Ingall stars as Scottish hold firm for brave victory
FOR all the difficulties Scottish have endured in recent times, this win over an in-from Hartpury side was vindication that you can survive in the Championship with guts, perseverance and togetherness, on and off the pitch.
It was just their second win of the season and you sensed from the moment Will Brown raced over after a quarter of an hour that this may be a special evening at the Athletic Ground.
Bryan Redpath’s men didn’t have it all their own way, of course.
In their first foray into the Scottish half, Hartpury drew blood through Alex Morgan, the wide man collecting a smartly delayed pass from Jacob Morris to go over unopposed.
And Scottish soon found themselves trailing – Jon Benz-Salomon squeezing over from a yard out after relentless pressure in the corner – but what was markedly different to previous performances was the sense of calm.
Seven out of their 12 league defeats this term have been by seven points or fewer so their competitiveness has never been questioned and here, they matched it with clarity of mind.
The outstanding Jack Ingall smashed over five minutes before the break, released by the cutest of interchanges between Austin Wallis and Matt Wilkinson at a lineout, Wallis then squirreling over himself just before the break.
The key score came early in the second half, Noah Ferdinand flying over in the corner having been put away courtesy of Harry Sheppard cajoling his midfield to play quickly, opening up a 12-point lead.
Hartpury continued to stay in the fight, courtesy of a second Morgan score, but Sheppard kept the scoreboard moving along with a first penalty of the evening.
When Jack Davies barrelled over with still over 15 minutes to play, hearts were very much in Scottish mouths.
With less than 60 seconds on the clock, a series of Hartpury penalties just outside the Scottish five metre line had the crowd captivated – which swiftly turned into bedlam when referee Michael Hudson blew for a home penalty.
“I’m just delighted for the whole club, because it’s been a long time coming,” said director of rugby Redpath. “This is a terrific group with plenty of ability and when we can put things together, you can see what we are capable of.”