Scots suffer debut tour defeat

Chris Paterson attempts to break through

NZ Vikings 42-16 Scotland (HT 8-13)

Scotland suffered a disastrous start to their New Zealand tour on Friday as they slumped to a humiliating six-try defeat against a fired-up Vikings side in Whangarei.

Fielding two thirds of their likely Test side, Ian McGeechan's men completely lost their way in an embarrassing second-half display at Okara Park after leading 13-8 at the interval.

To make matters worse, captain and scrum-half Andy Nicol was stretchered off with a knee injury and hooker Gordon Bulloch was also forced off injured to compound the misery.

In the first-half, the Scots recovered from an edgy start to assume command with a brace of Duncan Hodge penalties and a well-worked Gregor Townsend try.

But after conceding two scores against the run of play either side of the interval, the tourists capitulated in alarming manner to leave them facing an uphill battle to recover confidence ahead of next Saturday's clash with the New Zealand Maori.

Injured: Andy Nicol

Easy

"I never imagined it would have been so easy" said Vikings coach Bryce Woodward.

"Even though the Scots were ahead at half-time we still felt we would dominate in the second half.

"Scotland are going to have a hard tour in New Zealand... they'll get better as they go along but if I were a Scotland player I'd be looking very hard at myself." he said.

McGeechan said the scoreline did not reflect the Scots' efforts.

"There was not 20 points between the teams," he said. "Had we taken our opportunities then things would have been different. There were four or five tries in that game that we didn't take."

The Vikings opened the scoring with a penalty from full-back Hayden Taylor after seven minutes, but the visitors soon found their stride, looking to run the ball at every opportunity.

Scotland are going to have a hard tour in New Zealand... they'll get better as they go along but if I were a Scotland player I'd be looking very hard at myself

Vikings coach Bryce Woodward

Scotland profited from the Vikings' inability to win their own line-out ball during the first half.

With that level of possession, and the consistent support play of loose forwards Ross Beattie and Gordon Simpson, the Scots looked combative in the opening 40 minutes.

Only handling errors close to the Vikings line cost them more tries.

That prevented Scotland going to half-time with what should have been a handy lead, and was a forerunner of other problems that were exposed in the second half.

They did score an excellent try from Townsend after 36 minutes after the British Lion took Nicol's pass and scooted over from a metre out, Hodge adding the conversion for a 13-3 advantage.

Needless penalty

But with the interval beckoning, prop Mattie Stewart conceded a needless penalty and from a quickly-taken penalty Vikings skipper Glenn Taylor touched down.

Three minutes into the second period Scotland succumbed to a classic sucker punch and never recovered.

Had we taken our opportunities then things would have been different. There were four or five tries in that game that we didn't take

Scotland coach Ian McGeechan

Seemingly poised to score themselves, Devine instead snatched a loose pass on his own line to launch a classic length-of-the field try, Glenn Taylor giving the scoring pass for Wilson to sprint in unopposed and Hayden Taylor converting.

Scotland hooker Bulloch was then forced off injured, replaced by Steve Brotherstone, before skipper Nicol was stretchered off after 53 minutes when he landed heavily on his left knee.

In between Taylor added another penalty to extend the lead to 18-13, and once lock Chris Jack dived over from close range on the hour following a line-out on the Scots line, the writing was on the wall.

Tony Monaghan slipped through some weak tackling to add a fourth try after 66 minutes to make it 30-16 after Hodge had pulled back three points with a penalty, but the hosts were in no mood to let up.

Further scores from replacement hooker Joe Ross and impressive flanker Justin Collins in the final five minutes piled on the misery for the Scots.

NZ Vikings - Tries: Glenn Taylor, Justin Wilson, Chris Jack, Tony Monaghan, Joe Ross, Justin Collins. Cons: Hayden Taylor (3). Pens: Taylor (2)
Scotland - Try: Gregor Townsend. Con: Duncan Hodge. Pens: Hodge (3).
Referee: Paddy O'Brien.

Vikings: H. Taylor; R. Gear, S. McLeod, P. Steinmetz, J. Wilson; T. Monaghue, S. Devine; S. Vahafolau, J. Collins, X. Rush, G. Taylor, C. Jack, T. Knight, J. Hammond, C Barrell.
Scotland: Chris Paterson; Glenn Metcalfe, Gregor Townsend, James McLaren, Craig Joiner; Duncan Hodge, Andy Nicol (captain); Ross Beattie, Gordon Simpson, Jason White, Ian Fullarton, Richard Metcalfe, Mattie Stewart, Gordon Bulloch, Tom Smith.