Summer Conference 2002, Week 1-  May 18th

By Mark Dingwall, SRL Media Officer

The sixth summer of the Scottish Conference league kicked off on Saturday May 18th.

DIVISION 1

DUNBARTONSHIRE 36-14 GLASGOW BULLS
EDINBURGH EAGLES 40-42 PORTOBELLO PLAYBOYS

DIVISION 2

BORDERS 50-18 CLYDE BUCCANEERS
FIFE SHARKS 66-16  LANARKSHIRE STORM

DUNBARTONSHIRE DRAGONS  36-14  GLASGOW BULLS
The Scottish season kicked off with the fiercest rivalry in the competition which saw one Bull break his leg and two of his team-mates red-carded.  Prop Kevin Vaiulumuli broke his leg minutes after coming on as a substitute in the second half as the Bulls were staging a come-back having been 14 points behind at the interval.
Glasgow¹s woes continued shortly thereafter as scrum-half Matt Small was red-carded for exchanging blows with a Dunbarton prop (the prop was sin-binned).  Glasgow¹s day of misery was complete when captain David Jamieson lost the plot, retaliating for a thumb in eye received during a scrum.

The game had started well for Glasgow - winger Ian Glen touched down in 8 minutes only to have his try disallowed for a forward pass earlier in the move.  Three minutes later Barry Edgar broke through the Dunbartonshire defence on the half-way line and converted from under the posts for a 6-0 lead.

Dunbartonshire came back into the game five minutes later when the impressive Shaun Farrell offloaded to Andy Gowrie - Gowrie scored again just before half-time to add to the total which Gregor Mathieson had improved with a pick and flop try a metre out from the Bulls line.

Edgar improved the Bulls score slightly with a penalty awarded against Dunbartonshire for lying on at a play the ball.

HALF-TIME - 22-8

Five minutes into the second half Bulls new boy Stewart Naismith burst through the home defence and gave the visitors fresh hope at the end of an impressive period of pressure.

The Dragons hit back shortly thereafter with Davie Riddings storming through from 20 metres out to gain his first try of the day - in the next twenty minutes he as to complete a hat-trick as the Dragons back line strutted their stuff.

Throughout the game the Dragons forwards were no more than competent - but the backs have obviously been well-drilled in training - time and again they bamboozled the Glasgow defence as they whizzed the ball around creating chances as men flew in from all angles to receive passes an offloads.  Riddings second try in 52 minutes was a classic example as he walked through after an amazing interchange of passes by his team-mates.  He completed his hat-trick in the 68th minute.

The last ten minutes saw something of a revival from the visitors - Mickey Lloyd was tackled inches from the try-line at the end of an exhausting breakaway from the halfway line in the 72nd minute - but their weakness in the back line allied to the number of inexperienced youngsters meant the Dragons¹ lead was never seriously threatened.

In the Edinburgh derby Portobello over came their capital city rivals by 42-40 despite a double from Eagles fullback David Dixon.

New boys Fife Sharks thumped Lanarkshire Storm 66-16 with Stevie Clark, David Wood, Steve Lawrie and Phil Kras all scoring doubles.