to be one of the most farcical last night.

Bermuda notched their first-ever victory when they overwhelmed hapless Europe 19-5.

But their feat was somewhat overshadowed by what happened in the second game between Scotland and Ireland.

Level at 7-7 full time, the two teams were made to take part in a tie-break that bordered on the absurd.

First, Scotland were given three chances to score by having the put-in on three scrummages on the Irish 22-metre line in front of the posts.

Then it was Ireland's turn to enjoy the same privilege, the object being that the team who scored the most tries would be declared the winner.

The problem was neither side scored, nor even looked like scoring, during six desperate attacking moves based on a wing and a prayer and little else.

Organisers scratched their heads in frustration and put Plan `B' into operation.

This involved both teams alternating attacking scrums on the opposition's 22-metre line until one team scored and, therefore, won the match.

But after more than 20 attempts between them, and with a restless crowd urging for someone, anyone, to finish it, organiser John Kane suddenly appeared on the touch-line at 9.45 p.m. and called a halt to what was fast becoming a farce.

An announcement over the public address system said Bermuda would play both Ireland and Scotland in the Plate final tomorrow, but no one after the match quite knew what that meant.

One Scottish player said that Bermuda would play Ireland in one half and Scotland in the other, while another Scot said he thought a composite team would play the local side, but he was not really sure.

Whatever happens, Bermuda are certain to be there and they were never in danger of needing extra time to finish off the Europeans.

Bermuda knew before the kick-off that they would never get a better chance of posting their first win in five Classics against the poorest team ever to take part in the event.

And they did it courtesy of two tries by guest players, Argentinian Daniel Baetti and Canadian John Billingsley, and another by Bermudian Stuart Outerbridge.

Baetti started the ball rolling when he went in under the posts after quarter of an hour.

Minutes later, full-back Outerbridge went over in the left corner to put Bermuda totally in command. Phil Heaney converted both tries.

Fourteen-nil up at half-time, Bermuda sat back a little in the second period but were never in danger from a European side who contrived to lose the ball with remarkable ease whenever they got within a sniff of scoring.

Billingsley put the game out of reach when he caught a big kick forward and went over to make it 19-0, before Europe's John van Altena scored a consolation try.