Scottish Districts ..... 32 French Military ..... 29

INTERNATIONAL flanker Gordon Simpson made a try-scoring return to help the Districts edge out the French Military in a fiery battle at Old Anniesland.

He claimed the opening touchdown to prove to the Scotland management that he is hungry for a quick return to the Test scene after his injury problems.

Coach Rob Moffat watched his troops surrender a 19-3 lead to trail 29-25, before sealing the win with a late penalty try.

He said: ''We were in control, but lost concentration at the end of the first half and gave away two needless scores.

The Frenchmen broke the deadlock with an early penalty by stand-off Romian Teulet, but almost immediately Simpson took the Scots in front.

The ball was recycled and flashed across to the other side of the pitch where Simpson had only a handful of metres to run to the line. Luke Smith's conversion attempt was from the widest possible angle but he made it look simple. The Districts kept up the pressure and Smith squeezed through a mass of markers to bag the second try at the end of a move which he also launched.

The Frenchmen were stunned again two minutes later as Derek Stark strolled in under the crossbar in the wake of a quickly-taken lineout. Smith added the extra points to open up a gap of 16 points, but a major concentration lapse allowed the tourists back into the contest.

First, No.8 Remi Deltreuil powered over in a rolling maul, then full back Mickael ran in unmarked after a superb handling sequence close to the line. Teulet converted both from awkward angles to set up an all-action second half.

Smith slotted a penalty to ease the Districts' jitters, but centre Martin Benacloi pounced on a loose ball to get the vital first touch, with Teulet's kick putting the French in front again.

Smith struck with a penalty to snatch back the advantage for the Scots and lock Surirey St Remy seemed to have killed their hopes with another rolling-maul score, but the home brigade clinched the glory with the penalty try, goaled by Scott Welsh.

Scottish Districts - H Gilmour; D Stark, C Simmers, A Collins, J Kerr; L Smith, F Stott; R McNulty, S Scott, B Stewart, I Elliot, A Lucking, G Simpson, B Renwick, J Shaw. Replacements used: A Bulloch, S Welsh, C Little, M Waite.

French Military - M Chennavier; P Giroud, S Dupoux, M Benacloi, F Baudry; R Teulet, P Malie; R Moreau, J Djoudi, B Geyraud, D-S St Remy, J Thion, S Etchegoyhen, R Deltreuil, S Bohn. Replacements used: D Cech, M Forest, G Combes, F Conilh, J Daurat, T Algret, S Prat.

Scorers: Districts: Tries - Simpson, Smith, Stark, penalty try. Conversions - Smith 2, Welsh. Penalties - Smith 2. French Military: Tries - Deltreuil, Chennavier, Benacloi, St Remy. Conversions - Teulet 3. Penalties - Teulet.