SCOTS SET UP SAMOA FINAL CLASH WITH THRILLING WIN OVER KENYA
Tuesday, 12 October 2010

Scotland 7s progressed to the final of the Plate competition at the Commonwealth Games with a thrilling extra-time win over Kenya in the searing Delhi heat.
Lee Jones, the Edinburgh wing, was the hero for Stephen Gemmell's men, defying exhaustion and the Kenyan defence to launch a 65m sprint deep into the first period of additional play and cross for the score that sets up a clash with Samoa at 11.20am.
It was the former Selkirk player's second try of the match and saw Scotland finish the game in a similar vein to how they began it, Mike Adamson having touched down in the first minute of regulation time to give his side the ideal start.
Kenya hit back with a try of their own towards the end of the first half, but, picking up on a loose ball in midfield, Glasgow back Colin Shaw put Scotland back in front just after the hooter sounded with an impressively opportunisitc score. Adamson converted to give Scotland a five point interval lead.
HALF-TIME: SCOTLAND 12 KENYA 7
This advantage was extendewd almost immediately when a flowing right-left move involving John Houston and Stuart McInally created space for Jones to run in at the corner.
Kenya refused to go quietly and forced a sudden death finish with a brace of tries in the 12th and 13th minutes.
Although the second of these scores had at its core what looked for all the world a forward pass, Scotland were left to breath a huge sigh of relief in extra time when a potentially match-winning further Kenyan touchdown was ruled out for a doule movement.
Both teams should have been running on empty by this stage, the heat and humidity due to take their toll, but Scotland kept pressing and Jones' awareness and determination were rewarded in fine style to give Gemmell's side a crack at repeating their Plate heroics from the Murrayfield leg of the IRB World Sevens Series back in May.
FULL-TIME: SCOTLAND 22 KENYA 17
Scotland will now face Samoa in the plate final. They won this competition at Murrayfield in May.
Starting Scotland 7s team
Mike Adamson, Hefin O'Hare, Colin Shaw, Lee Jones, John Houston, Stuart McInally, Scott Riddell.

This article was posted on 12-Oct-2010, 09:58 by Hugh Barrow.