1st XV match reports

National League three South

Rosslyn Park 15 London Scottish 27

Scottish continued their ideal start to the season, with a second win and bonus point taking them to second in the table behind only the Cornishmen of Mount’s Bay.

It is an impressive start for both these two newly promoted and ambitious sides, but not until the league has had four or five weeks of matches will Scottish really know how they are measuring up to a set of largely unknown opponents.

Just as a week earlier, Scottish took early control and never looked likely to relinquish it, and then, when they looked like running up a big score, they eased off, and indeed let in Park for two of the match’s last three tries.

Scottish settled any nerves early on with a fine score in only four minutes. Lee Cholewa hoisted a kick to the right and Charles Broughton collected and made good ground. Held up short, he reset the play, and the visitors were quick to recycle and bundle Grant Livingston over for his second try in two starts for the club. Cholewa added the conversion.

Scottish now dominated proceedings, hardly letting Park into their own half, and for their part the home side were struggling to get any usable ball beyond first phase.

It was no surprise when the Scots went further ahead. The score was made by Rory Greenslade-Jones, who sliced through the Park midfield and with abundant choices about him sent Anton Petzer clear. With the defence backing desperately, the full-back didn’t need to use Broughton outside him.

Broughton featured in the next score, though, linking with Owain Walbyoff, which resulted in Duncan Hayward’s cantering clear for the line; and Cholewa made up for missing his second conversion attempt by nailing the third.

Scottish continued to dominate the half, and it seemed to the many away supporters to come to an end all to swiftly – indeed this was no illusion, Mr Pearce apparently blowing up with barely 38 minutes gone.

Scottish stretched the lead still further within minutes of the restart, Cholewa slotting a penalty, but then Park came back into it. A Mahoney penalty cancelled that last Scottish score, and then Park scored a try through …which Mahoney converted.

Scottish meanwhile, still seeking the fourth try to secure a bonus point, rotated the squad, but perhaps more than intended, Raynn Bruce being replaced by Andy Fahey, but almost immediately being summoned back as Steve Millard went off.

That fourth try duly arrived, and it stemmed from a midfield break from Mark Douglas to set up the attacking position. Will Green, on for Walbyoff, moved the ball swiftly left, and Greenslade-Jones deftly finger-tipped a pass over the cover and left Broughton to beat his man and sprint for the line.

Scottish seemed to settle for that, but Park persisted to the end, and deep into overtime Tony Paul nabbed a try which Mahoney really should have converted.

Paul McFarland

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