SCOTLAND EDGED OUT OF MEDAL RUNNING
Tuesday, 12 October 2010

John Houston fends of the South Africa defence
Scotland 7s were edged out of the medal running in a tense 10-7 defeat to South Africa in Delhi today.
South Africa took the lead early in the second-half with an unconverted Paul Delport try but a much improved Scotland worked hard to control possession and were ultimately rewarded with an equalising try from stand-off Mike Adamson - Adamson's conversion putting the Scots in the lead at half-time.
After the break the South Africans started brightly once more and scored a second unconverted try, narrowly surviving a late Scotland fight-back to see out the tie.
Early on South Africa showed their talent to mix both the direct and patient approach to sevens play.
Delport an example of the former when he snatched up a spilled ball that was knocked out of a ruck on the far touch-line in Scotland’s 22.
With men in support he foxed his opposite man with the faked inside pass and crossed out wide in the second minute.
Renfred Dazel missed the conversion, 0-5.
Scotland maintained their composure despite the loss and, after reclaiming the ball with strong counter-rucking (evident throughout the match) they began to make good in-roads up the middle – a John Houston offload just going astray as the Scots piled on the pressure.
Scotland continued to battle hard with aggressive, accurate rucking but had to make more of the possession earned which they did, to great effect, at the end of the half.
Great patient play in their own half created a half gap for wing Andrew Turnbull who burned up the nearside touchline as he siren sounded but, with time left until the ball goes dead, he charged on into South African territory.
Conscious he was running out of space and support as the tracking defenders came across field, Turnbull sent a long pass in-field to the supporting Adamson who crossed unchallenged under the posts.
Adamson’s straight-forward conversion meant that Scotland were leading 7-5 at half time.
HALF TIME: 7-5
South Africa came out strong in the second-half and, after showing the other, patient side of their game, worked the phases into the Scottish half, creating an overlap for Rhino Benjamin to score at the corner.
However, Cecil Afrika's missed conversion meant that Scotland were still very much in the game, 7-10.
The Boks did not let up and some excellent defending from Scotland kept them at bay but as the seconds ticked by the pressure mounted on Scotland to get that crucial score.
The chance came for Scotland right at the death once more when replacement wing Hefin O’Hare made the half break, did well to stay on his feet and offloaded to John Houston who sprinted up the park.
With the experienced Benjamin tracking his run, Houston slowed his run and then went for broke at the corner but was tackled just short and turned over.
South Africa cleared the ball to safety and secured the narrow win.
FULL TIME: South Africa 10-7 Scotland 
Scotland will now face Kenya on the plate semi-final. A competition they won in Murrayfield back in May.
Starting Scotland 7s team
Colin Shaw, Scott Forest, Scott Newlands, Lee Jones, Mike Adamson, John Houston, Andrew Turnbull

This article was posted on 12-Oct-2010, 07:43 by Hugh Barrow.