NSW Country.........13

Scotland.................34

Quite the most encouraging display of this tour so far was spoiled only by another disappointing finish to a match in which Scotland produced the kind of rugby at Bathurst last night which could give them hope for the major challenges ahead .

The New South Wales Country XV never looked like posing a serious threat to the tourists, who dominated until the final quarter, when a string of substitutions upset the balance of the team.

However, their side contained enough rugby know-how to make this a worthwhile exercise and allow Scotland to boost their confidence ahead of Saturday's meeting with a New South Wales side shorn of its internationalists, but packed with experience.

Though the loss of two late tries - both scored by Country No.8 Andrew Hurdley - was, then, another case of Scotland losing their way towards the end of matches, as has happened too frequently in recent times, it was of less concern this time.

''I'm disappointed that we faded at the end but there was a lot of good rugby and, in particular, good defence,'' said captain Rob Wainwright, who went on to explain that Scotland had slightly lost their shape in their desire to use all their available substitutes, consequently disrupting the lines of communication.

Of greater concern to him, though, was that his side had not been as enterprising as had been hoped for, when in possession.

''What I'd like to improve on is a wee bit more creation of chances. A lot of our opportunities were brought about through pressure and their errors. I would like us to create a few more from our own play. Our set-piece moves didn't work quite as well as they have in the past and that is an area to improve on,'' he said.

That was true of the tries Scotland scored, but in fairness, especially in the early part of the game, they played with imagination, vigour, and, at times, almost too much abandon, as coach Jim Telfer agreed.

''I thought it was a far better performance,'' he said. ''The conditions were against us. We were aiming to speed the game up and we did. In the first half we had enough movement but we didn't get any tries. Probably on a dry day, we would have.

''I was refreshed with the display,'' Telfer added. ''It was a lot better than Saturday. There was much more urgency and we kept the tempo up.

''We actually discussed it in the hotel when it was a dry night, but then it started to drizzle when they got out there.

''I wouldn't fault them for their effort or their enterprise. That's the way I like Scotland to play.

''The scrums were solid and the lineout ball was good, as well.

''Maybe we were suicidal at times, but it is better to have tried and failed than not to have tried at all.''

Curiously enough, the best of Scotland's play did fail. They led 19-3 at the interval, yet did so having scored their points with less impressive play than when they were scoreless in the opening 19 minutes.

Indeed, Gregor Townsend's 70-metre intereception try that rounded off the first-half scoring, reading Evan Needham's attempt to force a pass out of contact, flattered Scotland as much as a 3-0 lead had previously flattered their hosts.

The whirlwind early stages were reminiscent of the opening to the match against France at Murrayfield in 1996 when Scotland gambled on keeping the ball alive at every opportunity - albeit the circumstances were different.

Though this match was hugely important in the context of a tour, the setting was far removed from a Five Nations Championship at a full Murrayfield.

Instead, the smattering of Scots in a crowd of around 3000 at a stadium that was three sides open with a grandstand accommodating 1000 people, had their hearts in their mouths as their side threw caution to the wind. First, Shaun Longstaff almost created a first- minute try for Country when his wild pass in attempting to counter-attack from inside his own twenty-two, with minimal support, missed its target.

Then, Townsend's typically audacious, quick drop-out, two minutes later, helped him reach the opposition half with support from Hugh Gilmour on his outside, only to throw the ball blindly inside, directly to an opponent.

Scotland, though, had made all the running before Country took the lead with a Nathan Friis penalty, but there was poetic justice when that led almost directly to the visitors' own first points.

Neither side cleanly gathered the restart, but when picking up the loose ball, Graeme Burns, excellent in tandem with the ever mercurial Townsend, spotted a route through both packs of forwards and found himself in the clear at the other side.

Five minutes later came the evening's best try as Scotland's forwards and backs interlinked well to set up a series of attacks in the opposition twenty-two.

Rowen Shepherd and Townsend who, in attack, linked extremely well, were both blocked just short, before the ball was worked back once more.

Shepherd this time made the most of a numerical advantage, stepping inside the final defender as he attempted to cover both the ball carrier and Longstaff.

Early in the second half, Gordon McIlwham drove over powerfully through two attempted tackles following a quick tap penalty by Burns.

That followed another fine passage of play inspired by Derrick Lee's counter-attack, with Adam Roxburgh linking well, before Townsend, after chipping ahead, was taken out late to earn the penalty.

The pressure Scotland were putting through the scrummage was underlined when they were awarded a penalty try in 65 minutes, the ball having been illegally hacked out of the scrum as they drove over the Country line.

Yet, even before those late tries by the home side, it was a far from perfect display by Scotland against a side that looked weak at the set-piece, if much more capable, in a rugby-playing sense, than Victoria had been at the weekend.

Scorers: New South Wales Country - Hurdley 2t; Friis 1p. Scotland - Burns 1t; Shepherd 1t; Townsend 1t; McIlwham 1t; 1pt; Lee 3c, 1p.

Teams

New South Wales Country - B Whare; E Needham, N Friis, G Condon, L Job; A Harding, S Merrick; D Nolan, C Frankin, W Petty, M Mitchell, J Quinn, S Fava, J Whittle, A Hurdley. Replacements - A Scott for Petty (23min), S Davies for Frankin (45 to 52), M Alexander for Whare (49), M Greatbatch for Whittle (63).

Scotland - D Lee; H Gilmour, C Murray, R Shepherd, S Longstaff; G Townsend, G Burns; G McIlwham, K McKenzie, M Stewart, S Murray, S Campbell, R Wainwright, A Roxburgh, G Simpson. Replacements - R Metcalfe for Murray (66), S Reid for Simpson (66), D Hodge for Townsend (67), D Officer for Shepherd (70), D Hilton for Stewart (70), I Fairley for Burns (73).

Referee - L Bray (New South Wales).