Sin binning costs Ireland in Student World Cup

It was only the sin binning of Ireland’s Matt Clarke that gave Scotland an extra man and the winning try in a well-matched encounter in Brisbane.

Dave Ford kicked two early penalties to give Scotland a 4-0 lead before Paul O’Connor skillfully caught and grounded a bomb in the same move to make it 4-4.

That was how it stayed until half-time after both sides missed chances to go in with a lead. Ireland’s Martin Cormack just failed to latch onto a grubber kick before it went over the dead-ball line, while Ford’s attempt at a penalty hat-trick went centimetres wide.

But in a second-half with few chances, Dave Simm’s try and Ford’s conversion gave Scotland a six-point lead with 12 minutes remaining.

The Irish eyes were well and truly not smiling in this game after Lian Julian’s late try was ruled out for a forward pass and Dougie Thompson finally settled the match with a fieldgoal two minutes from time.

Ford’s last second penalty cemented a 13-4 win for Scotland and seventh place in the World Cup.

SCOTLAND: Dave Ford, Mark Webster, Calum Morrison, Dougie Flockhart, Andy McPhail, Mike Murphy, Lee Spence, Ryan Black, Bobby Bahadori, Chris Fletcher, Dave Simm, Ross Marshall, Stuart Dunbar, Andy Grey. Subs: Dougie Thompson, Tony Williams, Barry Earl, Sam Onions, Dave Jones, Dave Birchall.
Tries: Simm (68)
Goals: Ford 4/5
Fieldgoal: Thompson

IRELAND: Dave Heathwood, Ben Tolman, Keith Armstrong, Danny Shaw, Ste Smith, Gaz Simpson, Jimmy Giblin, Matt Clarke, Martin Cormack, Dave Bulmer, Luke Garnett, Paul Lane, Lian Julian. Subs (all used): Paul O’Connor, Adam Walsh, Dave Hudson, Chris Harwood, James Gross, Shaun Quinn.
Tries: O’Connor (17)

Gamestar: Stuart Dunbar who set up Simm’s winning try to cap off an excellent game.

Gamebreaker: Dougie Thompson’s fieldgoal.

Men of the Match:
Scotland – Stuart Dunbar.
Ireland – Paul O’Connor
Referee: Riam Koti (New Zealand). Half-time: 4-4

Article by Ian Golden
15 Jul 2005