THE HERALD EPORTS

ALAN LORIMER March 26 2007
CommentScotland's Under-18 team achieved a 5-5 draw with England Under-18A at Sunderland on Sunday to boost their confidence ahead of their match with French Schools on Saturday at Bondoufle and the Six Nations tournament in Glasgow next month.

"This was a hugely encouraging performance from the team," said Ewan Kennedy, Scotland's Under-18 manager. The former international centre added: "We stepped up our performance considerably from our previous two matches. The only disappointment was the we didn't win.

"We had 70% of the possession but unfortunately we missed two penalty attempts and two drop goals. What pleased me, though, was that we were strong in the forwards and cleared the ball well from the contact area."

Scotland's points came from a try by Galashiels Academy winger Fraser Thomson after the Scots had attacked deep inside their own half.

Missing from the Scotland line-up was the Kelvinside/Glasgow Hawks lock, Richard Gray, but there was a first-time start for the Strathallan flanker, Struan Dewar, likely to be named in the Scotland squad for the Six Nations tournament.

In the Bell Lawrie Plate competition, Aberdeen Grammar School and Madras College, from St Andrews, meet in the under-18 final tomorrow at Strathmore RFC's ground in Forfar. An under-15 semi-final match between Knox Academy and Forrester Composite will also be played tomorrow.

Another match expected to go ahead this week is the delayed quarter-final between Duncanrigg and Nairn Academy, the winners of which will play Kelso High School in the other semi-final.

Meanwhile, at Murrayfield, Stirling County reasserted their might in midi rugby by winning the under-16 final against Gala Red Triangle with a 25-21 triumph in a pulsating final on the international pitch.

The under-15 title went to Boroughmuir, who had a 32-17 win over Glasgow Hawks, while Stewart's-Melville Lions took both the S1 and S2 titles.

This article was posted on 27-Mar-2007, 07:06 by Hugh Barrow.