SCOTS BOW OUT TO STANDING OVATION
Sunday, 31 May 2009
Cup semi-final: South Africa 26, Scotland 21
Cup quarter-final: Samoa 12, Scotland 14

Scotland received a standing ovation from sections of the home support at Murrayfield today having come agonisingly close to their first ever Cup final on the IRB Sevens World Series.
Eventually, the Scots were ousted by 2008/09 World Series champions, South Africa, in the second minute of sudden-death extra time.
Following the squad’s congratulatory lap of the national stadium, to acknowledge the outstanding support received over the weekend, Scotland 7s coach Gemmell said: “I’m immensely proud of the players over the last two weekends but it’s just a massive disappointment not to reach that Cup final having run South Africa so close.
“There’s no good way to lose. We had opportunities in that game but if Im honest, when we look back at it, we’ll probably rue one or two decisions.
“Over the piece, for this group of players to come together less than two weeks ago and see what they have achieved has been tremendous.”
Scotland internationalist, Allister Hogg, joined the squad for the final two weekend’s of the World Series. He added: “For me sevens has been a new challenge and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve made a couple of new friends and I’ve experienced the environment of the sevens as well.
“I’m glad Stevie asked me and gave me this opportunity to come in and play. I’m really proud to be part of the squad that got to back-to-back semi-finals.”
The lead changed hands four times in the semi-final nail biter, and after a ground shaking rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody, the crowd made their presence felt right from the kick-off – their vocalised passion was soon rewarded with an early try from Sean Lamont.
After some patient phase play, Ally Hogg and Roddy Grant’s hard work at the break down forced a South African infringement.
Hogg took the resulting quick tap and popped short to Lamont whose tidy footwork foxed his opposite man enough to allow him to easily brush off the Boks stretched tackle attempt and dot down.
Gregor added the extras and the crowd went bananas.
The recently crowned World Series champions, however, were never going to easily pass up the opportunity to take the Cup and Series double at the home of Scottish Rugby and a line break from deep in their own half was enough for the athletic Vuyo Zangqu to score before Mzwandile Stick brought the game level.
The Boks then stretched their lead when Renfred Dazel dazzled the centre pairing before bursting through the gap to score between the posts.
Stick added the extras to make it 14-7 at the break.

After the break, the crowd stuck by the Scots, making their presence felt throughout the half-time break and went bezerk when Lamont answered with his second of the match.
John Houston powered his way into contact, pumping his legs into and through the tackle.
The extra yards offered clean ball from the deck for Greig Laidlaw who arced round and waited – for what seemed like an eternity for the baited supporters – until he released a perfectly timed pop pass to Lamont who came from the back of the breakdown to fire through, goose step, and dive under the posts.
Gregor added the extras to bring the scores level once more.
Moments later Laidlaw turned form provider to scorer and put the Scots back in the lead.
After a try saving tackle from Laidlaw – and resulting interception from Colin Gregor – Scotland turned and faced from their own try line and started to work the ball up the park into the South African half.
After some patient play the Scots they turned the screw in the South African 22 when Colin Shaw jinked inside and made good ground before being brought to the deck ten metres from the try line.
Lamont gathered the ball from the breakdown and popped inside to Laidlaw who was through to score to the delight of the jubilant home support.
Gregor continued his flawless kicking display to make it 14-21 to Scotland.
However, the jubilations were cut short moments before time when Ryno Benjamin raced through and dove down on a perfectly weighted through ball.
Stick’s equally perfect boot meant that the tense encounter would continue into the brutality that is sudden death extra time.
Both sides battered one another at the break down and South Africa, with continued phase play, edged the Scots further and further into their 22 until Gio Aplon found the room need to squeeze though and score and bring the game to a heartbreaking end.
Scotland starting team v South Africa: Scott Forrest (Ayr)* CAPTAIN, Roddy Grant (West of Scotland)*, Allister Hogg (Edinburgh), John Houston (Edinburgh), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh), Colin Gregor (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Lamont (Northampton)
South Africa starting team v Scotland: Mpho Mbiyozo, Frankie Horne, Vuyo Zangqa, Kyle Brown, Renfred Dazel, Ryno Benjamin, Mzwandile Stick
Cup quarter-final: Samoa 12, Scotland 14

It was another afternoon of firsts for Scotland 7s coach Stephen Gemmell as Scotland posted their first win over Samoa during his three year tenure.
The Scots overturned a 12-0 half time deposit to snub Samoa’s Cup chances and book themselves their second ever Cup semi-final place in the space of two weeks.
Scotland will now face newly crowned World Series champions South Africa, at 4:13pm.
Amidst the post-match congratulations from the Murrayfield crowd, Gemmell said: “You don’t beat quality teams very often and we’ve had a few hidings from Samoa over the years.
“There’s no better to get that win than here at Murrayfield and it’s all credit to the players. In the past we’d maybe have fallen off but there’s real belief in that dressing room and that’s mixed with a ‘never say die’ attitude and some quality rugby players.
“To play and score in the manner that they did at the end speaks volumes for the players.”
The Scots would now love to reach their first ever Cup final, and with Murrayfield filling up throughout the day, Gemmell believes that the crowd is the biggest weapon in their armoury.
“I think the thing that’ll help us get over the line now is the crowd who have been magnificent. With fifty seconds to go and you hear ‘Scotland’ being chanted from the stands is an unbelievable feeling and the players just dug deep.
Samoa controlled the early stages of the game with Uale Mai racing to the line after they exposed an obvious shortage of numbers on the Scots flank. Morgan Salesa could not add the extras from the touchline.
Scotland began to mount attacks of their own with Sean Lamont powering up the touch line, however the final pass went amiss. Minutes later Greig Laidlaw released Lamont for a certain score, but that decisive pass was deemed to have been forward.
Scotland then slipped even further behind as a simple inside pass was all it took to release Alafoti Fa’osiliva who burned to the line. Salesa converted to give the South Sea Islanders.
If it was all Samoa in the first half, then no-one would challenge that it was all Scotland in the second.
Good physicality at the contact area from Lamont gave Houston a glimpse of the line. A sharp cut back inside beat the defence and he dived over to get Scotland onto the score-sheet. Colin Gregor converted.
It was indeed Houston whose thunderous running style sent him over the line for a second score before Gregor, with nerves of steel, slotted the winning conversion.
Scotland starting team v Samoa: Scott Forrest (Ayr)* CAPTAIN, Roddy Grant (West of Scotland)*, Allister Hogg (Edinburgh), John Houston (Edinburgh), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh), Colin Gregor (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Lamont (Northampton)
Samoa starting team v Scotland: Alafoti Fa’osiliva, Levi Asifa’amatala, Uale Mai, Lolo Lui, Reupena Levasa, Mikaele Pessamino, Morgan Salesa

Scotland 7s squad to compete at the Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s Festival (30 and 31 May): Scott Forrest (Ayr)* CAPTAIN, Mike Adamson (Glasgow Warriors), Roddy Grant (West of Scotland)*, Colin Gregor (Glasgow Warriors), Allister Hogg (Edinburgh), John Houston (Edinburgh), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh), Sean Lamont (Northampton), Hefin O’Hare (Glasgow Warriors), Colin Shaw (Glasgow Warriors), Jim Thompson (Edinburgh), Andrew Turnbull (Edinburgh)

This article was posted on 31-May-2009, 18:17 by Hugh Barrow.