Cairns gears up for pro career with Glasgow City Sevens win
DAVID FERGUSON AT DUMBRECK
BEN Cairns helped Edinburgh retain the Jenkins and Marr Glasgow City Sevens trophy on Saturday and declared it the best possible precursor to turning professional.

The under-21 centre is one of Scotland's most promising young backs and he underlined why with numerous dazzling breaks at Dumbreck as his team proved too strong for the Borders and Glasgow teams. Today, he expects to finally put pen to paper on a one-year contract with Edinburgh.

He admitted: "This tournament has been brilliant and it's great to win again. For us young guys, training a lot to become pros, it's frustrating not having many opportunities to play. I've played for Currie, and really enjoyed the cup final at Murrayfield even though we lost, but club rugby doesn't prepare you for the pro game.

"I've been fortunate to get to three sevens tournaments with Scotland this season, which was a huge step-up and great learning experience. And the under-21s is good and, like last year, this tournament with other pro players has given me some preparation for the U21s World Cup next month.

"I'm looking forward to that and then playing full-time with Edinburgh. I'm taking a year out of my degree to make a go of it in rugby. I hope to play in the Celtic League and take my development and learning on to the next level."

The tournament was a huge success, with over 1,200 spectators and corporate guests, including a few busloads of Hearts fans from the Borders who stopped off for the early ties before walking to Hampden. It begs the question as to why more clubs do not organise the fantastic family day, and significant pay-day, that a sevens tournament brings.

The Cartha QP event brings together professionals and club players, and the early scorelines highlighted how much of a gap now exists between them, but the plate competition, won by Dundee HSFP, was a good club event.

The quality of some of the young pros, however, whose speed, strength and intelligence was a joy to watch, provided genuine optimism for those of us weary at watching Scotland's pro teams struggle in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup.

Glasgow stunned the fast and very physical Sale in the semi-finals with tries from Allan Kelly, Stevie Swindall, Ben Addison and Iain Kennedy, later voted 'Player of the Tournament'. They could not repeat the feat in the final, however, with players like Cairns, Nick de Luca - soon to join the Borders - Mike Pyke, Angus Martyn and new full-time signing Greig Laidlaw possessing too much speed and sevens nous for the home side.

Despite a great effort, a hat-trick of tries by Richard Mill and good score from Swindall were not enough to overhaul the Gunners tries from Pyke (2), Cairns (2), Martyn and Laidlaw, and the capital men picked up the £2,500 winners' cheque.

Glasgow Warriors: A Wilson, E Milligan, S Swindall, A Kelly, C White, AJ Macfarlane, I Kennedy, R Mill, B Addison, C Taylor.

Edinburgh Gunners: R Weston, S Lawrie, A MacDonald, A Easson, A Martyn, G Laidlaw, M Bringhurst, N de Luca, B Cairns, M Pyke.

Referee: A Ireland.

RESULTS

First round: Glasgow Warriors 28, Edinburgh Accies 0; CUS Torino 4, Melrose 47; West of Scotland 7, Sale Sharks 31; Glasgow Hawks 28, Hamilton 12; Aberdeen GSFP 7, Cartha QP 31; Kilmarnock 7, Border Reivers 36; Edinburgh Gunners 37, Hillhead/Jordanhill 7; GHA 33, Dundee HSFP 17.

Quarter-finals: Glasgow Warriors 48, Melrose 0; Sale Sharks 49, Glasgow Hawks 5; Cartha QP 17, Border Reivers 31; Edinburgh Gunners 50 GHA 0.

Semi-finals: Glasgow Warriors 24, Sale Sharks 5; Border Reivers 5, Edinburgh 28.

Final: Glasgow Warriors 24, Edinburgh Gunners 40.

This article was posted on 15-May-2006, 06:29 by Hugh Barrow.