Brave Scots fail to hold English

WHEN Murray Craig scored a try after 14 minutes Scotland seemed on

song in the under-19 international against England, the first leg of

Saturday's double feature at Millbrae. Bruce Duncan converted from well

out on the left, but Scotland's handicaps quickly became apparent as the

visitors eased to 9-7 at half-time and ultimate victory.

Significantly, all three English tries by Duncan Willett, Andrew

McAdam, and Jan Bonney derived from lineout possession. The first of

them was a dishearteningly immediate response to Craig's try, Willett

cutting through from 30 metres out. Tom Allison failed with the

conversion, but his penalty goal put the visitors ahead in 35 minutes.

Scotland maintained a brave, adventurous game to the end, though they

could not piece together such an effective move as that off which Craig

scored on the left from a scrummage on the right. Rowen Shepherd's

miss-pass and Steve Littlewood's intrusion made the space for Nick White

to loop and send the left wing in.

Alan Kittle was effective in rumbling on. The Ross High lad was up in

support after a long-range thrust initiated by Duncan, and later,

following up a break by Andy Nicol and Shepherd, Kittle surged into the

twenty-two as the prelude to Shepherd's penalty.

That score in 59 minutes was neatly sandwiched by the McAdam and

Bonney tries. Willett converted the first.

Scotland Under-19 -- A M Fraser (Edinburgh Academicals); S S

Littlewood (Boroughmuir), R J S Shepherd (Edinburgh Academicals), C N

White (Watsonians), M P Craig (Edinburgh Wanderers); I B Duncan (West of

Scotland), A D Nicol (Heriot's FP), captain; A N Pringle (Musselburgh),

L B A Thomson (Selkirk), A J Kittle (Ross High), S J Campbell (West of

Scotland), C J Pow (Musselburgh), J M Clinkenbeard (Currie), D W A

Gilchrist (Gala), E A Murchison (Loughborough Students). Replacements --

G McGill (Dundee HS FP) for Murchison (28 minutes), F M Graham

(Boroughmuir) for Thomson (59), S Lindsay (Stirling County) for Pow

(78).

England Colts -- T Allison (Bishop's Stortford); J Bonney (Southend),

C Emmerson (Halifax), P Ingram (Northampton), A McAdam (Barker's Butts);

D Willett (Exeter University), S Douglas (Gosforth); B Fennell (Rosslyn

Park), P Simmonds (Bedford), G Rowntree (Leicester), R Baxter (Exeter),

R Bramley (Wakefield), captain, M Rennell (Abbey), C Wilkins (Wasps), L

Bannon (Rosslyn Park). Replacement -- A Sales (Morley) for Allison

(half-time).

Referee -- D Henderson (Ireland).