DONALDSON PRAISES TOP SIDE AT MYRESIDE
Friday, 13 March 2009
Scotland Club international coach Ally Donaldson praised his players following the team’s 31-18 win over Ireland at Myreside on Friday night.
In front of an impressive crowd of 1419, Scotland played with genuine zest and Fraser Harkness contributed two eye-catching tries in an entertaining game.
Man of the match Angus Martyn also dotted down while Scott Wight’s boot contributed Scotland’s other points.
Afterwards, Donaldson said: “The players deserve enormous credit and the effort they have put in is a reflection on how important club international rugby is to these guys. It means a lot and we hope it continues.
“When your season is only two games long and you narrowly lose the first match then there is a lot of pressure on you to win the second.
“I think that showed. We started off really well, but when Ireland come back at us we looked a wee bit nervous.
“There was a lot of pressure on us to win, but we rode our way through it. The effort these guys have put in from day one from training to the 80th minute has been outstanding.
“We played a very strong team over in France and we only lost by a point. If club international rugby is a reflection of how strong Premier One rugby is then you have to say it is very strong at the moment.”
Two-try hero Harkness received special praise from Donaldson alongside the back-row unit of Martyn, John Dalziel and Ross Weston.
He added: “Fraser (Harkness) scored two tries, he broke the line and he was a threat every time he got the ball. I also thought the back row as a collective unit were absolutely outstanding.”
Scotland club international: Fraser Harkness (Selkirk); Colin Goudie (Heriot’s), Malcolm Clapperton (Boroughmuir), Dougie Brown (Watsonians), Lee Jones (Selkirk), Scott Wight (Melrose), Alasdhair Macfarlane (Ayr); Alan Dymock (Heriot’s), Pat MacArthur (Ayr), Elliott McLaren (West of Scotland), Damien Kelly (Ayr), Scott Sutherland (Ayr), John Dalziel (captain, Melrose), Ross Weston (Currie), Angus Martyn (Boroughmuir).
Subs (all used): Scott Burnett (Heriot’s), Gordon Reid (Ayr), Allan Kelly (Hawks), Andy Dunlop (Ayr), Richard Snedden (Currie), Gavin Craig (Selkirk), Dave McCall (Heriot’s)

This article was originally posted on 14-Mar-2009, 00:16 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 14-Mar-2009, 00:17.