Tag Archive for: 1XV

Fumbling Perthshire Turned Over by West

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Perthshire take a backwards step as unforced errors cost them dearly

Perthshire 10 – 20 West of Scotland

Perthshire did not have their troubles to seek this past week. A very late call off by Murrayfield Wanderers last weekend and the floodlight failure enforcing gym only training were not ideal. When it came to Saturday the pitch was hard in patches and it was uncertain the match would go ahead. These factors may have had an effect on Perthshire who seemed lacklustre and inaccurate for long periods of the match.

When 2pm came the pitch had thawed and West of Scotland kicked-off. James Mair gathered, and Perthshire took it to the visitors. Showing strong running and intensity they pushed upfield. West couldn’t get a hold of the ball, Angus Walker was turning them over at every ruck. A kick over the top forced an error from the West defence and Perthshire were awarded a scrum about 15m out from the line. The pack were solid, giving clean ball to Ryan Miller, he spun it to fly half Adam Dearden who had a pick of the back line players to choose from. His pass went to Jonny Armitt unseen by the defence as he sliced through, rounded the full back and touched down by the posts. No mistake as he converted his try.

Perthshire failed to clear their lines from the restart allowing West their first real possession. It was simple but effective rugby from the Burnbrae men, short passes and tight lines. Eventually, despite desperate Perthshire defence, they smashed their way over near the corner for an unconverted score.

Having started brightly inaccuracies were beginning to hamper Perthshire. Unable to get much go forward the ball was surrendered cheaply on multiple occasions. However, the set piece was working well and West weren’t really able to take advantage.

West played the conditions well utilising an effective kicking game. Perthshire were caught short and fumbled in their own half conceding an attacking scrum to West. The pack heaved to disrupt and it was unclean ball for the visitors but a defensive mix-up in the centres allowed West through for their second score. It too went unconverted. Perthshire 7 – 10 West of Scotland.

The men in black & white hit back and West were called offside in their 22. With the scrum dominating rather than take a simple 3 points they opted for a scrum. A solid platform and the backline were surging forward. The last pass was dropped and West were momentarily safe. From just outside the 22 Perthshire again started to build the attack with a few phases of tight play then half-breaks in the backline. The momentum was building but further knock-ons and isolated runners squandered any opportunity and West were able to fully clear.

The remainder of the first half was similar. Perthshire fighting to work upfield only to be their own worst enemy and lose it. Good tactical kicking from West would force the men in black & white back to square one. The defence was just holding as West had numerous attacks thwarted. The lineout & scrum dominance was keeping Perthshire in the game.

Half time came and Perthshire knew they need to start playing rugby in the opposition half and exit quickly to relieve pressure rather than try to play out.

The second half started promisingly as Perthshire got into the West 22 and won a penalty. This time they opted to go for goal and Jonny Armitt duly slotted the kick. All square Perthshire 10 – 10 West of Scotland.

As with the past few games ‘Shire waned as the match proceeded. Still fighting but very slow they were holding on, but only just. Mistakes compounded mistakes and with a change in the pack the scrum started going backwards.

West had numerous 5m scrums which with the soft ground they were pushing the distance, however, a knock-on, fumble or holding the ball up would save Perthshire. It couldn’t last forever and eventually a West pass didn’t go to hand but ‘Shire weren’t looking up and the West No. 8 picked it up as the defending players parted, like the Red Sea for Moses, for an easy walk over to score. West had a bad day with the boot; it was now Perthshire 10 – 15 West of Scotland.

The restart went straight out and again Perthshire were under huge pressure in the scrum. The North Inch crowd of ex-players couldn’t believe how difficult Perthshire were making it for themselves. Mistake, knock-on, accidental offside, loose kick, no kick-chase, isolated runners; hard work would be undone making it all too easy for West.

Perthshire were let off some more when West dropped the ball over the line, missed a penalty and again were held up from a driving scrum. It was frantic stuff. With about 10 minutes left on the clock Perthshire won a turnover and set upfield. West were offside at the ruck and a penalty kick went to touch for a lineout 20m from the try line. Having worked well all day the lineout failed and West were given the option to exit. Perthshire pressurised but couldn’t get it back and were soon down in their own half.

The match ended with West of Scotland breaking clear from just outside the 22 to score in the corner, earning them the bonus point win and denying any league points for the Home team. Final score Perthshire 10 – 20 West of Scotland.

The 2XV were playing at home too against local rivals Crieff, but they also had a bad day. It was a similar theme with unforced errors in attack and missed tackles contributing to a 7 – 70 loss.

Next week will again feature two home matches on the North Inch. The 1XV face newly promoted local rivals Strathmore and the 2XV have a friendly against Carnoustie. All supporters are encouraged to come down and cheer on your team. It will have to be a hard week’s training to sort out the errors or as we approach the halfway point in the season or the outlook will again look dangerous near the bottom of the table.

Perthshire Ahead at Halftime but Again Let the Lead Slip

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Depleted squad show heart and good skills but are undone by a shrewd Howe of Fife.

Howe of Fife 27 – 12 Perthshire

Only 2 weeks have passed since Perthshire made the short journey to Cupar to face old rival Howe of Fife in the league. This weekend it was the first round of the National League Cup that took the men in black & white back to Duffus Park.

It was hoped to be a 3 team Saturday with the options of Perthshire fielding 1XV, 2XV and Veterans teams against Howe. Unfortunately, a series of recent injuries, outbreak of the flu and players away saw the cancellation of the 2XV match and the 1XV could not even manage to fill the squad; with only 18 when 23 were allowed. The team that ran out could be described as “experimental.”

Like a fortnight earlier it was a game of two halves. Perthshire started the brightest and brought real intensity & purpose to the opening minutes. They were unlucky to come away with nothing from multiple visits to the Howe 22. It was against the run of play when a defensive mix up allowed Howe to open the scoring.

Perthshire showed endeavour to work back into Howe territory. After building the phases a large overlap materialised on the left wing. Stand-in fly half Jonny Armitt put in a sweet cross field kick collected by Aidan Watson who used his pace to burn the full back and score a classy try.

The set piece was dominant, the scrum pushing Howe all over the pitch – it was surprising that next to no penalties were awarded against the retreating Howe pack. The lineouts too were working like clockwork with the safe hands of James Mair and Ewan MacKessack-Leitch retaining Perthshire ball while stealing & disrupting the Howe throws.

It was a rare mistake that saw Howe pounce once more to score their second try after a loose ball in the Perthshire 22. Again, the boys worked back but a series of penalties won failed to make touch giving Howe easy options to exit.

The intensity & pace of the match brought by both sides was high. After a sustained attack Perthshire were isolated and penalised for holding on deep in opposition territory. This time Howe missed touch and Sammy Isac collected. He’s nicknamed the “Tanzanian Wizard” and demonstrated why. Rather than use the men inside he stormed down the touchline, chipped over the top, collected then somehow went up another gear to scorch the earth as he made the line. Jonny Armitt added the extras to make it 10-12 in Perthshire’s favour.

The rest of the first half was about keen defence and Perthshire held out. Howe were throwing everything to get ahead, but the whistle blew with Perthshire in front at the break.

The next 15 minutes saw the energy levels of both teams rise. With the slope Howe of Fife were gaining good ground and eventually made the difference with an unconverted try. The referee was struggling to control both teams as passions ran high. Still somehow the scrum dominance did not earn penalties and many times Perthshire were unlucky not to win more penalties at ruck time with Howe playing to the limit of the laws. Mat Rae partnered well with Ross Goodison in the centre to make strong inroads; the latter must have a neck of steel for the number of high tackles he received, frustratingly most unsanctioned.

Another 2 tries from Howe would take them to a 27-12 victory. The bench was emptied as injuries took their toll. Andy “Combine” Jack has transformed in the past 2 games and had a run of carries and tackles that made a real impact, it was a blow when he was forced to leave after a knee rearranged his facial features. The back row covered acres of the pitch and if ever Howe broke through someone was there to track the ball down and kill off the attack. Debutants Rabson Chipakupaku & Angus McPherson performed admirably as did Kieran McLean who only recently made the step up from the Colts.

Late on in the match tempers flared with handbags & frank exchanges occurring off the ball. Eventually Captain Ryan Millar and a Howe prop were sent to the sin bin but Perthshire, for the most part, managed to maintain their discipline and gave no quarter.

Numerous boys in Black & White put in big shifts and the team spirit, aggression and desire has improved over the past few weekends. Of particular note were: the phenomenal work rate of Ross Dougan; Stevie Gray a constant thorn in the side of Howe; props Ewen MacDonald & Kieran Ramsay who dominated their opposite men in the scrum; and Jonny Armitt who deputised at fly half and controlled it well.

Next weekend, after the World Cup Final, Perthshire travel to face Murrayfield Wanderers where they managed an upset to win last year. If the energy & effort on the pitch continues to grow and with the impending return of a few injured players, the next part of the season could see Perthshire converting these halftime leads into full time results.

‘Shire Hold Tight to Survive Thurso Rollercoaster

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Last gasp “King” Clow penalty seals dramatic win

Caithness 23-25 Perthshire

“I’ll never forget that match,” Mark Coupar summed up what was an exhilarating, frustrating and heart-stopping performance from Perthshire with more twists & turns than the A9 north. The result should secure National 3 rugby for the team next season.

It was bright sunny day with strong gusting winds that greeted Perthshire after the over 5 hour bus drive north to Thurso. The men in black & white showed no sign of the journey and started the game with precision and tempo. Early attacks saw Perthshire held out and a pass judged forward by the referee denied a score. It didn’t take too long for the pressure to tell and after a few phases in the 22 Peter Saunders ran hard on to the ball and forced his way over with the Caithness defenders helpless in their efforts to stop him. Calum Bruce added the extras.

Soon afterwards with the scrums & lineouts on top form Perthshire were back in the Caithness half and Ryan Miller exploited an empty blindside to sneak round a ruck unopposed and sprinted down the wing to score in the corner. The conversion was missed but after 20 minutes Perthshire were up 0-12.

Ball retention was excellent and Caithness rarely had possession especially with props Alisdair Nisbet & Ewen MacDonald taking no prisoners at scrum time and Callum Croughan hitting his mark with James Mair & Ewan MacKessack-Leitch dominating the lineouts and stealing a few. About the half hour mark Perthshire won a penalty in front of the posts and Calum Bruce put it over to give a commanding 0-15 lead.

In the last 10 minutes of the half Perthshire were guilty of easing off. The Caithness scrum was rejigged to good effect and after a series of needless penalties Caithness worked up to the ‘Shire try line and from an ensuing scrum pushed over allowing Hamish Coghill to score an unconverted try.

Perthshire had only themselves to blame with more ill-discipline leading to penalties forcing them back to their own half. Some good defensive play was undone with Perthshire guilty of being offside and Caithness took the 3 points through the boot of Anderson.

Half time Caithness 8-15 Perthshire. In the second half Perthshire would have the wind and sun in their favour, the instructions from the sideline was to play the ball down and deep into Caithness’ half.

Perthshire took the restart well and quickly worked up field. Some quick phases provided an overlap on the right wing but the ball was fumbled and Caithness reacted quickest, Coghill picked up and ran near 60m to score in the corner for his second try of the match. The conversion attempt fell short.

This revived Perthshire who started playing to their game plan. The Rae brothers as always finding space and making inroads, while Duncan Clow & Blair Twaddell were battering holes in the defence. Clever work at the breakdown by Dan Bowater was winning turnovers and keeping the Caithness defence honest. Down in their 22 Caithness attempted to clear their lines and kicked the ball upfield. It was taken by Scott Alcorn who returned the kick and gave chase. The Caithness defence were napping and Alcorn couldn’t believe his luck when he caught it unopposed and was allowed to walk in under the posts for a fantastic solo try. With the conversion, Perthshire were back in control 13-22.

The last quarter has been an unhappy time for Perthshire this season, throwing away leads against Murrayfield, Carrick and conceding soft scores in other matches. It seemed to be happening again. Weak tackles allowed the Caithness scrum half to run deep into the 22. From the ensuing phases Macleod barged over but the gusting wind took conversion attempt wide. Minutes later mistakes & penalties again put Perthshire on the backfoot. Desperate defence on the try line was holding firm, but after countless attacks prop Gray just touched the ball on the whitewash. The conversion struck the post. With less than 3 minutes to play Perth were now behind 23-22.

It was cruel but the next few minutes were unbelievable. Ryan Miller sent the restart straight into touch giving Caithness a scrum. Perthshire’s defence was firing and soon managed to win the ball in open play and a penalty. Ryan Miller this time missed touch allowing Caithness the possession to see the game out. Big moments in big games need players to stand up. Everyone in black & white did. Dan Bowater again at the ruck dislodged the ball from Caithness and Perthshire were in possession. Over-enthusiasm at the next ruck saw Caithness go off their feet and Perthshire had a penalty with 30 seconds left.

Goal kicker Calum Bruce was off the field so second row Duncan Clow instead lined up the shot at goal. It wasn’t easy and the wind wouldn’t help matters. The posts at Thurso were formerly at Murrayfield and the likes of Jonny Wilkinson, Gavin Hastings, Chris Paterson have scored crucial points kicking through them. Unphased Clow coolly struck the ball, it went high and over, the linesmen raising their flags as the referee blew for fulltime.

Perthshire had done it! King Clow at the very last second rescued victory, 23-25.

The importance of the win cannot be overstated as Orkney, against the odds, beat league winners Gordonians. The 4 points won will secure Perthshire above the relegation zone. Next week is the final match of the season as West of Scotland are hosted on the North Inch. All supporters are encouraged to come and cheer the boys as they look to end the season on a high. Kick-off is 3pm.

Whyte Lightning Strikes Twice for Perthshire in Historic Match

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Late scores for Jimmy Whyte Senior & Junior not enough to overcome Dragoons’ early lead.

Perthshire XV 10-24 Royal Scots Dragoon Guards XV

Saturday 9th March 2019 will down in the annals of Perthshire RFC history. It was 150 years ago on 10th January 1869 when Perth Academicals lined up for their first ever rugby match on the North Inch against the locally stationed Scots Grey’s. So, as part of the 150th Anniversary celebrations, their successor teams Perthshire RFC and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (now based at Leuchars) met again on the North Inch.

Perthshire fielded a mix of 1XV, 2XV, veterans and super-veterans in a team encompassing the past, present and future for the Club. The Dragoons playing their first XVs match for 4 years had a mix of newcomers to the sport, recently returned players, Fijians and even some Army representatives. The pitch had dried overnight, and the sun shone for this highly anticipated match.

The teams were piped on to the pitch led by their Captains. Perthshire elected to play with the sun behind them and the Dragoons would kick off.

The match started full of energy and endeavour, both teams looking to play a fast game. Perthshire had the better of the possession and pushed deep into the Dragoons half. Ruck and high tackle penalties were hurting the Dragoons giving easy ball to Perthshire who piled on the pressure.

The Perthshire lineout was dominant winning clean ball for each attack. Ewan MacKessack-Leitch stealing a number of Dragoons throws as well. When it mattered though Perthshire just couldn’t break through. A scrum penalty on the 5m, a knock on with the try line begging or a missed pass would end the attack and the Dragoons would breathe a sigh of relief.

It was somewhat against the run of play when an isolated Perthshire runner was turned over allowing the Dragoons some space to run into. They didn’t need a second invitation and some deft passing and sweet lines saw fullback Waqairatu score in the corner for an unconverted try.

Undeterred by the slip up Perthshire regained possession and again pressed forward. The lineout mauls were making decent ground and one was just pulled down short. However, the advantage was lost and Perthshire opted for a scrum in front of the posts after winning a penalty. There was an early shove from the Dragoons so Jack McIntosh took a quick tap and passed to the forwards. The line was so close, but not even the, Northern Powerhouse, Dave Lewis could quite manage to breach the whitewash from close quarters. Spun out the pass was dropped and the Dragoons cleared.

On the occasion the Dragoons threatened, Perthshire’s defence was resolute. Excellent work at the breakdown, often by Ali Nisbett or Angus Walker, would slow them down or win the turnover. Perthshire would get the opportunity to clear their lines which Jonny Armitt and even Richard Haggart used to kick the ball upfield and safely to touch.

Further attacks from Perthshire saw a flowing move reach Taylor Mair on the right wing, he came close but was bundled into touch. Jonny Armitt at 10 was keeping the defence guessing either linking with Dan Rae & Callum Croughan in the centre or chipping over for Jay Pettie to chase down. Strong carries by Ewen MacDonald and Dave Lewis around the fringes kept the Dragoons’ forwards honest.

A penalty in mid-field gave the Dragoons a quick tap, the ‘Shire defence were caught napping and the Dragoons broke through. A last gasp ankle tap brought the strike runner down, but the ball was quickly recycled and, despite the best efforts of Rab Pittendreigh, centre Sokia touched down to score. The conversion was made, Perthshire 0-12 Royal Scots Dragoons Guards.

Within moments Perthshire were making inroads and a penalty too far was conceded by the Dragoons who saw a man sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes.

However, as the half ended Perthshire couldn’t take advantage. Again excellent set-piece play was providing the platform but chances were missed. Dan Rae was running hard in the centre creating space for Callum Croughan to exploit but the support wasn’t quick enough and the momentum lost.

At half time Perthshire could have felt disappointed to have been 2 scores down despite the dominance in territory & possession. Some fresh legs were about to come off the bench and this could give the impetus to cross the try-line.

The second half started like the first, fast paced and Perthshire in possession. A few phases later and the men in black & white were queuing up to get the ball and crash over. Alas the short pass was well read by Sokia who intercepted and had the whole pitch to cover. He showed good pace & feet to flummox the sparse ‘Shire defence to score under the posts for a converted try.

Now the substitutions were made. Liam Flavell came on to the wing and was followed on to the pitch by his father Andy Flavell along with his front row partner in scrummaging Jimmy Whyte. The latter two’s impact was immediate, the Dragoons’ scrum unceremoniously shoved backwards.

Despite Perthshire’s set piece dominance, the Dragoons were getting more possession in the open and holding on to it. A good build up after some rash Perthshire penalties gave them field position to launch numerous attacks on the Perthshire line. The forwards held them at close quarters but it went out to the centres and a fantastic offload over the tackle into the arms of the charging Cabemaiwasa saw him squeeze through a gap and score. The conversion hit the post making it 0-24 in the Dragoons favour.

Tiredness and injuries forced further changes to the Perthshire squad with William Campbell, Allan Guild and Jimmy Whyte (Jnr) taking to the pitch to give a front row dominated scrum for the remainder of the match. Jonny Armitt moved to scrum half and Dan Rae to stand-off, no one would strike with impunity against their half-back partnership and Perthshire’s attack became more direct.

Calm heads and wisdom from the veterans were key to Perthshire fightback. With a makeshift lineout 5m out from the line a short ball went to Jimmy Whyte (Snr) at the front and he demonstrated footwork and power in equal measure to breeze past then crash over the defenders for a try in the corner. Unconverted the score was now 5-24.

Perthshire fielded the kick-off and tried in earnest to capitalise on the momentum shift. Both teams were tiring and mistakes crept in. Great defensive work rate from Dan Rae, Ewan Woods and Angus Walker steadied the line when needed. Meanwhile Callum Croughan was getting the opportunity to run in the open and made use of strike running from Rab Pittendreigh and Jay Pettie up the touchlines. Thus the last substitutions were made, which saw Perthshire’s Stevie Wilkie pull on the Dragoons’ jersey in the front row to join his former regiment.

In the final phase of play Perthshire pushed deep in to the opposition 22 and set up multiple rucks inching towards the line. And so as the final whistle beckoned Jimmy Whyte (Jnr), not to be outdone by his father, burrowed over the line with 4 Dragoons hanging on to him but somehow managed to ground the ball. It ended Perthshire XV 10-24 Royal Scots Dragoon Guards XV.

This match was a true spectacle and entertainment for those who came to watch. The spirit of gameplay was excellent with both teams providing a fun, fast game. Perthshire Rugby is a family, it was great to see two fathers each with their sons on the pitch during the match. A huge thanks to Fin Hay, Richard Haggart and Lt Tom Walpole for organising the anniversary match. The 150th Anniversary season is drawing to an end, but there are still a few more events to happen including the Perth Beer Festival on weekend 10-12th May.

League action returns to the North Inch this coming Saturday 16th March when Perthshire welcome West of Scotland for an earlier 1pm kick-off. All are invited to come down and support the boys in this critical match and then to join the Club in That Bar later for the remainder of Six Nations Super Saturday, including the Calcutta Cup match at 5pm.Perthshire

Team photo
Back row (L-R): Liam Flavell, James Whyte, Will Campbell, Dan Rae, Jay Pettie, Ewan Woods, Rab Pittendreigh, Kieran Ramsay, Ewan MacKessack-Leitch (Club Captain), Dave Lewis, Richard Haggart, Jonny Armitt, Taylor Mair, Stevie Wilkie.
Front row (L-R): Allan Guild, Andrew Flavell, Jack McIntosh, Ewen MacDonald, Callum Croughan, Ali Nisbet, Angus McGeoghie, Angus Walker.
Missing: Jimmy Whyte.