Three-Try Scots Come Out On Top In Club International

CLUB INTERNATIONAL: Friday, March 9

SCOTLAND CLUB XV 18 IRELAND CLUB XV 11, Meggetland, Boroughmuir RFC

Scorers: Scotland: Tries: Marc Teague, Rory Couper, Steve Lawrie; Pen: Murray Strang
Ireland: Try: Richard McCarter; Pens: Andrew Thompson 2

The Scots outscored the visitors by three tries to one at Meggetland, the home of Boroughmuir RFC, to gain revenge for their 30-13 defeat in last year’s clash at Donnybrook.

Watched by a crowd of 1,112, the Irish bossed the opening stages to lead 11-3 after 22 minutes.

Shannon out-half Andrew Thompson kicked two penalties and then Dungannon full-back Richard McCarter weaved his way over after a clever blindside move off a scrum.

But the Irish pack failed to exert the desired control over the next hour and Scotland, watched by SRU President Andy Irvine, came right back into it when winger Marc Teague touched down just before half-time.

Glasgow Hawks out-half Murray Strang had booted a 13th-minute penalty through the uprights and while he watched a penalty attempt on the half-hour drift wide, his inch-perfect kick ahead teed up Teague for his score.

11-8 down at the break, Scotland moved into a two-point lead on 53 minutes when lock Andy Adam offloaded for local favourite Rory Couper to grab an unconverted try.

Geoff Moylan’s Irish side then had a spell of pressure but could not make it pay on the scoreboard and it was left to hooker Steve Lawrie, who will be playing professionallly for Edinburgh next season, to grab the clinching try.

SCOTLAND CLUB: James Thompson (Heriot’s); Marc Teague (Heriot’s), Graham Thomson (Dundee HSFP), John Houston (Heriot’s), Rory Couper (Boroughmuir); Murray Strang (Glasgow Hawks), Alasdhair McFarlane (Ayr); Bruce McNeil (Hawick), Steve Lawrie (Watsonians), Richard Higgins (Melrose), Damien Kelly (Ayr), Andy Adam (Currie), Tam McVie (Heriot’s) (capt), Angus Martyn (Boroughmuir), Ben Fisher (Boroughmuir).

Replacements used: Andy Kelly (GHA) for Higgins (57 mins), Mark Cairns (Currie) for Martyn (69), Cameron Goodall (Heriot’s) for Thompson (72). Not used: Scott Burnett (Currie), Jeff Nicolson (Watsonians), Matt Coupar (Watsonians), Andrew Skeen (Watsonians).

IRELAND CLUB: Richard McCarter (Dungannon); Niall O’Brien (Clontarf), Kevin Hartigan (Garryowen), Glen Telford (Dungannon), Cronan Healy (Cork Constitution); Andrew Thompson (Shannon), Fiachra O’Loughlin (Clontarf); Dan O’Connell (Galwegians), Kevin Corrigan (Lansdowne), Simon Shawe (Ballymena), Merle O’Connell (Cork Constitution), Alan Maher (Lansdowne), Peter Malone (Garryowen) (capt), Conor Hartigan (Buccaneers), Frank Cogan (Cork Constitution).

Replacements used: Simon Crawford (Clontarf) for M O’Connell, Mark Bruce (Buccaneers) for O’Loughlin (both 59 mins), Oisin Hennessy (Dungannon) for C Hartigan (67), Stephen Nolan (Terenure College) for D O’Connell (73). Not used: Damien Varley (Garryowen), Barry Keeshan (Dolphin), Andrew Finn (Shannon).

IrishRugby.ie man of the match: Richard McCarter (Ireland)
Referee: Gwyn Morris (Wales)