Glasgow Caledonian Reds .. 15 NZ Maoris .. 53

Though they again conceded a half century of points Glasgow Caledonians emerged with their pride substantially rebuilt as the Maoris took their final bow on their tour of Scotland last night.

The home side also earned a compliment from visiting captain Dion Muir who said: ''They really took it to us. Physically that was the hardest game we've had here.''

Though disappointed at conceding three late tries, Caledonians captain Ian Jardine was entitled to praise his side. ''We had a week to build ourselves up this time,'' he said, admitting that they had been under-prepared for last week's meeting with the Springboks.

''That let us get our heads right and we put the effort in, although I don't think the score reflects just how much we contributed.''

Admittedly their unanswered six-try defeat took the overall count in the midweek matches, involving the South African and Kiwi tourists against the superteams, to 34-0, a bare statistic which illustrated the extent of the mis-match, many men playing low-grade domestic rugby having come up against opponents honed in the Super 12 competition.

However, the Scots showed just how much they learned from the previous week's experience.

With Jardine returning to his preferred position at inside centre, John Leslie having been so rapidly called into the Scotland squad, he set the standard for his men in the opening minute.

The Maoris had begun with fluid, continuity rugby and seemed to have manufactured an overlap on the right when

Jardine's tackle on All Black Caleb Ralph jarred the ball loose.

There was no real answer when brute strength was reverted to and from a ruck under the posts, another of their All Blacks, prop Kees Meeuws, picked up and bounced through two attempted tackles. Glasgow Caledonians responded well, though, Tommy Hayes hitting the target with his second penalty attempt before South African Luke Smith struck a drop goal from 35 metres out.

That earned their side the right to greater respect and, consequently, Adrian Cashmore, who had earlier converted Meeuws' try, kicked two penalties to reclaim the seven point lead.

However, with that cushion

re-established, they then opted for a scrummage when awarded another penalty five metres out and,

maintaining their discipline while the Caledonian pack disintegrated before them, they drove over for the score, captain Dion Muir claiming the try.

That was enough to inspire a touch of show-boating, a delightful one-handed, one-touch flick-pass by Raymond MacDonald creating sufficient space for Ralph, from outside the 22, to race between James Craig and Chris Simmers and score on the left. But with the last kick of the half Hayes added his second penalty and the home side could head for the dressing room reasonably satisfied with the way they had largely kept the Maoris in check.

Third quarter collapses after stuffy first half resistance having become a Scottish trademark in recent times, it was all the more commendable, then, that they managed to sustain the effort.

Deep into the third quarter the only further scoring had come from the boots of Hayes and Cashmore, the imports continuing to inspire their side.

Highlights included Hayes pursuit of a Chris Simmers clearance, arriving just as Cashmore caught the ball then ripping it away from the All Black, and Smith's brave pursuit of replacement Norm Berryman behind the gain-line inside his own 22, ending when the little stand-off felled the giant.

Their resistance was eventually broken when, after Aaron Collins took his turn to stop Berryman as he charged into the 22, the Maori forwards followed up and drove Slade McFarland over, before in the dying stages both wingers, Glen Osborne and James Kerr, went over in the left corner.

Caledonians, for their part, could take enormous credit for showing a great deal of fight, sadly, though, too much in the case of John Shaw midway through the second half, when he and Maori flanker Hare Makiri were both dismissed instigating what became a mass brawl in the middle of the pitch.

Glasgow Caledonians: T Hayes; J Craig, C Simmers (A Collins 66 min), I

Jardine, A Bulloch; L Smith (C Paterson 76 min), C Little; G McIlwham, G Scott, A Kittle (J Manson 67 min), S Campbell, G Perrett, G Flockhart (J Petrie 5 min), J Shaw, G Mackay.

New Zealand Maoris: A Cashmore; G Osborne, C Ralph, D Gibson (N Berryman 52 min), J Kerr; R MacDonald (B Reihana 71 min), R Duggan; G Feek (L Lidgard 40 min), J Akurangi (S McFarland 68 min), K Meeuws, J Coe, D Waller, H Makiri (R Ford 75 min), G Marsh, D Muir.

Referee - J Judge (France).

Scoring sequence (Glasgow Caledonians first): 0-7, 3-7, 6-7, 6-10, 6-13, 6-20, 6-25, 9-25 (half-time); 12-25, 12-28, 15-28, 15-31, 15-34, 15-41, 15-46, 15-53.

Scorers: Glasgow Caledonians: drop goal - Smith (13 min); Penalties - Hayes (7, 40, 43, 54 min). New Zealand Maoris: Tries - Meeuws (4 min), Muir (28 min), Ralph (36 min), McFarland (69 min), Osborne (77 min), Kerr (80 min); Conversions - Cashmore (4, 28, 69, 80 min); Penalties - Cashmore (15, 18, 46, 61, 67 min).