Rugby Union: Granny bonds Reed to Exiles' brotherhood

Scottish Exiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Glasgow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

MUM'S the word, not to mention your granny. Which accounts for the presence of Andy Reed, the Bath lock, and Allan Sharp, the Bristol prop, at Richmond Athletic Ground on a wet and windy Wednesday afternoon. Both, you see, have decided to throw in their lot with the Jocks.

They are following a now well- trodden path that leads out of the West Country, Gloucester setting the trend through Ian Smith, Peter Jones, Damien Cummins, Don Caskie, and, before he joined Moseley, Ruari Maclean. Alas, so far only Smith and Jones have gone on to win full Scottish caps, but Reed and Sharp live in hope.

England's loss, then, could lead to Scottish gains, Reed having played for England Colts and Sharp in the B team which beat Spain in Madrid in 1989.

But Reed's mother hails from Edinburgh and the Sharp connection is through his grandmother. They, and the Scots, have done their homework and now it is time for the groundwork.

The arrival of Reed, the Cornishman, is interesting. He was spotted on the touchline at Plymouth Albion, the club he played for prior to joining Bath, wrapped in a Heart of Midlothian scarf. It was enough to get him a mention as a possible useful source of line- out ball and, at 6ft 7in and more than 17st, he looks the part.

Bath recognised his qualities by preferring him to Sean O'Leary, the former Wasps second row and an England B man, for league action in recent weeks, though they omitted him when they met their Waterloo in the Pilkington Cup last weekend.

And Sharp has been a Courage championship regular for Bristol ever since rejoining them from Clifton. Trying to shine here, however, was well nigh impossible.

Yesterday's weather was forecast, although the Exiles had undergone a name change from Anglo-Scots. 'It's great,' Mark Appleson, the London Scottish full-back, said, 'because people are less likely to think of us as Englishmen.'

In which case you have to say they played like Scotsmen who have fallen some way behind the auld enemy of late.

Still, there was a first win under the new title for the Exiles, who were looking at a programme of four matches in 11 days in the Inter-District Championship.

Reed won some line-out ball and showed up well in the loose while Sharp nearly had his left arm smashed when Alan Watt gave him the charge at a maul. Sharp had the last laugh, though, Watt later limping off and the Bristolian murdering his replacement, Steve Blair, in the tight.

Meanwhile, the London Scottish fly-half David Millard dummied his way over from a tap penalty to give the Exiles the lead at the break.

A spirited Glasgow revival saw them pull level with a try by Richard Porter which was converted by George Breckenridge, but Nick Grecian's penalty and a try from Appleson completed the business for the Exiles. The prolific Grecian also supplied two conversions.

Scottish Exiles: Tries Millard, Appleson; Conversions Grecian 2; Penalty Grecian. Glasgow: Try Porter; Conversion Breckenridge.

SCOTTISH EXILES (London Scottish unless stated): M Appleson; N Grecian, F Harrold, M Sly, D Caskie (Gloucester); R Cramb (capt), D Millard; A Sharp (Bristol), L Mair, P Burnell, D Cronin, A Reed (Bath), I Morrison, D McIntosh (Pontypridd), N Provan.

GLASGOW: D Barratt (West of Scotland); R Porter, C Simmers (both Edinburgh Academicals), I Jardine, K Logan (both Stirling County); G Breckenridge (Glasgow HSFP/Kelvinside), F Stott (West of Scotland); J Gibson, K McKenzie (both Stirling County), A Watt, E Murphy, S Munro, F Wallace (capt, all Glasgow HSFP/Kelvinside), J Brough, B Ireland (both Stirling County). Replacement: S Blair (West of Scotland) for Watt, 43.

Referee: D Leslie (Manchester).

(Photograph omitted)