THE SCOTSMAN REPORTS


Richie Vernon grabbed Glasgow's second try Glasgow packaged up a promising 80 minutes of pre-season action and outscored the visitors by two tries to nil last night, but they paid for a failure to convert more chances as Bristol kicked penalties and clung on for victory.
Sean Lineen, the Glasgow coach, said: "I'm really pleased with two tries to none, and when we were good we were very good, but there are things there such as the contact and set-piece we obviously have to work on. But this is pre-season and this is the test we need."

The early stages possessed all the enthusiasm and frenetic activity expected from two eager, physical sides in pre-season, but it also had the unforced errors associated with ring-rustiness in August. Adrian Jarvis, the Bristol stand-off, slotted four from five penalty efforts in the first half-hour, converting almost all the visitors' territory into points, while Glasgow fought bravely with little success until the final minute of the half.

After being warned for scrapping with John Barclay, the Glasgow openside, Bristol hooker Jason Hobson was sent to the sin-bin for battering into a ruck from an offside position and Glasgow exploded off a subsequent scrum. Richie Vernon took advantage of the new ELVs-afforded space off the set-piece to race infield and towards the posts. The ball came out quickly and Parks threw a looping pass to the right touchline where Lome Fa'atau beat the despairing cover to the right-hand corner. Parks converted from the touchline to send the hosts into the half-time interval just five points adrift.

Jarvis skewed another penalty effort at the start of the second half and soon the Glasgow side were uncovering some space in attack. Andy Henderson and Max Evans threatened on the left, Parks picked out Fa'atau with a crossfield kick on the right, but the wing was well marshalled; Fa'atau tried a chip-and-chase on the left which Bristol just got to before him; Ruaridh Jackson, one of several exciting young Glasgow talents, launched a great counter-attack with a weaving run up the middle, and there was a palpable enthusiasm across the Glasgow team to get on the ball inside the Bristol 22.

Bristol's scrambling defence was impressive and a dubious penalty, when Kelly Brown seemed to have legitimately stripped Beveridge of the ball, handed Jarvis another goal chance and, to slow hand-claps and ringing boos, he edged Bristol into a 15-7 lead that proved decisive.

A terrific burst of pace from Max Evans launched Glasgow at Bristol again as the game entered the last ten minutes, and while the piercing blast of referee Dave Pearson's whistle ended that promise, with two minutes remaining Glasgow players attacked Bristol's 22 in droves and found a way through. This time Vernon smashed his way into the right-hand corner, and while Gregor could not convert from wide out it ensured a tense finale.

The clock was into injury-time when Gregor streaked 20 metres from a lineout, setting up the platform for a winning score. After Bristol held firm, Gregor tried again with first a dart and then a crossfield kick towards Daryl Gibson but Bristol wing Tom Arscott did superbly to catch the ball and land over his own line just befor the final whistle sounded

This article was posted on 23-Aug-2008, 07:25 by Hugh Barrow.