1st XV match reports

London Scottish 38 Barnes 0

This was a satisfying win, the “nil”  points against being just reward for an afternoon's concentration in defence. But any post-match griping that the performance was less than sparkling was stilled by the news of Ealing's surprise defeat.

This meant the Scots go into the Christmas break back on top of the table, and now with a two point margin over their West London rivals; Ealing fell to third behind Worthing, who trail Scottish only on points difference.

The table will give Scottish great heart at this stage of the season, with Worthing at home and Ealing away to come in January.

But at 4 30 on Saturday, such satisfaction was not evident on the home crowd’s faces.  A patchy display by the Scots saw them comfortably 24-0 up going into injury time, but four tries seemed scant reward for long periods of dominance and Ealing’s superior points difference demanded Barnes be more thoroughly examined.

Instead, the Scots spent a good chunk of the second half on the back foot defending in their own 22, and even failed to break out when the impressive Will Green was given a ten minute time-out for punching Toby Walker. The Scots flanker had, on his debut, manifestly entered a maul from the side, and Mr Harding was ready to penalise him until Green literally made his views felt.

While he was away, Barnes attacked relentlessly, with acting scrum half Andrew Cox at the heart of their probing, but the Scots did defend manfully. Toby Sellers broke clear only to panic as the line got closer and lay the ball off to a marked colleague, and then two from Barnes did cross the line but only after crossing each other first. Otherwise Scottish held on well in a good examination of their defensive cohesion – but for all that the home supporters in the near 1,000 crowd were left to wonder why on earth the side was hanging on to a game they should have been running away with.

For in the first half a big score looked decidedly on.

Stuart Peel was through for the first try before most of the crowd – your reporter included – had finished a terrific Christmas lunch, and Coleman McCarthy converted for a smart 7-0. Scottish then dominated at set piece and in the loose, but the quarter hour was past by the time the second score was notched.

Barnes were penalised for offside some 40m out and Scottish – confident and ambitious - eschewed the three points in favour of a shot at the seven, From the kick to touch and ensuing lineout, Alex Alesbrook led the charge and Coleman McCarthy emerged last from the pile up over the line, but this time missed the conversion.

Now we were treated to a show by winger Charles Broughton, who embarked on five breaks from deep, all of which looked promising; one came adrift on a forward pass, another when he lost control in the tackle; it seemed only a matter of time till he either broke clear himself or sent a colleague through.

Finally as the half time whistle beckoned, he did the latter, but it was Ross Yiend on the other wing who created the position with his break on the left; though he was bundled out, Scottish were somehow inspired by the attacking position he had won, and forced a turnover at the lineout. Quick ball wide saw Broughton draw the cover and send Peel clean through.

Now, and for the second game running, Scottish got themselves pinned back in the second half, unable to break out but impressive in defence.

Barnes would have been happy just to survive during Green’s absence, and in desperation were trying to get him back on from the 8^th minute on. Unfortunately for them, ten turned to 12, and then with Green still kicking his heels on the sidelines, the home side unexpectedly broke clear with a tap penalty, a boot upfield and a lineout win. Suddenly, attack was on. Matt Vines did the damage with the initial run, and from the breakdown Peel escaped with ball in hand and Jamie Whelan at his shoulder for the scoring pass. From right in front McCarthy added the two. Green now returned to a lost cause.

Even so Scottish took time to make their man-for-man superiority count as Barnes defended like a side which had put together some impressive results this season to be sitting in the top half of the table.

Thus, not for the first time, Scottish had to wait right till time added on before fitness and persistence told.

First Heke’s interception put Broughton clean through for his 12^th try in 12 games, and then when Heke again broke, and almost got to the line himself, quick ball found the cover not yet in place, and Alesbrook brought his own season’s tally to  five, two Whelan conversions making the score reasonable on the day, if a little harsh on the visitors’ resilience.

Paul McFarland