Glasgow ................. 10
Scottish Borders ..... 38
Scottish Borders made an impressive start to the inter-district championship with an emphatic victory over Glasgow at Braidholm last night that suggests the men from the south have definite title ambitions.
The final try count in favour of Borders was a crushing 6-1, yet this hardly seemed the final outcome in the first half when Glasgow appeared to be cruising towards an easy win after powerful forward play, in which prop Andrew Welsh showed up well, and good movement of the ball in midfield between Nicky Barrett and Andy Henderson.
However, it all changed in the second half as Borders took complete control of the game.
Borders coach Derek Turnbull said: ''We quickened the pace of the game in the second half and began to find gaps in midfield.
''Fortunately, our first-half defence was good, otherwise, we might have been further adrift at half-time.''
It was Scottish Borders who had the first chance of points, but a penalty attempt by Scotland Under-19 cap Neil Stenhouse was judged to have drifted wide of the upright.
Almost immediately, Glasgow responded with a threatening midfield move involving Andy Henderson and Murray Scott, only for the Hawks wing to knock-on as he attempted to go through an undefended gap.
Minutes later, however, Glasgow got their reward for their first half pressure with a penalty goal by stand-off Nicky Barrett, the first points of the game.
Then a mistake by Stenhouse allowed Glasgow to increase their points tally, the Hawick full back, caught in two minds, letting a speculative kick from Barrett bounce straight into the grateful hands of Scott. The Hawks wing, with a clear run to the line, touched down under the posts, leaving Barrett with an easy conversion and Glasgow with a half-time lead of 10-0.
Borders, having made three changes just after half-time, soon atoned for their first-half lapses with a fine try started and finished by Alistair Dickson, the powerful Selkirk and former Scotland Under-21 centre breaking the first line of defence before finding support from replacement James Henderson. When the ball was recycled, Dickson was on hand to blast over for Borders' opening score, converted by Stenhouse.
Then Scott Aitken shredded the Glasgow defence with an incisive run, and when the ball was moved infield, Dickson and Keith Davidson worked a clever loop move for the stand-off to send Stephen Cranston racing in for an unconverted try.
Two minutes later, Cranston bagged his second try, this time Scott Paterson supplying the scoring pass, Stenhouse adding the conversion.
Borders quickly added another score, ignited by an explosive burst from replacement hooker Wayne Mitchell, and finished by Hawick flanker Barry Keown.
In a final gesture, Aitken finished off good work by replacement Jamie Henderson, with a try converted by Stenhouse before Scott Paterson touched down.
Glasgow - K Baillie (Glasgow Hawks); M Scott (Glasgow Hawks), P Price (Hillhead/Jordanhill) repl by C Bartwicki (East Kilbride) 69 min, A Henderson (West of Scotland), R Couper (Boroughmuir); N Barrett (Glasgow Hawks), K Sinclair (Glasgow Hawks) ; A Cowan (Dalziel) repl by C di Ciacca (West of Scotland) 33, C Docherty (Glasgow Hawks), A Welsh (East Kilbride)repl by G Blackburn (Glasgow Southern) 24, I Smith (Glasgow Hawks), R McKay (Glasgow Hawks), N McKenzie (Hutchesons'/Aloysians) repl by C Pollock (Kilmarnock) 57, R Maxton (Stewart's-Melville FP), P Pattenden (East Kilbride).
Scottish Borders - N Stenhouse (Hawick); S Paterson (Gala),S Cranston (Hawick), A Dickson (Selkirk), B Ruthven (Melrose); K Davidson (Hawick), R Chrystie (Melrose) repl by K Reid (Hawick) 78; E Johnstone (Gala) repl by I Cornwall (Melrose) 45, M Landels (Hawick) repl by W Mitchell (Melrose) 65, G Kerr (Jed-Forest), J Bradburn (Jed-Forest) repl by S Aitken (Melrose) 45, I Elliot (Hawick), T Weir (Gala), S Jeffrey (Selkirk) repl by J Henderson (Melrose) 45, B Keown (Hawick).
Referee - J Fleming (Boroughmuir).
Scorers: Glasgow: Tries - Scott. Conversions - Barrett. Penalties - Barrett. Scottish Borders: Tries - Dickson, Cranston (2), Keown, Aitken, Paterson Cons Stenhouse (4).
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