Border Reivers U16  25  Glasgow   29
The Border Reivers bounced back from their heavy defeat to Caledonia last week, with a performance full of commitment and intensity, but somehow managed to lose a game that was theirs for the taking against a Glasgow side who were able to capitalise on a series of errors from the home team.
The Reivers displayed a hunger, largely absent in their first two District matches as they took the game to their visitors from the first whistle, pressing Glasgow back into their own twenty two, but were unable to convert some early opportunities. They were made to pay when Glasgow scored a try from their first visit to the Reivers half. A clearance kick from a scrum in the Reivers twenty two was charged down and as the ball bounced back over the goal line the Reivers defence were still favourites to react first and defuse the situation, however Fraser Smeaton was credited with the first touch and the try was awarded.
Worse was to follow as the Reivers charged back up field and created an overlap ten metres from the Glasgow line however the final pass was intercepted and Glasgow wing Scott Murray raced ninety metres to put Glasgow 10-0 ahead. Reivers got back into the match after seventeen minutes when the pressure they had applied to the Glasgow defence was eventually rewarded with Cameron Scott picking a great line and powering over for a try.
In a flurry of scoring before the break Gregor Mein kicked a penalty to reduce the deficit to 10-8. Blair Hutchison then scored a great individual try, beating three defenders in a 30 metres sprint to the posts for a try converted by Mein, to put the Reivers ahead for the first time. The lead was short lived however as on the stroke of half-time Danny McCluskey bumped off two tacklers in midfield to take play deep into the Reivers 22 and Max Lott crossed from the resultant ruck for a try converted by Blair Jardine to put Glasgow 17-15 ahead at the break.
After the interval Reivers were soon ahead when Callum McEwan found space in the Glasgow 22 to cross for an unconverted try but Glasgow replied with a try soon after from Matt Evans, converted by Douglas Jagger.
The Reivers pressed hard to get back in front, pinning Glasgow back in their own half for long periods, before Frankie Robson scored from a ruck on the twenty two after the Glasgow defence has been sucked in and the Reivers centre found himself with one defender to beat and half the width of the pitch to work in.        
Glasgow responded well to going behind, and for the first time in the half were able to control territory and pressure the Reivers defence. They were rewarded from another home error as the Reivers lost a scrum on their own put in the twenty two and the Glasgow pack rumbled forward for Chris Barnes to score an unconverted try.

This article was posted on 22-Mar-2010, 15:31 by Hugh Barrow.