The IRB Under 21 World Championship has come to an end. I’m on to my fourth cheese and ham sandwich of the flight home – the last one didn’t go down too well …turbulence and a very scared Borders scrum-half on my shoulder were not nice side-orders.

This morning we left at 5 o’clock; some giddy, some sore and some tired we boarded our tour bus for the last time.

I left the last leg of the diary on the eve of the Wales game. That night we went as a team to the local bowling alley. As usual there was a competitive atmosphere and everyone was in good spirits as our varied bowling skills were both surprising and hilarious.

You could feel the atmosphere was right on the morning of the game, everyone was pulling together, we were buzzing. It turned out to be a game that we will all remember for a very long time. After two straight defeats as an under-21 team together against the proud men in red we finally got what we knew we were capable of.

Mikey Adamson scored a memorable 23 points in his second game at fly-half, Nick De Luca scored two well worked tries, Alan Nash boomed a 45-yard drop-goal, Ben Addison showed his gas as he went the length of the field to score, Johnnie Beattie made countless massive hits …and it goes on. My point is we came together as a team and it felt sweet.

The evening after the game we enjoyed a meal out at a beautiful local restaurant and a quiet night in a local bar. As usual, the steaks were of the highest order and in the massive stakes…pardon the pun!

The next day was business as usual with an early dip and rehab session for those with knocks. We had the option of visiting the shopping mall in the afternoon but most of us just rested in the hotel. The intensity of the tournament was beginning to tell. Thanks to our conditioning and great rehab on tour our injuries have been limited and after a good day’s rest we were as bright as always.

With two days to go before the Argentine game we had our main training day. Let’s just say I was glad not to be a prop at scrummaging practice that day!

In the afternoon we relaxed with a trip to the zoo. Think some of the ‘popos’ felt quite at home there… especially amongst the monkey family! We saw elephants, cheetahs, pumas, condors, bears, lions, tigers and… sheep!! Apparently they are not quite as un-exotic as we thought, the boys from Aberdeen were delighted to see the furry beasts!

The penultimate day on tour was the ‘Dolf Man's’ (back row Colin White) 21st birthday. He was presented with a massive cake and a training rendition of happy birthday. He must have been relieved that it was a pre-match day, he was let off lightly! The build-up to our match with the hosts was unbelievable with television crews swarming the hotel. Our manager, John Jeffrey, had to endure a mammoth interview for a show which is being screened later . . . we hope Ariel, our liaison officer, can send us a copy of the “Rugby Legends” programme.

The morning of our final game saw us all take a dip in the pool before 8am to generate our systems as the kick-off was at 11am. Both the Argentinean and Italian squads thought we were “loco”, but it did the trick.

Overall our final game was a disappointment (lost 39-7 to Argentina), but it is a game we all agree we can learn from. It was great to play in front of such a vocal home support. The game was a sell-out (4000) but it was unfortunate we couldn’t give our small but enthusiastic travelling support the big thank-you they deserved.

After the match and a long dip in the hotel’s outdoor pool (there were a number of sore bodies), we travelled to the third-fourth play-off and the final at Mendoza’s big stadium . . . a ground JJ said that Archie Gemmell scored his famous goal (who is Archie Gemmell?).

Both the New Zealand-France (3rd-4th) and South Africa-Australia (final) matches were great spectacles and there were some tremendous skills on show . . . we will see some of these players featuring in the big picture soon, I think.

At night, we all attended the closing ceremony at a refurbished winery, where we enjoyed the local produce into the early hours.

We would all like to take this opportunity to thank those who have been involved in supporting us in our rugby thus far. We are pleased to be the highest Scottish finishers yet in both the Under-21 Six Nations and World Cup. However there is a lot of ambition in this squad and each and every one of us leaves with a new hunger to improve and find a greater success.

Iain Kennedy
Scotland Under-21s


Footnote from Ed
About the goal that JJ and the rest of Scotland remembered

"The great sporting occasion is not complete without a defining moment - an image that can be replayed on television sports quizzes until the end of time.
It must be burned into the memory of everyone who witnesses it, long after the cheers of the crowd - and the stinging hangover - have faded.
Scottish footballer Archie Gemmell dancing through the Dutch defence to score his wonder goal at the 1978 World Cup is the perfect example.
The fact that the team went home shortly afterwards in disgrace, having failed to get through the first round, has long been forgotten. The goal entered the culture. It provided a pivotal scene in Trainspotting, the biggest Scottish film of recent years. It has even been turned into a ballet"

This article was originally posted on 29-Jun-2005, 10:34 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 29-Jun-2005, 13:41.