IRELAND 6
Gavin Willacy at Scotstoun Stadium
A new-look Scotland deservedly saw off Ireland in Glasgow on Sunday afternoon with a determined and professional performance. They dominated the first half and took their opportunities in the second to get the European Test Series off to a competitive start.
It was Ireland's first visit to Scotland for six years but their tremendous record here - and overall against Scotland of 9 wins and only two defeats - and stronger line-up suggested they would be favourites. Both coaches fielded eight debutants and teams closer resembled the A teams of the past two summers than sides that will play in the 2013 World Cup. However, Scotland always planned for this autumn to be a rare opportunity to blood the youngsters in low-key internationals, knowing many of their big guns would be missing. What they cannot have expected is for every single one of their Super League players to withdraw, leaving them with a 20-man squad without a single full-time player. Scotland's back five had two caps between them!
Both sides did feature experienced and in-form scrum-halves: Championship star Liam Finn captained Ireland while Leigh's John Duffy starred for Scotland, 11 years after his debut: both were central to most of their team's most inventive probing.
Scotland dominated the opening minutes with repeat sets, scoring after three minutes when full-back Alex Hurst touched down John Duffy's grubber kick beneath the posts and converted it himself. Another debut-maker, Jack Stearman of York, dislocated his elbow reaching for the line from Sam Barlow's inventive play and was replaced by Jack Howieson after just 10 minutes. Hurst, a former England Under-16 rugby union international, nearly added another from the next play but the Irish defence held out. Moments later Andrew Henderson, extending his appearance record to 17 caps, belied his 31 years by darting from dummy half to within a foot of the Irish try-line.
Ireland had hardly been out of their half when, after 18 minutes, stand-off Paul Handforth broke down the right, exchanged passes superbly with winger James Haley and sent Finn under the crossbar, Finn equalising with his conversion. Ireland's renaissance was short-lived thanks to the mouth of full-back Greg McNally: a penalty for dissent took the Wolfhounds deep into their own territory and Josh Barlow buried his way over in the right corner from close range for a debut try.
Ireland gifted Scotland their third try 90 seconds into the second-half, Handforth's loose pass on halfway being scooped up by Paddy Coupar who raced 50 metres to score but Hurst surprisingly sliced his simple-looking conversion wide.
The tight contest continued, blighted by handling errors which kept the completion rate by both sides low. When the ball did stick, Scotland scored again, Paterson sweeping the ball left where Glaswegian teenager David Scott, now with Hull KR, raced away down the touchline and dived over for his debut try. He missed the conversion himself but will not care too much about that.
He enjoyed his second try in the last moments even more, swallow-diving over the line after his sheer pace had seen him finish off Arnot and Hurst's good work down the left. He curled over the conversion with the last kick off the game to complete a deserved win for the Bravehearts.
"I'm delighted with the victory and the performance," said victorious coach McCormack. "The blend of debutants and younger players with our senior players was excellent. We went out there as a team and that has been the case for years - it showed in the training camp and it showed today. David Scott will get the headlines and rightly so with that performance - he has enormous potential. It's testament to the work put in with the development team and player pathway we have created. The number of debutants we have brought through over the last couple of years and the performance they put on today makes a lot of people proud. Today is the start of something for these lads.
"We talked about our long term goals as a group this week and they all know the World Cup will come round soon. We used Paddy Coupar as an example to the young lads - he came in at a late stage and played in the World Cup and today was his eighth cap. But for the young lads to step into that environment today and play like that is superb."
SCOTLAND
Alex Hurst 7
Crawford Matthews 7
Josh Barlow 7
Dave Arnot 6
David Scott 7
Lee Paterson 7
John Duffy 8
Jack Stearman 5
Andrew Henderson 7
Neil Lowe 6
Sam Barlow 8
Paddy Coupar 6
Alex Szostak 7
Subs:
Jack Howieson 6
Callum Cockburn 6
Mike Stewart 6
Giles Lomax 5
Tries: Hurst 4, J Barlow 25, Coupar 42, Scott 62,39.
Goals: Hurst 1/3, Scott 2/3.
IRELAND
Greg McNally 6
James Haley 7
Ian Cross 6
Elliot Cosgrove 6
Joe Taylor 6
Paul Handforth 7
Liam Finn 8
Paddy Boyle 7
Bob Beswick 7
Kyle Amor 6
Lemeki Vunipulu 7
Ged Corcoran 7
Tyrone McCarthy 6
Subs:
Sean Carmody 5
Paddy Barcoe 6
Callum Casey 6
Aaron McCloskey 5
Tries: Finn 10
Goals: Finn 1/1
Ref Rating: Steve Ganson 85/100
HT: 10-6 / Pens: ?-? / Weather: sunny but cool. / Sin Bin: None / Sent Off: None / MOTM: John Duffy (Scotland) / Attendance: 802 / Match Rating 3/5.
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