YOUNG SCOTS ACHIEVE HISTORIC FIRST
Posted: 31/Mar/07
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

French Schools 5 Scotland under-18 18

For 33 years the best of Scotland’s up and coming rugby players have been trying to defeat French Schools on French soil, first in the guise of Scottish Schools and now as Scotland under-18.

Tonight at Bondoufle, south of Paris, they secured their first ever away win against their French counterparts and only the second Scottish win in the history of the fixture – to sit proudly alongside a triumph at Murrayfield in 1991.

Understandably, Scots’ head coach Colin Robertson was elated by his team’s success. “The challenge now will be for us to build on today’s performance when we open the RBS 6 Nations Festival in Glasgow against England at Burnbrae next Sunday,” he said.

“But I think the players have demonstrated that they can rise to the occasion, as with our 5-all draw against England A last week, coupled with today’s win, we’ve put together two very encouraging back-to-back performances.”

Robertson noted that his pack had stepped up to the mark once again but reserved his highest praise for the overall continuity and width that characterised Scotland’s game.

Scotland, who led 8-5 at the interval, scored two tries from Gala wing Fraser Thomson, while rejuvenated stand-off Andrew White kicked two penalties and a conversion.

Thomson has scored four tries over the course of Scotland’s four warm-up matches for the festival – one each against the Boys Clubs of Wales and England A and tonight’s brace.

Scotland under-18: Grant Anderson (Greenock Wanderers); Fraser Thomson (Gala/Galashiels Academy), Paul Loudon (Edinburgh Accies) CAPTAIN, Steven Wilson (Howe of Fife/Bell Baxter HS), Adam McKenzie (Barnard Castle School); Andrew White (Annan), Chris Jackson (Newbury); Cameron Godfrey (Biggar/Merchiston Castle School), Finlay Gillies (Haddington), Dougie Orr (North Berwick HS), Richard Gray (Glasgow Hawks), Nick Campbell (Allan Glen’s), Struan Dewar (Strathallan School), Tom Drennan (BATs/Trinity Academy), Chris Fusaro (Howe of Fife/Bell Baxter HS). Subs: Gavin Cameron (Hawick Wands/Hawick HS), Fraser Brown (Biggar/Merchiston Castle School), David Morton (Bristol Academy), Fraser Galbraith (George Watson’s College), Edward Maslaveckas (Harrogate), Neil Rodger (Haddington/Knox Academy), Andrew Dymock (High School of Dundee), Scott Meakin (Ivybridge), Steven Aitken (Ellon), Robbie Johnston (Newark) and Craig Findlater (Highland)

The Scotland squad for the festival will be announced on Tuesday.

This article was posted on 2-Apr-2007, 12:58 by Hugh Barrow.