easily though and when the French were in possession they were clinical.

The French pack also set up some superb quick ball for the backs, which meant for all the home endeavours they were defeated comfortably.

Following the match in Toulouse last year this game represented an opportunity to benchmark current progress of Scottish Universities rugby and the side were left in no doubts about the gulf in class with the French, who played with the typical brand of open rugby and close quarter aggression the country is renowned for. This was the first of two games Scottish University Rugby will play, the next against Irish Universities on 18 March will be played in Ireland.

Reekie said: "It was a tough game, but I am proud of he team for the way they stuck at the task for the whole 80 minutes. Last year when we went across to France and were beaten by them we weren't at the races, but in this one we showed glimpses of what we can do.

"I don't think the inactivity in Scotland due to the poor weather over the last couple of months helped us really in our preparations and we need to keep working hard ahead of our trip to Ireland in March."

Scottish Universities: T Hiddleston (UWS); S Coleman (St Andrews), W Wardlaw (Aberdeen), P Traylor (Aberdeen), R Guedrouj (Aberdeen); D Reekie (Aberdeen), S McGhee (Stirling); J Mawhinney (Dundee), M Cannon (St Andrews), M McDonald (Stirling), J Rupar (Aberdeen), G Temple (Heriot-Watt), J Doubleday (Edinburgh), A Thomson (Glasgow), G Dunne (RGU). Subs: G Goatly (St Andrews), N Shannon (Aberdeen), F Hay (Aberdeen), I Moody (Napier), R Wilson (Edinburgh), D O'Hagen (QMU), E Oag (Aberdeen).