1st XV match reports

Shelford 8 London Scottish 36

Scottish maintained top spot in the table with an emphatic win which was all the more praiseworthy for being secured in appalling conditions, yet with a determination to try and run the ball whenever feasible.

The rain was relentless before kick off, and though it let up slightly for the first half, it set in again before half time; by the time the lights had come on in the gloom, the only way to separate the sides was by the red of the Scots' socks - jerseys and shorts were all pretty much caked. Yet the handling by both sides was at times remarkably fluid, and we had a much better match than could be expected.

Despite seven changes to the starting XV from the previous match only three weeks earlier, Scottish absorbed the deputies - including three debutants - well enough to avoid any perceptible disruption to the game plan; it was the weather which caused them to keep it tight at least until they had the lead, before playing more expansively and eventually running in six tries.

Rob Smart did so well to convert three of these that the RFU credited him with four. He also controlled the Scots possession throughout and increasingly looked to free the visitors powerful back line.

To begin with, though, the Scots  did not threaten to make their league position count.

Shelford not only resisted well for half an hour. They had looked a good match for the league leaders at least up front, where the front five dug in wherever the ground would take a stud, and the back row foraged purposefully. But Shelford lacked sharpness in the backs and Scottish had relatively difficulty in absorbing pressure and defending their territory, even if they did offer up three kickable penalties.

Shelford though only had a 3-0 lead to show for their efforts. Had Quintyn Austin been able to kick better in the wet, they would have tested Scottish by going 9-0 up.

Instead, Scottish responded to the third attempt with their first concerted pressure and suddenly were three converted tries to the good. With two penalties of their own, Scottish advanced the length of the pitch and from the second secured good lineout ball before surprising Shelford when Bruce whipped the ball away to the blind side, shaped to put van Rensberg in, and then skipped over himself. Smart added a very good conversion, and did so again in overtime, when Scottish got a fortunate second score. Pressure on the home scrum meant the clearing kick was rushed and charged down. Josh Heke collected the free ball and forced his way through before the defence had realigned.

The Scots then made the game safe before half time in the seventh minute of added time. Charles Broughton should have got the ball to ground in the right hand corner but was shoved into touch before he shaped to dive. It did not matter, for at the next play he suddenly arrived untouched in the scoring zone after a mazy run through seven or eight defenders, each perhaps expecting his predecessor to make the tackle. Indeed Broughton himself had seemed intent only to take contact and set up the next phase; contact however was never made and so his 13th try of the season was the result.

The result secured, Scottish set about adding more points in the second half.

Shelford were game, and well deserved their eventually consolation which came about when an ill-judged kick from hand by the Scots gave Shelford the chance to carry from their try line to half way, and then after regaining possession, a second poor kick let the home side run the other 50m to the line.

By then the game was gone. Rory Greenslade-Jones made the break which produced the penalty and the ground gained for Andrew Smith to go over form the lineout for a debut try. Then Simon Devane - on for Broughton - collected lineout ball 30m out and dashed through a big gap, completing the journey to the line completely unchallenged.

Smart was close with the kicks, and almost converted his final opportunity, landing the ball on the bar. By then the game was in added time, Rowan Brown being stationed on Broughton's wing to run in a fine move after Milne had twice set up decent positions.  

Paul McFarland