The rejuvenated Alan Tait picked up two tries, while with his distribution skills and eye for the half-gap John Leslie once again dominated the midfield.Perhaps even more satisfying for the Scots though was the quality and precision of their support play which enabled them to keep the ball alive. With the forwards supplying an endless stream of quick, quality possession, the Scottish back-line clicked immediately into top gear. “I have never seen anything like it,” enthused Jim Telfer, Scotland’s head coach “It was as if every time we had the ball we scored a try. For a time it was like the other team wasn’t even on the park.”Breaking the French defensive system with remarkable ease, playing with confidence, flair and consummate ball- handling skill, the Scots shot to a 36-12 lead after 27 minutes.

And those were enough to bring the lethal boot of Neil Jenkins into range.That kick on the half hour brought Wales right back into the game. Then, within two minutes of the second half, Back ran back into the England 22 to cover a deep searching kick from Shane Howarth.He turned around as the ball sailed over his head, but when he got his hands to it he knocked on. England, too, fell foul of over eagerness and, perhaps, at the very end, of slackness. The Triple Crown price paid for the mistake was victory, the championship, and the Grand Slam.. SCOTLAND COACH Jim Telfer celebrated his side’s first Five Nations’ Championship triumph since 1990 with a quiet night in at his parents’ house.

Telfer, whose side demolished France 36-22 in Paris on Saturday to set up yesterday’s gripping finale, watched all the action on TV and could barely disguise his delight. “It is tremendous, unbelievable,” he said.
Of Scott Gibbs’s last-gasp try which gave Neil Jenkins the chance to give Wales a famous victory and hand Scotland the title, Telfer added: “That was the first time they breached the England defence in the entire 80 minutes.”It is a fitting end to a campaign which saw Scotland score 16 tries, culminating in Saturday’s record win.The favourites to receive the wooden spoon at the start of the tournament, Telfer’s men exceeded all expectations.In John Leslie and Gregor Townsend they had two of the stars of the competition and few will deny them this accolade, Telfer’s third championship as Scottish coach, following the previous Grand Slam triumphs in 1984 and 1990.”It is raining up here,” he said from his Galashiels home, “but the sun is shining in my house. England seemed to be coasting I didn’t think Wales could do it. But they had a chance to kick which would have taken them nine points clear and I suppose they have paid for that mistake.”If they had taken their chances there wouldn’t have been such a nervous ending. I don’t think anyone can deny our brand of rugby has been entertaining,” he added. “We have tried to be enterprising and given the crowds something to get excited about.”England conceded six tries in the competition and we scored three of those.