Scotland on Sunday reports

Henderson hat-trick a highlight
IAIN MORRISON AT MURRAYFIELD
SCOTLAND 31 - 21 IRELAND

SOMETHING approaching Scotland's first team beat a side that looked suspiciously like Ireland's reserves and while it wasn't always pretty it was just enough to do the job in question. Any win over the team that are considered dark horses for World Cup success will give Frank Hadden's squad a boost ahead of the sterner tests to come.

However it will worry the Scotland coach that, with the match seemingly under control, his team allowed Ireland to fight their way back into contention with a spirited second-half performance that saw the visitors score 15 points in just 11 minutes inside the third quarter of the match.

It was a blessed relief to everyone concerned, fans, players and officials, to finally move from the scheduled summer sports, political hand-bagging and move on to a sport where the hits are, for the most part, open for all to see.

Yesterday's two teams were different in more ways than just their relative strength. The teams were also opposites in style with Scotland using their giant pack to punch holes close to the breakdown and drive the mauls. Simon Taylor and Jason White in particular made a big impression with the ball in hand and when the latter stopped Ireland winger Brian Carney in his tracks midway through the first half the crowd whooped in recognition that normal service had been resumed by the big Aberdonian.

At one point the crowd were also entertained by that rarest of sights, a Scotland scrum going forward on opposition ball. Euan Murray played his part but the bulk of the forwards Hadden fielded, surely the heaviest Scotland unit in history, must have helped.

They burrowed and bullied their way to the Irish line twice in the first half alone, Hogg and Murray being awarded the scores. But the headlines were stolen by Andy Henderson who enjoyed a cracking game even without the hat-trick of tries the popular centre scored.

One came in the first half, scored on the post, and another shortly after the half-time break, but only after a nerve-racking juggle, and the final one just seven minutes from time to halt the Irish fightback in its tracks. It seems inconceivable that Hadden can hand anyone else the No.12 shirt after yesterday's display.

But more than allowing the home team to dominate possession the Scottish pack also ensured that what ball the Irish did scavenge was mostly won on the back foot, hardly ideal for the likes of Brian O'Driscoll and Andrew Trimble who made an early appearance off the bench.

In contrast Ireland moved the ball at almost every occasion and looked hugely dangerous while doing so. The very first time the green line moved the ball wide, Wallace making the extra man with a delightful loop, only a poor pass from Geordan Murphy prevented a try in the corner.

Still, the Irish full-back made amends a little later, rising beautifully above the two Lamont brothers to pluck a Paterson cross-kick out of the air and prevent a sure-fire score. This was a welcome return to form for a man who broke his leg in the corresponding fixture four years ago.

Rory Lamont was obviously taking notes because the former Glasgow player did exactly the same inside his own half, rolled out of a tackle and then sent Ross Ford straight up the middle of the field. The hooker showed pace that no one had suspected but he was so fast he left his support gasping for breath almost as badly as the referee who was audibly struggling with the pace of the game.

The Irish, uncharacteristically quiet before the break, were markedly better in the second half. Their little Kiwi scrum-half Isaac Boss got on the end of a move sparked by Trimble and then the substitute enjoyed an easy run into the left-hand corner after Rory Lamont came flying out of the defensive line but failed to catch man and ball together.

Wallace then kicked another penalty and, suddenly, from being down and out the visitors had dragged themselves to within just three points of the home team. A raft of substitutions ensued around the 60-minute mark which included Chris Cusiter, Dan Parks, Scott MacLeod and Craig Smith. However it was two starters that gave Scotland the vital field position before the final score.

The two Lamont brothers combined beautifully, Rory kicked ahead and Sean tackled the defender behind the Irish try line, to give Scotland a five metre scrum. The Scots messed up that opportunity but had another one just minutes later. This time Parks made the half break and Henderson finished it off, sliding under the posts to claim the first hat-trick of tries by a Scot since Chris Paterson managed the feat against Japan in 2005.

After looking like losing the match the home side looked comfortable enough in the final minutes although Cusiter's luck doesn't improve any. The little scrum-half limped off with a couple of minutes remaining and, with all their substitutes used, the Scots finished the match with 14 players.

Scotland: R Lamont; S Lamont, R Dewey (N Walker 60), A Henderson, S Webster; C Paterson (D Parks 60), M Blair (C Cusiter 60); A Jacobsen, R Ford (F Thomson 67), E Murray (C Smith 56), N Hines, J Hamilton, J White (Capt, S MacLeod 56), A Hogg, S Taylor (K Brown 35).

Ireland: G Murphy; B Carney, B O'Driscoll (Capt, R O'Gara 67), G Duffy (A Trimble 25), T Bowe; P Wallace, I Boss; B Young, J Flannery (R Best 70), S Best, M O'Kelly (A Quinlan 60), P O'Connell, N Best (K Gleeson 65), S Ferris, J Heaslip.

Referee: Tony Spreadbury (RFU).

Scorers: Scotland - Tries: Hogg, Henderson (3) Murray. Convs: Paterson (2), Parks. Ireland - Tries: Boss, Trimble. Conv: Wallace. Pens: Wallace (2), Murphy.

Andy on Cloud Nine after his eye for a trio makes him shoo-in for World Cup
IT COULDN'T have happened to a nicer guy. Andy Henderson may not be one of the flash Harrys of the Scotland squad but he underlined his importance yesterday with a hat-trick of tries to ensure that Scotland's World Cup warm up campaign got off to a winning start.

The amiable midfielder is currently occupying Cloud Nine somewhere in the region of seventh heaven. Henderson was given leave of absence to attend the birth of his first child last week (Jamie, 7oz and doing fine thank you), and Frank Hadden joked that he can't have had much sleep in the run up to this match. "I was lucky enough to get back home every night this week except Friday night," he conceded. "But I have had no problem sleeping. It's the wife who is doing most of the hard work so I've had a couple of good nights sleep."

Henderson's first score looked like it came against the posts but the man in the know insisted that he had grounded the ball on the right after his efforts on the other side of the upright had been repelled. His second came five minutes into the second half when Paterson's pass eluded the outstretched arms of Tommy Bowe and, after a nervous slow motion juggle, Henderson finally got the ball under control and dotted down in the corner.

His third came when it was still a three-point match and just seven minutes from time. On this occasion Parks made a half break from a five-yard scrum and Henderson had little more to do than slide his 6ft 3ins frame over the line.

"I think that is probably my first hat-trick since I left school," mused the former Lenzie Academy pupil.

Last season was a difficult one for the Glasgow man who had to watch while Rob Dewey replaced him in the Scotland No.12 shirt, at least until the final match against France when the pair played in tandem.

"It was a difficult time for me but I was always involved with the squad so I didn't feel sorry for myself and, anyway, Rob was playing well for Edinburgh at the time. I was lucky to get a chance in the final match and today; you just try and take your opportunities when they come."

"We went out there today with the intention of going hard at them and the forwards certainly did that. The short-range tries were really encouraging and we had a good lead at half-time.

"We knew they'd come back at us hard but their tries were down to us and we knew that if we could cut out our mistakes and maybe do some stuff at the other end we'd hang on for the win."

Undoubtedly the victory, any victory, will give the team a boost ahead of the upcoming campaign and Hadden has plenty to mull before announcing his final 30 this Tuesday. After that performance Henderson is a shoo-in for one of the places at next month's World Cup and his coach seemed pleased with the overall performance.

"I said to the players beforehand that I wanted to see the enthusiasm, energy and intensity that we had throughout our preparation on the pitch. The key areas we worked on with fitness guru Mark Bitcon were trying to generate more dominance in the contact area and I was delighted with that today."

Undoubtedly the home side won the battle of the breakdown, a rare success against a side that prides itself in that area, although the Irish were allowed right back into the match in the third quarter.

"That is what happens in rugby matches," was Hadden's line on the visitors' third-quarter fightback. I never felt inclined to panic because, although they were edging closer on the scoreboard, we felt comfortable with how we were playing. Although it got quite close on the scoreboard I was quite surprised to see how close it was."

It would have been a lot closer but for Henderson's crucial and telling contribution.

This article was posted on 12-Aug-2007, 07:23 by Hugh Barrow.