GLASGOW GAIN ROUND ONE OF BORDERS CLASH
Posted: 02/Oct/06
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The Glasgow Warriors back-up squad ran out comprehensive winners at Netherdale this evening as they beat the Border Reivers back-up squad 34-12. In a fast, flowing game where both sides tried their best to keep the ball alive, Glasgow scored six tries to the Borders’ two.
With head coach Sean Lineen saying last week that the senior squad needed to work more on attack, the back-up squad certainly laid down the marker against the same club that the senior team will be facing on Friday.
The scoring was opened with a Kevin Tkachuk try which Michael Adamson converted. The Reivers were quick to respond with an unconverted try of their own but Glasgow looked dominant throughout the half and when Reivers captain John Dalziel was sent for ten minutes in the sin bin, the Warriors took advantage of the extra man to drive over the try line, Calum Forrester emerging from the pile of bodies with the ball (again, Adamson converted).
With a few more senior players having a run-out in this game, including those on their way back from long term injury such as Rory Lamont and Ben
Prescott, the experience of the Glasgow side told as they showed the confidence to both take the ball forward up the middle of the pitch (with some crunchingly hard hits coming in from both teams) and to ship it out wide but it was a combination of both going forward which led to Glasgow’s third try when Stevie Swindall led the midfield charge then some long passes out to the left saw Glasgow with a man over on the wing and Mike Roberts made the touch down.
Concentration wavered slightly at times and some silly handling errors crept in but the blend of senior and junior players for Glasgow worked well with some vocal input coming from both ends of the spectrum.
It all came together for Glasgow’s last try of the half with a textbook attack, begun with a slick break from Ruaridh Jackson and going through multiple pairs of hands before finding winger Ben Addison in space to finish off the move in the far right corner.
With the Reivers first on the scorecard in the second half, Glasgow’s defence was made to work hard as the Borderers found their second wind following lock Richard Vernon's try. Consistent pressure from the home side meant the visitors saw hardly any territory or possession for a large part of the second half however, when hey did gain possession, they stepped up a gear and turned it into points.
Calum Forrester, who had looked very sharp all game, crossed the line once again in a try not dissimilar to his first and the icing on the cake came from substitute Tony Nyangweso who showed impressive pace to round his opposite number on the outside and slide in the corner for a try in injury time bringing the final score to Border Reivers 12 Glasgow Warriors 34.

GLASGOW WARRIORS BACK-UP SQUAD
Rory Lamont, Ben Addison **, Mike Adamson (Glasgow Hawks), Scott Barrow CAPTAIN, Mike Roberts, Ruaridh Jackson **, Jamie Hunter **, Kevin Tkachuk, Eric Milligan, Ben Prescott, Allan Kelly **, Dan Turner, Colin White**, Calum Forrester **, Steve Swindall
Substitutes (all used): Stuart Corsar, Moray Low **, Pat MacArthur (Ayr) *, Willie Brown **, Andy Dunlop (Biggar), Stuart McGee (Boroughmuir), Ryan Moffat (Cartha QP) Tony Nyangweso (Cartha QP)
** National Senior Academy Player (All members of West of Scotland Institute of Sport)
* National Junior Academy Player

This article was posted on 3-Oct-2006, 16:32 by Hugh Barrow.