The Scotsman reports
Six Nations: Club team blow 17-point lead as Irish claim spoils in thriller

Published Date: 12 March 2011
By ALAN LORIMER
at NETHERDALE
Scotland Club XV 30

Ireland Club XV 32
Scotland's Club XV fought hard, but lost out in a cracker to Ireland at Netherdale last night. 

They had a 17-point lead at one point, but Ireland's forwards took control to win the sixth ever international between the sides.

The hosts could not have asked for a better start, within 60 seconds Dean Kelbrick blocked a clearance kick by Ireland stand-off Barry Keeshan and centre partner Ross Curle picked up the loose ball and scored a converted try.

After eight minutes Keeshan had a chance to make amends for his earlier error, but his penalty attempt came back off the upright.

Scotland then put pressure on Ireland over the next few minutes and stand-off Scott Wight made it 10-0 with a penalty before missing another moments later.

In the 22nd minute he did add his second penalty of the night though after Ireland hooker Richie Sweeney was yellow carded.

However, that was the only points Scotland could add in the driving rain while Sweeney was off the pitch and after 36 minutes home scrum-half Richard Snedden was sin-binned and Keeshan kicked a penalty to make it 13-3.

In a mad four minutes that followed fourteen-man Scotland scored a converted try a minute later by Curle before Ireland posted an unconverted try on the stroke of half-time by second-row Simon Crawford.

On 48 minutes Ireland captain Frank Cogan scored a converted try to leave just five points between the sides. then six minutes later the match had been turned on its head when Crawford scored his second try of the evening and the visitors led 22-20.

On the hour mark Wight kicked his third penalty to edge Scotland ahead by a point before replacement Andy Dunlop was yellow carded and Ireland went 25-23 to the good.

With seven minutes to go Ireland's replacement hooker Ger Slattery drove over for another try to give the visitors a nine point cushion and they held on despite a late Scotland try by second-row Damien Kelly.

Scorers: Scotland: Tries: Curle 2, Kelly. Pens: Wight 3. Cons: Wight 3. Ireland: Tries: Crawford 2, Cogan, Slattery. Pens: Keeshan 2. Cons: Keeshan 3.

Scotland Club XV: T Brown (Currie); F Thomson (Melrose), R Curle (Ayr), D Kelbrick (Glasgow Hawks), D Fife (Currie); S Wight (Melrose), R Snedden (Currie); G Reid (Ayr), E Milligan (Glasgow Hawks), B McNeil (Hawick), D Kelly (Ayr), R McKay (Glasgow Hawks), J Dalziel (Melrose) capt, R Colhoun (Ayr), R Weston (Currie). Subs: F Gilles (Currie), A Dymock (Heriot's), N Campbell (Glasgow Hawks), A Dunlop (Ayr), A Dymock (Dundee), M Scott (Currie), H Duthie (Dundee).

This article was posted on 12-Mar-2011, 07:41 by Hugh Barrow.