Perthshire Score Six Tries but Match Ends in Defeat

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Whitecraigs 49 – 34 Perthshire

Eagles score quickly but hampered by injuries lose out.

Perthshire travelled to Newton Mearns on Saturday for what was not only the last game of the season, but also Alan Clark’s last match as Head Coach. This provided some additional motivation for the squad to try and pick up one final win for Clarky!

Thankfully the forecast rain never appeared, so it was bright and sunny when the teams kicked off, albeit with a strong wind blowing across the park. Perthshire had sadly already lost one of their number to injury at this point as Angus MacFarlane ruptured his Achilles in the warmup meaning Perthshire would need to compete with only 3 substitutes.

Whitecraigs enjoyed some early possession in the first 5 minutes and tested the Perthshire defence by playing with real width. The Perthshire line held up well however and despite numerous phases, Whitecraigs failed to make any ground. Perthshire eventually won a penalty just inside their half, this was kicked to touch and a powerful lineout maul won another penalty allowing Perthshire to piggyback up the field to the 5m line. Again, the lineout was won cleanly and a maul was rumbling before it was again illegally halted.

Given the early success of the maul many in the crowd expected ‘Shire to kick to the corner, however they had something else in mind. Simon McGarry tapped & went and the quick clear out allowed the ball to be passed to Adrian Venter who showed great footwork to get outside his marker and through for the score. Jonny Armitt was tasked with the kicking duties for the day but the strong wind pushed his early conversion to the left of the posts.
8mins, Whitecraigs 0 – 5 Perthshire.

Perthshire were in the ascendency at this stage and following some possession around the halfway line, neat hands led to a line break down the right side. After some nice interplay to make it deep into the 22 it looked like ‘Shire tried one offload too many as the ball went to ground, however it bounced kindly for Dan Rae coming at pace and despite a brave effort by two covering defenders, he was able to drag them over the line and get the ball grounded. From a similar spot to the first conversion, Jonny Armitt made the required adjustment for the wind and the kick sailed between the sticks.
13mins, Whitecraigs 0 – 12 Perthshire.

Perthshire continued to dominate territory and possession and after a great break down the left wing, John Kelly burst into the 22 and offloaded inside to Mat Rae. The cover defence managed to bundle him into touch a few metres short of the line but this provided only a temporary reprieve for the home side. An overthrown lineout was well taken by Calum Chalmers and although he was dragged down just shy of the line, the ball was popped to Angus Walker on the short side who powered over for the third try of the game. The conversion slipped just wide of the posts.
18mins, Whitecraigs 0 – 17 Perthshire.

Whitecraigs had been struggling to make inroads in the early stages of the game with excellent tackling by the likes of James Mair, Dan & Mat Rae, Calum Chalmers and Simon McGarry preventing them building any momentum. With half an hour gone however they finally got a penalty and a chance to build an attack inside the Perthshire 22. The initial attack was snuffed out but Whitecraigs were patient and kept going through the phases until they made the breakthrough to score their first try and get back into the game. The conversion from close to the posts was successful.
31mins, Whitecraigs 7 – 17 Perthshire.

Despite this setback Perthshire settled back into the games and were soon back on the scoresheet themselves. Jonny Armitt broke down the left side and deep into the Whitecraigs 22, he fed Angus Walker who got to within inches of the line. From here the ball was passed out to the right, a loop run round in the centre nearly beat the outside of the cover defence. It was James Mair who claimed the score picking up from the base of the ensuing ruck and diving over untouched for an unconverted bonus point try.
34mins, Whitecraigs 7 – 22 Perthshire.

After an excellent first half showing, Perthshire were looking to consolidate their lead. However just before the break disaster struck. With Whitecraigs in possession just inside the Perthshire half, Adrian Venter made an intercept and looked to attack, however with the play breaking up his offload was grabbed by a Whitecraigs player at pace who suddenly found himself in open space with two men on his outside shoulder and a clear run to the line. John Kelly used his pace to try and prevent what looked like a certain try – his attempted tackle however was high and the referee showed no hesitation in awarding the penalty try and showing John a yellow card. Meaning Perthshire would need to spend the first 10 minutes of the second half with 14 men.
Half Time, Whitecraigs 14 – 22 Perthshire.

Whitecraigs started the second half strongly, again trying to put width on the ball and exploit their man advantage. They succeeded in doing this 4 minutes into the half, putting the ball wide they broke down the left wing and some nice interplay allowed them to make it through the cover defence for the scrum half to score a converted try underneath the posts.
44mins, Whitecraigs 21 – 22 Perthshire.

Still holding the lead, Perthshire looked to attack and carried hard up to the Whitecraigs 22. The defence held firm however and a jackaling penalty was won. This was kicked to the left touchline and from the resultant lineout Whitecraigs spun the ball wide and broke down the right hand side to score underneath the posts. The conversion was again successful.
55mins, Whitecraigs 28 – 22 Perthshire.

Having fallen behind for the first time, Perthshire looked to respond instantly. James Mair made a line break and carried the ball up to halfway. As the cover defence closed in he passed to Ben Marshall who showed great composure to draw in the last defender and pop the ball to Simon McGarry bursting on to the ball at top speed and he raced the final 40 metres to score a fantastic try. The conversion attempt from the 15m line drifted wide.
57mins, Whitecraigs 28 – 27 Perthshire.

By the mid-point in the second half Perthshire, were beginning to rack up injuries. Having already lost Adrian Venter and Tom Whamond to shoulder and knee injuries, centre Dan Rae went down with a muscle injury during a particularly frantic period of play. This led to a re-shuffle of the back line and Whitecraigs sensed an opportunity to capitalise. From the line out the Whitecraigs backs attacked and before the new look Perthshire backline had a chance to settle, they had been opened up with the Whitecraigs full back making the clean break and showing pace to finish for another converted try.
62mins, Whitecraigs 35 – 27 Perthshire.

Again the Eagles showed great character to strike back. A penalty provided the platform and after a kick to the corner the forwards once more executed a slick line out drive. With Whitecraigs trying to disrupt the maul Angus Walker broke off from the rear and passed the ball to Calum Chalmers who literally ran over the top of a would-be tackler to score. Jonny Armitt was on target with the conversion and once again it was back to a one point game.
68mins, Whitecraigs 35 – 34 Perthshire.

Sadly that was to be Perthshire’s last score of the day as Whitecraigs dominated the final 10 minutes. With 5mins to go Whitecraigs’ centre made an excellent break from his own half. He was stopped inside the Perthshire 22 but a few phases later Whitecraigs exploited a defence which had never fully reorganised. A further try was added in the last play of the game as the home team attacked off the back of a midfield scrum. Their outside centre ran a great line to split the Perthshire defence and there were enough support runners to allow a simple pass and finish. The drop goal conversion was successful and Perthshire were left to reflect on an opportunity missed.
Final Score, Whitecraigs 49 – 34 Perthshire.

The 2022-23 season has now concluded for the 1s in Tennent’s National League 3 and Perthshire are a confirmed 10th place in the table. With the restructuring this will see them enter National League 4 next season along with 5 other teams from the current league and 4 promoted from the regional leagues, including a new local derby against Dunfermline. The campaign was at times exciting and others rueful. Injuries came at inopportune moments and prevented the squad really getting on a run of form.

Alan Clark now leaves the squad he has done so much to improve and build-up over the last 8 years. Steering a team through COVID-19 and many close calls with relegation it is a testament to the regard with which the players hold him that numbers at training have continued to increase; no matter what the results at the weekend. His successor will have a solid foundation upon which to build a team up to challenge for the National League 4 title in 2023-24.

From all at Perthshire Rugby: thank you Clarky for your leadership, your commitment and above all for your friendship.

Photos taken by Jazmine Tomlinson.

Howe of Fife-teen

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Perthshire 5 – 99 Howe of Fife

Eagles struggle as they concede 15 tries.

The last home match for Perthshire this season, was a rescheduled fixture against Howe of Fife from 17th December when the big freeze made the ground unplayable. A series of recent injuries and unavailability due to the Easter holidays meant it was a mammoth task on behalf of the coaches to put out a squad.

Calls went out and the likes of Rab Pittendreigh, Declan O’Brien and Callum Coutts (who ran a marathon the day before) came to pull on a 1XV jersey for the first time in ages. Colts player Ben Marshall stood up to make an impressive debut in Senior rugby and there were 1XV debuts for Ross Alexander and Laurence Knight, the latter who rose to the occasion to producing a Man-of-the-Match performance.

Howe of Fife are on an upward trajectory and clearly were still on top form after felling runaway league leaders Gordonians last weekend. Coming out of the blocks fast and with a ruthless instinct they rushed into a 0-54 lead at half-time.

Perthshire heads did not go down, the team reshuffling after injuries to Jack High and then Aidan Watson. In spells Perthshire could meet Howe and challenge them: tackles from Dan Rae and Laurence Knight stopped the Cupar backline getting through; carries from Angus Walker and Mat Rae would make deep in-roads; James Mair and Ben Marshall seemed to cover all over the pitch in defence & attack; and Simon McGarry was on hand to clear a ruck or jackal over a Howe player.

These individual flashes though, failed to gain momentum with Howe of Fife running in their 15th try as the final 5 minutes approached. There was time left for Perthshire to steal a try, Lewis Murrie taking short penalties as Howe infringed to get the ball right up to the try line. The scrumhalf brought on his forwards as they inched ever closer. Eventually the power of Angus Walker broke through the defensive wall as he stretched to touch down. For good measure, as the referee pondered the grounding, Captain Mat Rae put his hands on the ball to make certain of the score. The try was awarded, a small compensation for a chastening day on the North Inch.

There is a break next weekend for the 1s and then a journey to Whitecraigs on 22nd April will conclude the league season. This should be a much more competitive match, ‘Shire lost by 2 points at the home fixture in October and will be aiming to avenge this and end the year on a high. Player availability should be better as Head Coach Alan Clark selects his final team before standing down.

Photos taken by Peter Wilkinson.

Midi Section Success

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The Midi Section success over the last couple of weeks has been phenomenal and we are delighted to celebrate with our teams.

NATIONAL U18 GIRLS SHIELD

We start with our U18 Girls winning the Shield Final at Murrayfield for the second year.  We are incredibly proud of their performance and it was a thrilling game to watch.  Captained by Lily Beaton, going into the second half 7-29 down, their commitment, resilience and determination came through with some outstanding rugby on display to win the match 41-29.  Congratulations to Anna Suttie who was named player of the match.

GIRLS SCOTLAND CALL UP!

After the Girl’s Regional Game Series in January we are so proud of Ellie-Joe Simpson, Eva Finnie, Dawn Lawrie and Rebecca Carroll who have been selected for the U18 Scotland Squad.  They will travel to England for the U18 Women’s Six Nations Festival which will run from the 7-15 April. Congratulations!!

SALTIRE ENERGY CALEDONIA SHIELD FINALS

Our Midi boys travelled to Aberdeen last Sunday for the Saltire Energy Caledonia Shield Finals and what a weekend!  Many congratulations to the players on their winning success.  A superb day of exciting rugby on display.

Our Colts teamwork and determination to win paid off against Strathmore with a winning score of 22-19.

A tense game of rugby saw our U16s defense unbreakable to hold off Moray/Huntly winning 24-21.

The U15 team’s gritty performance resulted in a draw when the final whistle blew the score of 21-21 against Dundee Rugby saw them share winners title.

 

Congratulations and thanks must also go to all our Head Coaches & Coaching teams.  The time they dedicate to volunteer as a rugby coach each week is greatly appreciated.  We are looking forward to an exciting future at Perthshire Rugby as we continue to thrive season upon season.  Our girls and boys have an exciting journey ahead and as a club we are thrilled to be part of this.

 

Photographs by Scottish Rugby

Eagles Fly High then Grounded

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West of Scotland 36 – 24 Perthshire

West recover in second half to deny a Perthshire upset.

Injuries from last weekend and other unavailability made selection a challenge for the 1XV this week. Unfortunately, such was the shortage of players the 2XV match against Rosyth was postponed. Even the regular coaches were unable to make it so Director of Rugby, Graham “Smudge” Smith, was tasked with taking the squad down to Milngavie.

Perthshire kicked off and immediately put West of Scotland under pressure, the ‘Shire defence winning a turnover. The ball was shipped to the right wing before returning back inside to the centre field. A half break then offload put the ball into the hands of Calum Chalmers who got clean through and close to the posts before getting stopped. The forward pack then piled in with short carries, Rhys Darlington millimetres short before Andrew Sanderson used the momentum to squeeze over for a converted try.

Soon after the restart aggressive defence won the turnover again. The penalty was kicked into the 22. Sadly, second row turned centre for the day, Tom Bartlett went over his ankle and that ended his match early. Jack McIntosh came in on the wing allowing Aidan Watson into the centre. West managed to disrupt the ball and cleared their lines.

The home team got a hold of the ball and started to put a few phases together but Adrian Venter had other ideas and stole the ball at ruck time. Perthshire kicked the ball down the other end, Dan Rae won possession and ran into the 22. After a few short plays a crossfield kick went out, Calum MacDonald was beaten to it by West, but the defender was swiftly bundled into touch. Securing the ball ‘Shire quickly opened the assault on the try line. Adrian Venter went close then Andrew Sanderson got quick ball and passed it to stand off Mat Rae who went over. Conversion missed Perthshire led 0-12.

West were rattled and in all sorts of bother. The line-speed and discipline from ‘Shire had them flustered. Simon McGarry pounced on a ball fumbled by West and sprinted from the halfway into the 22 and was just hauled down with 10m to go. Isolated, West went in for the jackal but knocked it on giving ‘Shire a strong attacking platform. The ball delivered from the base of the scrum went out wide but Perthshire then knocked on and West were able to relieve the pressure.

That relief was short lived as Perthshire patiently built up another attack. Straight hard running from Dan Rae & James Mair ate ever deeper into West’s territory. The forwards then took a few short balls, Rhys Darlington burrowing through, pumping his legs to earn extra yards & suck in more panicked defenders. This created space out wide and a beautifully weighted cross field kick sailed into the arms of Jack McIntosh on the right wing where he dotted down for the Eagles’ 3rd try.

This spurred the Burnbrae outfit into action. Perthshire were penalised for crossing and West kicked for the lineout. Clinically, they took it down and created, then exploited, an overlap in the wide channel to open their scoring.

Before the half ended West added a second, Perthshire had eased off a bit and from a scrum the West backs took it to the wing before offloading to an inside runner who’s angle made the gap and got in under the posts for a converted try. The half-time whistle went with Perthshire ahead, 12-17.

It was a breath-taking first half and the message from Smudge to the players was to continue to back each other and believe that they could see it out, score more tries and cause the upset.

West of Scotland had different ideas and with the home crowd becoming impatient they soon won them back. Running back then returning the restart kick, West contested it in the air and, though neither team caught it, the bounce went to the Home side. Some fast hands whisked it out to the wing where it was raced to the corner to level, 17-17.

Perthshire were overkeen to regain the ball and were penalised at the ruck for not rolling away. West kicked into the 22 and winning the lineout pulled in the forwards with a maul then sent it out to the backline who could pick their hole. Crashing over and making the conversion West of Scotland were ahead, 24-17.

Still undeterred, Perthshire continued the hard press and when West dropped the ball Perthshire kicked it though. Giving chase John Kelly hacked it on again and as it bobbled up to the line went to collect. He dived as a West defender went to kick it and took a nasty full boot to the ankle. The referee judged it accidental but stopped play due to the injury. Reset at a scrum under the posts No. 8 James Mair picked from the base and went forwards. As he was held he slipped the ball inside to flanker Calum Chalmers who made it to the line. Adding the conversion the Eagles were back level, 24-24.

Despite the minutes on the clock the pace of the match continued. West of Scotland next to score as Perthshire compounded a few penalties and West took them quickly and stretched the defence with an unconverted try in the corner.

The momentum swung back to the men in Black & White as West were pinned back in their own half by aggressive defence, Shaun Barton & Angus Walker prominent in bringing down the home players . A chance came as Adrian Venter charged down an attempted kick but then ‘Shire knocked on trying to claim the ball. From the scrum West kick went into touch and Perthshire took the lineout was taken quickly. The counterattack was on but ended with the ball passed into touch. Minutes later Aidan Watson ran back a kick, chipped the defence but was knocked of balancing chasing and the momentum swung back to West.

Hampered by multiple penalties ‘Shire were firmly on the backfoot defending their line. West repeatedly tried the lineout maul but each time were stopped, sometimes illegally sometimes fairly. The visitors perhaps lucky not to see a man sent to the sin bin. Try as they might, Perthshire could not properly break the siege.

Then it looked to have ended. Will Campbell ripped the ball from West hands in a subsequent lineout maul and handed the ball to Calum Chalmers. The flanker tore up the touchline before punting ahead. West just got to it first and were swiftly brought down. Going for the turnover Perthshire were then penalised as the tackler had not rolled quickly enough.

This time West again went to the corner, took the lineout, set the maul and eventually pulled it off. This converted try to put the game beyond doubt with 3 minutes left to play.

Knowing one more try would secure a losing bonus point, on top of the try bonus point already in the bag, Perthshire pushed on one more time. A hard press from the restart kick had West in disarray. Taking advantage Angus Walker intercepted a loose offload and then passed it on to Mat Rae. The attack went forward and ‘Shire lined up to take it on the next phases. However, too many players were eager and all going for the ball got in each other’s way and it was dropped.

The referee blew for fulltime and the Burnbrae crowd heaved a massive sigh of relief. They had not expected such a stern test from Perthshire, the teams being opposite ends of the league table. Despite players out of position and some stepping up from the 2XV each player wearing Black & White put in the best performance they could. Smudge rightly told the players to keep that ethic and work hard over training, to get results in the remaining 2 league matches.

This Saturday Howe of Fife make the short trip from Cupar to the North Inch. All supporters welcome and encouraged to support at the final home match of the season, the Bowling Club will be open from 1:30pm, ahead of the 3pm kick off.

Photographs taken by Ewan MacKessack-Leitch

No April fools, Semi-Finals here we come!!

Perthshire Women 31 – 17 Stornoway

The Perthshire Women’s team played Stornoway on Saturday 1st April. The game kicked off at 2.15pm on the North Inch pitch, the weather being slightly chilly but perfect for a great game of rugby.

Stornoway started off strong putting pressure on Perthshire straight away. The first 10 minutes of the game was all within Perthshire’s half. Strong carries from the Stornoway forwards and great movement of the ball brought some early chances for them, but it was the defensive efforts from key players such as Claire Rae, Suzanne Rennie and Rebecca Bond, that kept Stornoway from scoring. Some brilliant tackling pushed Stornoway back to half way but still with possession they looked very strong. However, Perthshire’s patience paid off when Alex Ward intercepted the ball at pace, running down to within the 22. This spurred on Perthshire, and after a few passes and recycling of the ball, Alex Ward went over for the first try 14 minutes into the game, converting her own kick making the score 7-0.

This didn’t dishearten the visitors though, who again put great pressure on Perthshire in their own half. Knock-on’s from both sides saw the scrums being put to work, both teams putting in great efforts, the growls from the Perthshire squad pushing forward to get the upper hand. After a few scrums from both sides and some static play within the middle of the field, Alex Ward’s fancy footwork managed to find a gap and again Perthshire were running towards the try line. An unfortunate knock on just a couple of metres out meant Stornoway had the ball at the scrum. Strong defensive work again, Perthshire regained possession and Paula Watson’s passing put Alex Ward over for her second. The try successfully converted, score to 14-0 at 28 minutes.

A lovely chip kick from Alex Ward saw Jackie McConville have a nice run on to the ball, but Stornoway’s defensive work and pressure took back possession. Stornoway came back into Perthshire’s half with wave after wave of strong running from their forwards. Perthshire’s ill-discipline allowed for a few penalties to help Stornoway’s momentum, and just before half time the visitors scored in the corner. A good effort by the kicker however it was not converted. Halftime score 14-5 to Perthshire.

The second half saw some replacements from Perthshire including Danni Henderson, who instantly made an impact. A great scrum from Perthshire combined with great passing saw Danni go over to score a try 3 minutes into the second half. A great effort by Alex Ward again, but this time not converted, 19-5 at 43 minutes.

Stornoway came back though, with some great running from their forwards and work from their scrum half, putting pressure on Perthshire for a long time in the 22. Perthshire regained possession a couple of times, but were unable to get out of their half because of good defensive work and solid play from Stornoway. Some interlinking play between wingers and fullback saw a decent second try from Stornoway under the posts. This time the conversion was successful and the score line was close at 19-12.

Stornoway now seeing the possibility of bringing the scores level, had a bit between their teeth and were fighting with everything they had. Again, they kept pressure in the Perthshire 22 for a long time, but Perthshire’s discipline had improved, regaining possession at a crucial time. A clearing kick from Alex Ward chased expertly by Danni Henderson and Katie Whelan put pressure on Stornoway who knocked it on. After another dominate scrum, Paula Watson took the ball from the back of the scrum, with a beautiful pass to the already at pace Alex Ward, her speed and weaving, along with a great support line from Heather Kirkman that kept the defence guessing, meant it was near impossible to stop. Alex Ward scores her hattrick and the conversion is good. Score 26-12.

With 12 minutes to go, tired bodies on both sides but both teams very much still in the game. A few knock-ons again saw the game slow just slightly. Perthshire seemed to get a spark all of a sudden, as their forwards took crash ball after crash ball breaking the gain line over and over again. Strong carries from Sarah Blackwood, Becky Hunter and Fiona Gordon seem to put Perthshire on the front foot once again. This play brought defensive effort from Stornoway to a central position on the field, seeing this the backs shouted for the ball and got it wide, breaking up the field for some fast running. Alex Ward went over for her 4th try of the day under the posts. Stornoway put on a lot of pressure and noise as she attempted to score the conversion, which put her off just enough. Score 31-12.

The visitors had a fantastic game and finished it off with a try at very last minute. Some great passing to the wide channels, scoring in the corner. Final score Perthshire 31-17 Stornoway.

Perthshire Women are now through to the National Bowl Semi-finals to be played on 23rd April, having won 2 out of their 3 bowl matches. A fantastic team effort lead by amazing co-captains Heather McKenzie and Alex Ward, along with coach/player Iona Coutts.

Photos taken by Dave Morgan Pix (dmpix.net)

Invitation to the Perthshire End of Season Awards Dinner

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Tickets on sale NOW!

The 2022-23 season is coming to its conclusion, with success and excitement on & off the pitch. To celebrate all players, coaches, members and supporters are invited to the annual Awards Dinner. Its an evening not to missed with 14 awards to be announced and presented on the night across the whole of Perthshire Rugby Club.

Look out for the nominations being announced over the coming weeks on the website and social media.

It will be held in the Salutation Hotel, 34 South Street, Perth on Friday 26th May 2023. Arriving from 7pm to be seated by 7:30pm.

Tickets at £40 per head, can be obtained via the Club webshop for tables of 8. Alternatively, they can be bought in cash given to the Club Captain Ewan MacKessack-Leitch. Closing date for ticket sales is Monday 15th May.

Players from the U18s can claim a £10 discount off their ticket. Details of how to buy these will come from your Team Manager as they are NOT available online.

The menu will be: Lentil soup (v); Steak Pie with seasonal vegetables and potatoes; Sticky Toffee Pudding with pouring cream. To advise of preferred table seating and dietary requirements (vegetarian/vegan alternative available) please write in the “Order Notes.” All other queries please e-mail: clubcaptain@perthshire-rfc.co.uk

See you there for a great evening to end the 2022-23 season!

Love Island’s Lost

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Perthshire 17 – 38 Orkney

Frustration for 14-man Eagles who fail to capitalise on good positions and struggle in set piece.

In order for the islanders to make the return ferry this was an early midday kick-off. Nonetheless it was compelling and competitive match that played out to the crowd gathered to watch at the North Inch.

Perthshire started brightly getting into the Orkney half and staying there. Strong carries from Ewen MacDonald and Angus Walker made headway on the ground while an effective kicking game from Aidan Watson won the air battle pinning Orkney to the corners. Attempts to run out of their half were thwarted by keen defence led by Calum Chalmers and Adrian Venter.

Despite the territorial dominance Perthshire could not get on the scoreboard and it was Orkney who struck first. Eventually breaking out from their half, and stringing together a series of quick phases, a well struck kick won a 50:22 lineout. Getting there first, Orkney took it quickly and, with ‘Shire daydreaming, quickly made it right up to the line. A few more short carries and they crossed the whitewash for a converted try.

At the restart Orkney deployed a box kick which the chase recovered to get immediately onto the front foot. Perthshire seemed to have slowed the attack but were penalised for not rolling away from the tackle. Unsportingly, the Orcadian scrumhalf deliberately knocked-on and took the tap penalty immediately. He coasted through the defenders, who could not touch him, and drew the final defender to pass inside for a second converted try, 0-14.

This time from the restart the intense line-speed by the home team rushed Orkney in to a sliced clearance kick. The lineout was in a good attacking position but the ball was stolen by Orkney who then knocked on when trying to kick clear. Back in ‘Shire hands the ball was sent out to the wing where Jonny Armitt put a probing kick down the 15m channel. Collected by the retreating Orkney winger he had nowhere to go as he was isolated by Adrian Venter who won a penalty 5m out. The lineout misfired again but Calum Chalmers reacted quickest plucking the overthrow from the air and nearly made it across the line. A couple of forwards had a go but it was James “Love Island” Armstrong who made the final metre to crash over for a try on his last game for Perthshire. Conversion missed but Perthshire were on the scoreboard, 5-14.

The second quarter mostly involved Perthshire defending in their own 22. The tackles and rucks were fierce with no quarter given. Turnovers from Adrian Venter & Tom Bartlett won back possession and allowed Aidan Watson to clear the ball to safety. Sadly the faltering lineout would return the ball back to Orkney to attack and the cycle repeated.

Perthshire and some forays into Orkney’s half, often started by Rory Bayne, but once in the 22 the player would be isolated, ball knocked-on or a lineout lost and that would end the attack. It was back & forth until a break on the left wing got Orkney into Perthshire’s 22. Gaining an offside penalty by the posts Orkney, sensing the upper hand, opted for the scrum. A solid heave kept the pack in tight as the ball was delivered quickly through the hands to the centre who cut an angle to break through and score. It was a straightforward conversion, 5-21.

There were just enough minutes in the half for the men in Black & White to hammer the Orkney line but to no avail. Orkney very relieved to hear the halftime whistle under such pressure.

The second half started again evenly. This time though it was a kicking tennis rather than carries that were the mainstay of the plays. Despite their struggles in the set piece Perthshire were more than a match for Orkney in open play.

It changed with a red card for James Armstrong. Punished for a head-on-head tackle, the referee decided dismissal was the only option. This was harsh as the ball was loose on the ground and it looked to many on the sideline that both players were diving for the ball. Nonetheless, Perthshire were 16 points down with 35 minutes left to play and only 14 on the pitch.

Orkney kicked this penalty to the corner and started to build the pressure. To add to Perthshire’s troubles Ewen MacDonald was injured in the defence of the try line. He carried on for a bit but had to be replaced soon after by Arran Sheach. The islanders did mange to get a try but it took significant effort. Perthshire to a man defended & defended. Quality lines and passes by Orkney were not enough to break the tackle. Eventually after going from one touchline to the other and back inside, this quick hit up midfield was just too fast. A gap opened up at the side of the ruck which was exploited as the attacker squeezed through & over for an unconverted try, 5-26.

Undeterred Perthshire took the fight to the Orkney half. A kick downfield was collected but Tom Bartlett chop-tackled the ball carrier and Ross Goodison was right on top to win a penalty for not releasing. Taking it quickly and getting the advantage as the defence did not retreat, Ross Goodison danced deep into the 22 before he was brought down. The ball was worked to the right over a series of phases building up to the line before it was passed inside to James Mair. He touched down, but was denied a try as the pass was judged forward. Racing to the mark as the referee signalled the return for the penalty, Aidan Watson took it quickly and was tackled inches short. Adrian Venter in support picked the ball up from the base and used his strength to cover the final few inches and claim the try. The conversion was missed, 12-26.

Both teams stepped up their game as they entered the final quarter but neither could keep the momentum for long. For Perthshire, in open play there was no hint of lacking a man, but at the set piece the lineout continued to be a lottery and the 7-man scrum was struggling.

A scrum penalty conceded around halfway was quickly tapped and the ball spread coast to coast by the islanders. The Eagles were backpedalling but then rallied and contained the attack. However, Orkney upped the intensity switched the direction of attack once more to secure the overlap and score in right corner.

Minutes later they scored again, this time a much easier try. Taking a lineout down to set a maul the Perthshire pack were sucked in leaving an undefended blindside. This space was spotted by the Orcadian back row who broke off and ran unopposed to score under the posts, 12-38.

There was little time left but still Perthshire wanted to get something from the match. Piercing runs by Simon McGarry and Ross Goodison went deep into Orkney territory but they came to nothing. A turnover penalty won on halfway by Adrian Venter was tapped & passed to Ross Goodison on the left wing. He slipped and this seemed to flummox the defence as Ross changed angle and then proceeded to evade 6 would-be tacklers as he jinked & jiggled up to the 5m line. Just held, the ball was offloaded to Aidan Watson in support who scored the try that Ross Goodison made. Unlucky with the boot the conversion went wide.

With seconds remaining ‘Shire had one more chance to sneak a try bonus point but it was not to be and it remained 17-38 as the clock hit 80 minutes.

Despite the one man disadvantage Perthshire put their all in to that match and did not let Orkney have anything for free. Definitely there are work-ons for the Eagles to finish the season strongly and to build up for 2023-24. With numbers good at training Head Coach Alan Clark knows he can get the right reaction from his players before West of Scotland away next weekend. Supporters welcome on the bus which will depart Bell’s at 12pm for a 3pm kick off in Milngavie.

Finally, Perthshire Rugby is indebted to James Armstrong who joined only last season but has made a lasting impact on the playing field, at training, for the Tour to Blackpool and as Club Treasurer. In such a short time he got truly stuck in, lifted the players around him to get better (even if he only managed one full 80 minute performance himself) and continued to create a sound financial basis for the Club to work from. The Club wish him well on his travels and hope to see him again in the future.

Screenshots from match video recorded by Jan Adriaan Venter.
1st half https://youtu.be/te2r_9YFOFk
2nd half https://youtu.be/RHtjiOqlNm4
Photographs taken by Louise Venter can be seen here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/KgqbWsUCzrhiGHr26

Seventh Heaven for Perthshire

Perthshire Women 45 – 14 Bannockburn Valkyries

Women grow into game to deliver dominant 7-try victory.

Perthshire Women 1st XV hosted Bannockburn Valkyries on the North Inch for their second fixture in the National Bowl. ‘Shire kicked to start and showed strong determination from the off. An unfortunate knock on from the home team saw Bannockburn awarded an early scrum. ‘Shire made a bold statement by contesting this first set piece strongly and winning the ball, which was soon passed wide to winger Jackie McConville who ran it all the way to the corner to score an early first try for Perthshire.

Co-captain Heather McKenzie caught the ball from the Bannockburn restart and made great progress into the opposition’s half. After a few phases the ball found its way back to McKenzie who ran it between the posts and scored the second try for ‘Shire. The home team really started to gain momentum, making excellent carries and finding gaps. Perthshire’s other co-captain, Alex Ward, used her excellent footwork to find her way past multiple Bannockburn defenders twice in quick succession to put another two tries on the board.

Bannockburn upped their strong attacking efforts and shortly before half time found a gap near the wing and accelerated through to score their first try of the match, which they converted. With Ward converting three of Perthshire’s four tries it saw them sitting on a comfortable lead of 26 – 7 going into half time.

Coach Iona Coutts praised the ‘Shire ladies for their excellent efforts in the first half, but warned them not to relax as the game was not yet won. She knew that Bannockburn would be looking to keep up the momentum they had shown towards the end of the first half and didn’t want the home team to be caught out.

Perthshire kept this in mind as they put every effort into keeping a strong defence in the second half. They took the opportunity to shift the momentum to attacking and Heather McKenzie added another try for ‘Shire. Bannockburn continued to push strongly in their attack and were quick to spot any gaps in the ‘Shire defence – giving them their second converted try of the match in a very similar style to their first.

Keen to ensure that Bannockburn didn’t continue to add to their tally, ‘Shire worked hard and the forwards made a series of strong carries down the pitch towards the line. After several phases within 5 metres of the line, it was Perthshire’s second rower Katie Bromley who carried the ball over the line and scored her first try for the ‘Shire.

With the time close to the 80 minute mark, ‘Shire were awarded a line out within Bannockburn’s 22. They smoothly passed the ball through the hands to fullback Eilidh Patterson who scored the last try of the match. Alex Ward was left with a difficult angle but kicked an excellent conversion – giving a fitting end to an impressive game from the Perthshire ladies. They took the win 45 – 14 and will be recovering this week before hosting Stornoway on Saturday 1st April, kick-off 2pm at the North Inch. Supporters welcome to come down and cheer on the Women.

Photos taken by Peter Wilkinson.

Numbers Down and Intensity Turned Up

Bannockburn 55 – 12 Perthshire 2XV

Injuries put Perthshire down to 12 but they front up and stress Bannockburn.

The 2XV made the short trip down to Bannockburn with only 16 players due to a couple of late call offs, this however didn’t distract the players. It was always going to be a hard gritty contested match and it did not disappoint.

Bannockburn took an early lead but, unphased, Perthshire fought back with some great play being created by AJ Guthrie. Laurence Knight, making his Perthshire senior debut, kept himself busy in defence and attack all match. Unfortunately, 15 minutes in ‘Shire were camped out in there own 22 where Lee Graham hit a ruck and came worse off with a dislocated shoulder. A quick shuffle in the squad brought Angus Macfarlane went into centre and Perthshire kept up the work rate and managed to claw a score back by Hector Inglis.

Perth went down to 14 players after Captain Angus Macpherson picked up and ankle injury then rapidly down to 13, when James Marley went down with what turned out to be a broken foot. With 5 minutes left in the half and the 2 man advantage Bannockburn managed to run in a couple of quick try’s for a halftime score 22 – 5.

Shortly into the second half Konner Wilkie came off with a rib injury, this opened the flood gates. Bannockburn ran in 4 more tries after refusing to match numbers at the referees request. Not content with their 3 man advantage and to add insult to injury, at one point Bannockburn had 17 players on the pitch against the ‘Shire 12! This was only rectified after it was spotted by coach Campbell Watson who made the referee aware of this large imbalance.

Perthshire didn’t give up and showed just what they were made of battling for everything, this paid off when AJ Guthrie broke out and scored & converted a try. Heading in to the last minute of the game ‘Shire yet again broke out from their own 22 through Laurence Knight who drew the winger infield and popped the ball out to Rabson Chipakupaku who accelerated away from the fullback to get a final score.

Coach Campbell Watson and Captain Angus Macpherson could only congratulate the guys on their effort on the pitch under such a heavy handicap, final score 55 – 17. The 2s have only one match left this season, an away trip to Rosyth beckons on Saturday. Perthshire came out on top on the North Inch in October. With injuries to overcome it will be a tough ask for the squad to repeat, but the resilience and determination shown in this match and throughout the season will give the coaches belief their squad can get a result.

Golden Oldies Need You!

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Over 35s Training Returns in preparation for the Veteran 10s tournament at the Perth Beer Festival.

It’s back! Time to dust off the boots and blow out the cobwebs. Starting Friday 31st March, Veterans Rugby training makes it’s return to the North Inch and the Golden Eagles need you to help them in their quest for glory!

Training will start at 7pm and will involve some fitness, skills and games. These fun sessions are open to all ages & abilities from the Perthshire Rugby community, but only those over-35 can play in the 10s tournament.

Any questions please contact Jeremy Wares, Campbell Watson or Smudge.

Applications Open for New Head Coach

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Perthshire Rugby has today started advertising for a new Head Coach for the Senior Men’s Teams.

After 8 years Alan Clark has decided to stand down and Perthshire are excited to find the right candidate to build on the sterling work he has done over that period.

The role will have a further element to work alongside Director of Rugby, Graham “Smudge” Smith, to implement the new club wide Specialist Coaching Strategy. This will involve working regularly with Midi Section coaches and also overseeing the transition of Perthshire’s Colts players into the adult game.

Head of Senior Section Ewan “Macka” MacKessack-Leitch said, “Perthshire are at an exciting juncture going into the 2023-24 season. Training numbers are strong and growing while results on the pitch have seen a recent upturn. We aim to attract some strong candidates who can take Perthshire forward, to push the 1XV to promotion from the newly established National League 4 and continue to enhance the quality and competitiveness of the rugby enjoyed by the 2XV.”

Club Captain Macka continued, “Clarky is an excellent coach, as a player I have significantly developed my game and know every other team member feels the same. As a squad we have advanced, physically & mentally, establishing a positive environment as we learn to play an exciting brand of rugby. I am glad he will guide us to the end of this season before potentially switching over and joining the 2XV as a player next year!”

Full job description and information for applicants can be seen HERE or on the Scottish Rugby website: www.scottishrugby.org/about/vacancies

Closing date for application is 5pm on Monday 10th April 2023.

 

Forwards Power as Backs Cut Through

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Murrayfield Wanderers 38 – 69 Perthshire

Perthshire secure Adam Pattinson Memorial Cup with emphatic scoreline.

The next day Scotland and Ireland would contest the Centenary Quaich and likely decide the Triple Crown. However, on Saturday it was Perthshire who were the visitors to play Murrayfield Wanderers in the shadow of the stadium. The Adam Pattinson Memorial Cup the prize for the winner.

It was a fast and loose game from the start. After kicking off, aggressive defence forced a Murrayfield mistake and ‘Shire won the scrum. As was a theme for the whole day Perthshire out-scrummed their opponents to win a penalty. The lineout was also solid but the ball dropped in the backline and Perthshire were booted back.

Soon a strong run by Dan Rae regained the forward momentum and series of carries for the forwards had Wanderers rolling backwards. Ewen MacDonald was nearly at the line but offloaded to James Mair who danced through 3 tacklers to ground the ball. Jonny Armitt slotting the conversion to give a 0-7 lead.

Murrayfield immediately took the initiative and barnstorming run from their No. 8 ate up the pitch until Aidan Watson slowed, then brought him down. Matt Stevens was next over and won a penalty to allow the Eagles to clear.

Minutes later from a lineout the maul set and heaved 15m forward until stopped illegally. Utilising the advantage, AJ Guthrie sent a cross-field kick to James Armstrong on the touchline; held by the winger he produced an out-the-back offload to Jonny Armitt who cantered under the posts to make his conversion a formality.

The tempo increased as Perthshire tried to press their advantage, Rory Bayne instrumental in bringing the speed of attack. Offloads and quick rucks were making progress but ‘Shire were guilty of forcing it. Dan Rae was denied a try as the referee called him back for a scrum in the 22. With a large undefended blindside, scrumhalf Lewis Murrie picked from the base and sprinted to line, just caught he managed to present the ball pack for the onrushing James Mair to scoop up and dive over for his second try. Jonny Armitt again adding the extras from a tough angle, 0-21.

Composure and discipline then went out the window for Perthshire and Murrayfield were let back into the game. A needless penalty gifted the home team possession and they took it quickly, while Perthshire had their heads in the clouds, to score in the corner. This was backed up by a second when soft shoulders allowed a break in the centre, defence scrambled but the ball went out to the winger to run in under the posts, 12-21.

Murrayfield were forced into early changes with some injuries and the remainder of the half was quite scrappy. Discipline tightened up but passes and offloads from both teams were too loose and getting dropped or intercepted.

Despite a clear advantage in the scrum Perthshire felt they were not getting the penalties they deserved as the Wanderers front row went into reserve, stood up and/or splintered under pressure from Ewen MacDonald and Rhys Darlington. On one occasion ‘Shire looked to the referee for a penalty as the ball squirted out the side, Murrayfield reacted quickest ran into the 22, and scored soon after to make it 19-21.

This type of play continued until Aidan Watson hit a sweet 50:22. A surging carry off the back by Matt Stevens, fed an even bigger carry by Rhys Darlington who had half the team hanging off him until he was hauled down just short. James Mair, as he had done twice already, took the ball the final inches across the line for his hattrick which Jonny Armitt duly converted.

Half-time, 19-28.

The second half started just as frantically. Matt Stevens caught the kick and slipped the ball to James Armstrong who sprinted 50m until snared by the fullback. The Black & White shirts swarmed forward but a knock-on ended the assault and Wanderers cleared.

It was not long before ‘Shire took their next try. A scrum about 40m out, walked forward but no penalty awarded; short plays followed and Dan Rae’s powerful carry put the reeling Wanderers on the back foot. Jonny Armitt picked his line and cut through the defence, dragging the fullback one way passed to Aidan Watson in support for an unconverted try.

Even more so the game broke up with all sorts of passes and offloads. Perthshire were getting ahead of themselves and forcing plays to try and score off every move. A pass went straight to the hands of a Murrayfield defender who sent it right out the to their speedster winger to sprint 70m and under the posts; gaining the conversion Wanderers were right back in it, 26-33.

Hitting back on the next play James Armstrong won a ruck penalty and the ball went deep into the 22. Murrayfield tried to defend the maul by standing off, aiming for an offside penalty. Wise to this, a quick peel allowed Matt Stevens the space round the edge of the pack to score.

A clever grubber kicked & collected by Aidan Watson pinned Wanderers back again. James Mair nearly made it across but knocked on. Wanderers held the 5m scrum but their clearance kick went into the arms of Aidan Watson who sliced through the chasers until held. A series of offloads followed which eventually reached the hands of Matt Stevens. He had 15m space in front on him and just covered it, scoring with an overhead stretch to dot the ball down. Converted by Jonny Armitt, there was some room in the score again, 26-45.

At the restart Calum Chalmers collected the ball and took a shoulder to the face as he was tackled. As both teams hesitated, waiting for the referee to make a judgment, James Armstrong seized the initiative and took from base and ran 60m weaving to beat the cover and fullback in a race to the corner for an unconverted try, 26-50.

Easing up, some slack defence gifted Murrayfield the opportunity to score, only denied by a forward pass. They crossed the whitewash soon after as ‘Shire tried to play out of their half and a speculative pass was intercepted.

A succession of scrum penalties saw Perthshire march upfield. Taking front foot ball, from another dominant scrum, flyhalf AJ Guthrie sold a double dummy to get round the centres. Passed out to Andrew Sanderson, he made the metres down the wing before shipping it back inside for Aidan Watson to score. The conversion was successful, 31-57.

Minutes later after winning a scrum against the head AJ Guthrie tried the dummy again. Wanderers were not fooled twice and took him down. Simon McGarry, who’d be sharp all day, was also not fooled and immediately picked up the ball from the tackle and squeezed round the fringes before dashing 55m to score under the posts, duly converted by Jonny Armitt.

Perthshire’s final try came after Murrayfield dropped a pass and Jonny Armitt kicked through. Plays from Rory Bayne and Angus Walker made the ground before the ball was delivered to Aidan Watson to touchdown on the wing.

Wanderers had the final say on the stroke of fulltime with a converted try, to end the match 38-69. Winning the Adam Pattinson Memorial Cup, presented by Claire Pattinson to Captain James Mair after the match, Perthshire can take the positives from the fast attacking style but will need to tighten up to get the full benefits. This was not a match for the defence, both teams will know they allowed in some soft tries.

There is a break for Six Nations Super Saturday before Perthshire host Orkney on the North Inch with an early 12pm kick-off on 25th March. The Bowling Club will be open from 11am, all supporters welcome to come down and cheer on the teams.

Fabulous start, Heartbreak finish, but Plenty of Positives

Waid Academy FP 39 – 36 Perthshire 2XV

With one of the longer away games, Perth set off to Anstruther not for fish & chips, but for a game of rugby against Waid Academy FP on pleasant, if cold day. Matches between these two teams have historically been a tough battle.

With a slight delay in arriving for Perthshire, the warm-up was a short affair, and the message for the team was discipline and not to panic when things got tough.

Perth came racing out of the blocks with a catch from their own kick off by Adrian Venter and a score from Angus Macfarlane in the first minute of the match. Waid were a bit shellshocked at this point with heavy pressure from the defensive line of the ‘Shire men.

Waid could only keep clearing their lines with kicks to the full-back Peter Cowen, who kept returning it with interest. It was from one these, that the second try was scored, a long punt up the field from Peter Cowen, and Callum MacDonald in chase, eyeing a prop on the wing, with a wicked bounce, Callum gathered, stepped the prop and ran in under the posts, with the conversion by Rab Pittendreigh, to make the score 12-0. It was that this point maybe Perthshire thought it was going to be an easier game and started to not pressure as much in both attack and defence.

This resulted in Waid using their big men up through the middle, sucking in tackles and with quick ball their excellent 10 did a double switch with the centre who ran in under the posts. Waid now had the Forth wind in their sails, and ran in two further tries, to make it 19 – 12. Perthshire in the process losing Cowen to a dislocated shoulder, replaced by Johnny Venter, and both 9s of Mikey Evans and Liam Flavell picking up ankle injuries, it was now Perthshire who were shellshocked.

The front five of: Stevie Wilkie, Callum Coutts, Calum Robertson, Stuart Mackie and James Marley, supported by Konner Wilkie off the bench at times; were under a lot of pressure but holding their own in both the scrum and lineout. It was from a lineout that pack leader Ryan Beaton decided to call the ‘Monday’ ball, which in resulted in Adrian Venter getting his 2nd try.

Half time came, 19 -17. Coach Dave Lewis, called for calm from the team, and again highlighted that keeping the pressure up was key to this game and not to step off the gas. Ross Alexander came on to the pitch to bolster the scrum.

Once again, Perthshire came out of the blocks pushing to a 19-36 scoreline within the first 15 minutes: Allan Farell on his debut, broke clear to score under the posts; Arran Sheach and Blake Laidlaw ran excellent lines, which allowed space for, Man of Match, Adrian to help himself to 2 more tries. With his final one, a 40m run beating 5 men to score between the posts. However, once again this seemed to shock Waid back into action and they start to claw their way back into the match and get the game to within 5 points.

At which point Perth missed a penalty, where a tap and go might have been the best option as Perth were re-applying the pressure, but a call from the side line by the coach asked for the penalty kick. Sadly, this was the last time Perth had a chance to score with heavy pressure from Waid in the final 5 minutes resulted in a score to make it 36 all. With a kick to nudge team in front, 2nd Row Stuart Mackie bolted off the line and charged down the kick.

With time ticking, the game looked like it was going to end in draw, but heartbreak for Perthshire, as a penalty in front of the posts for Waid was the final action of an end-to-end game, with Waid winning 39-36.

Though it was a tough loss for Perthshire to take, Coach Dave Lewis, mentioned that in the last few seasons, this fixture was very one-sided to Waid with some big scores. However, in the past it was more often settled by a point or two either way. This highlights the excellent progression from the team, to come here, and take 2 well deserved bonus points and sets up them up to get themselves off the bottom of table with the remaining 2 matches to come. The 2s now rest for a week, and return on 25th March away to Bannockburn.

Perthshire Lose the Territorial Battle

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Perthshire 7 – 41 Hillhead Jordanhill

Eagles start brightly but then pinned back and defeated in second half.

Hopes were high amongst the Perthshire squad for an upset after another strong week of training with 30+ in attendance at the sessions. Hillhead are a well disciplined and effective team but the Eagles’ felt they could raise their game to overcome the visitors.

Hillhead kicked off and the first few minutes were of short attacks then clearance kicks. Neither team really had the edge with the kicking tennis and the ball was sent back & forth. Hillhead then seized some territory and started to go through the attacking motions. Perthshire, in red & black, were meeting the attack and holding it back.

Stretching the attack wide, to see if they could get round the home team, Hillhead shifted it along the backline. Jonny Armitt read the play and intercepted, then raced 60m out-sprinting the cover defence to score under the posts. Aidan Watson added the extras and ‘Shire had the lead 7-0.

Almost immediately Hillhead took the ball and were back probing for weaknesses in the ‘Shire line. Ross Goodison sensed an opportunity for a counter ruck, effected the turnover and the ball was booted downfield. The chase from Perthshire was poor and Hillhead used the open space in front to surge into the 22. With ‘Shire backpedalling, quick rucks took the play from left to right and Hillhead crossed the whitewash in the corner. A superb touchline conversion drew the teams level, 7-7.

Next it was Perthshire’s turn to counterattack. Aggressive defence forced Hillhead to spill the ball and it was hacked through. First to react, Mat Rae secured possession for the home team and after a quick ruck AJ Guthrie booted the ball to the corner. The chase was good and Hillhead knocked on awarding ‘Shire a scrum 10m out.

From here the backline came to life and created an overlap; spun out to the wing but the scoring pass was too fast and went in to touch rather than to hand. Returning for a penalty Perthshire went to the lineout. Secured, the maul rumbled forward then the pack broke out and over a series of short picks edge closer to the line. The ball then went out wide but ‘Shire were isolated and Hillhead reacted best to win the turnover and clear their lines.

Play got stuck in the midfield with Hillhead in possession but unable to make any ground; then a break came through the centre. With only AJ Guthrie to beat the Hillhead flanker fancied his chances but he was wrong, the fly-half chopping him down and stalling the momentum. Soon after Hillhead were awarded a penalty for an offside, elected to kick and scored the 3 points.

The tempo was high and the teams evenly matched. The speed was causing both teams to concede penalties. Kicking one in to the 22, Hillhead played it off the top from the lineout and sent a player up the centre. A sublime offload allowed the support runner in behind and despite the might of Dan Rae he managed to get over and ground the ball for a converted try, 7-17.

The remainder of the half was all Perthshire. A series of 3 penalties on the Hillhead 22 followed but each time the ball was intercepted, dropped or turned over. Halftime came as a relief to Hillhead but to Perthshire’s frustration with nothing to show for all their efforts.

The second half began with some changes, Matt Stevens & Simon McGarry came off with Tom Bartlett & Tom Whamond in their place. The latter making an immediate impact to win the kick-off and keep the ball in play with an out-the-back pass.

Frustrated again, Perthshire knocked on and Hillhead turned on their ruthless instinct to score in the corner, 7-22. Perthshire were then straight back under the cosh. Battling under the posts a turnover won a brief reprieve but try as they might ‘Shire could not escape their own half.

Changes came with AJ Guthrie & Lewis Murrie making way for John Kelly & Andrew Sanderson. The kicking game from Hillhead was near perfect. Anytime Perthshire got close to halfway, the visitors’ fly-half would send it back down into the corner.

After what seemed like an eternity, Perthshire got a break and some quick phases took them to halfway. Here Hillhead effected the turnover then picked and kicked through. They looked to have scored but the referee judged the ball was knocked on before the grounding. It was desperate stuff from Perthshire, tackles from 1 to 15 just keeping a fired-up Hillhead at bay.

Expending such effort ‘Shire began to tire and penalties crept in. Sensing this Hillhead elected for a scrum and got the nudge on and won a second penalty. Returning for the scrum another penalty, then another were conceded. Eventually the power was enough and Hillhead’s No.8 picked from the base and covered the remaining 6m to crash over for a converted try. To add to Perthshire’s woes, prop Ewen MacDonald was shown a Yellow card for the repeated scrum penalties.

It wasn’t long before Hillhead took advantage of the extra man to score again in the corner, 7-36. Perthshire’s courageous defence led by Dan Rae and Simon McGarry held out any further tries before Ewen MacDonald returned to level the teams once more.

A strong carry by Rhys Darlington broke through and with multiple Glaswegians hanging off him he somehow offloaded to Simon McGarry who injected pace and burst into Hillhead’s half. With an advantage for offside a speculative cross-field kick nearly paid off before being brough back.

Perthshire now were camped in the opposition half but got no change. Forward carries, back line manoeuvres, lineout mauls, kicks through; try as they might Perthshire could not breach the try-line. With time ebbing away Hillhead managed to counter-attack and in the final play squeezed over in the corner. The conversion missed the referee signalled fulltime, 7-41.

There was plenty of solid performances from the team in red & black, but lots of frustrations. Hillhead played a clever game and took their chances, and that was ultimately the difference. Next up is Murrayfield Wanderers away. It was 1 point game with the Edinburgh team edging it last time on the North Inch. Perthshire need no extra motivation to right that this time around and will look to take the Adam Pattinson Memorial Cup back to Perth with them. Supporters welcome on the team bus which departs from Bell’s Sports Centre at 12:15pm.

Photos taken by Jazmine Tomlinson.

Winning Streaks start with 2 wins……

Perthshire 2XV 37 – 10 Strathmore 2XV

Perthshire 2XV boost confidence with winning display in local derby.

Perthshire 2s welcome Strathmore 2s to the North Inch for the final home game of the season, off the back a tough win against Bannockburn and a fiery encounter between the two 1st teams 2 weeks before. Local derbies always hold special place for players and this game was no different. A strong line up was named once again. The order of the day from the coaches was discipline and hard work before the match.

The first 15 minutes saw heavy pressure from Strathmore, with Perthshire finding their way into the very physical game around the ruck area. However, Perth’s discipline held which resulted in working their way from the 22, up to Strathmore’s 5 metre with big powerful runs from Jack High, making a comeback from injury, and Wilkie Dad & Son duo supporting and following up with runs of their own. After a few pick ups and drives, Lee Graham forgetting that he was 12 for the day, decided to crash over for a try from the base of the ruck. Calum Bruce add the extra points 7-0.

With the engine room of Marley and Beaton supporting the front row, the scrum was becoming a powerful weapon and many a time the ball was taken against the head from Strathmore either directly or for a penalty given. Mikey Evans playing 9 again was a constant threat not only with his quality service to 10, but also darting through gaps from the fringes. His directness resulted in some “extra attention” from Strathmore both legally and illegally, however the young 9 who has been a revelation this season was not phased and continued to haunt Strathmore until an ankle injury in the 2nd half.

Despite the physical play by Strathmore, Perthshire continued to play running rugby. Angus Macpherson supported by wingers Calum MacDonald and Blake Laidlaw, using their pace to get deep behind the opposition defensive line. The front row rotated to great effect with Calum Coutts making an early appearance and creating more urgency at the break down. This created turnover after turnover, resulting in Jack High grabbing a second score, with Bruce adding the extra’s again, 14-0.

If Perthshire thought this was going to be an easy game, then Strathmore had other ideas, by seizing on a lack of concentration the home team, they managed to work a strong try in the corner, but the conversion was unsuccessful, 14-5.

With the clock ticking to half time, Perth managed to get back to the 5-metre line with powerful running from Hector Inglis, Arran Sheach and the ever-youthful Garry Coull making hard yards, but the chance was missed and cleared.

At the halftime talk coaches, Dave Lewis and Campbell Watson, once against reinforced that discipline and hard work were key, and players had to support one another.

The 2nd half started, and an early penalty just inside the half was converted by Calum Bruce to keep the score board ticking over, 17-5.

This scored seemed to free up Perthshire and more running rugby broke out with training moves coming out. Replacements Stuart Mackie and Angus Macfarlane made an instant impression by sitting down defenders and upping the physicality of the rucks back in the favour of Perth.

Lee Graham added another try to his fine performance before adding the pièce de resistance. Spotting space behind he dropped a lovely kick to the winger Blake Laidlaw, who gathered up the bounce and romped over the line in the corner for a superb converted try, 29-5.

The match was turning into a one sided affair, so much so that second row James Marley decided this was time to show his Sonny Bill skills with a show & go through the gap, with all players in shock at skill on show, Perthshire had the belief today could be the day for the derby win.

With Calum Bruce and Mike Evans replaced by injury, a rejig of the positions saw Liam Flavell step in at 9 and Rab Pittendreigh move to 10, however they both ensured that the pace didn’t drop. This resulted in Hector Inglis adding a try his collection and Liam Flavell knocking over a Penalty to make it 37-5.

The last 10 minutes of the game slowed down, due to the game being won, but this didn’t stop the Strathmore number 14 scoring a fine half pitch try. With time up, Perthshire celebrated a fine victory in, at times, tough physical conditions but stood tall with discipline and hard work and got the result they deserved. Next week Perthshire starts their final 3 games of the league all of which will be on the road, with a trip to Waid Academy FP. Can they make it 3 in a row for the first time in many a year……?