Tag Archive for: 1XV

Outscored but not Overcome

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Perthshire 7 – 36 Allan Glen’s

Perthshire battle but unable to capitalise on opportunities.

Despite the cold there was a good crowd down at the North Inch to support the 1XV in their first home match of 2023. Buoyed by a win away to Greenock last week, the Eagles were aiming to make it 2 in a row. Allan Glen’s sit near the top of the table so it was a good chance to measure progress from the defeat in Bishopbriggs a the beginning of the League season.

The home team kicked off and were immediately under pressure as Allan Glen’s brought their running & offloading game. The ‘Shire defence held on the line and forced a knock on to relieve the immediate danger. A brief foray into the other half followed but Allan Glen’s soon turned it over and on the front foot managed to work up the pitch to score under the posts.

For the next 10 minutes it was Perthshire’s game. Tackles from Calum Chalmers & Ross Goodison stopped dead any Allan Glen’s attack. James Mair & Angus Walker were securing rucks and winning penalties; and Aidan Watson was good with the boot to make the territory. However, the lineouts faltered gifting Allan Glen’s some easy escapes.

The scrum was a different matter, the Perth men with the upper hand all game. Calum Chalmers had a surging run to set up a strong attack from midfield and ‘Shire looked to be building momentum towards the line. Allan Glen’s took advantage of some slow support to turnover in their own half; and, with some direct running and offloads, a break through the centre took them the distance to score a second converted try, 0-14.

There was more consistent Perthshire pressure, slowly and patiently grinding the way in to the visitors’ 22. Each time the final pass was inaccurate or support too slow and the Allan Glen’s line was not breached. After a few near strikes, Simon McGarry and Dan Rae both inches short of the whitewash, Glen’s won possession back and their fullback ran most of the way before the cover could reach him, the offload was good to make it a third try under the posts, 0-21.

Halftime came with no more scores but plenty of intent until the whistle. Perthshire had Allan Glen’s in all sorts of bother, the lineout was back working, scrums pushing forward but still ‘Shire were repelled on the line.

The second half started just as the rain came on and wind got up. The next 20 minutes was a tight affair. Perthshire were barging their way up the pitch, but still to no avail. On the counter, a direct run from Allan Glen’s saw them cross for an unconverted try and the bonus point, 0-26.

The match became a war of attrition. Ferocious defence kept it in the midfield, again Calum Chalmers & Ross Goodison led the way with the tackles while forward carries by Ewen MacDonald, James Mair and Dan Rae would earn hard yards.

Come the final quarter the rain lifted and ‘Shire had an attacking lineout within the 22. Taken cleanly by Tom Colvin, the maul set and rumbled up to within 3m. Stopped, a series of short picks again just missed despite the efforts of Mat Rae & Simon McGarry who both went incredibly close.

Allan Glen’s escaped and upped the tempo. On the front foot, they rolled ‘Shire backwards in defence and struck under the posts seizing the opportunity when it came, 0-33.

With less than 10 minutes to go and the full bench on ‘Shire got their try. Aidan Watson moved to 9 and spotted a gap to break clear from around the back of the lineout. Getting quick ball he brought the forwards in to hammer the line. Allan Glen’s infringed and with the advantage the ball went to the back line, but Glen’s defended it and ‘Shire returned for a penalty scrum.

This went forward and nearly every player in the team seemed to have a go to cross the line before James Mair squeezed it over at the post. Jonny Armitt took the conversion quickly, 7-33. Perthshire were looking to get a second score but Allan Glen’s had different ideas, they slowed and controlled the ball, winning a penalty in the final minute which they kicked over to end the match, 7-36.

This was an 80 minute performance from Perthshire and each player knows they gave their all but has areas to improve upon. Coaches Alan Clark and Kenny Christie will use the week ahead to address these before ‘Shire travel to Newton Mearns and seek to amend the agonising 2 point defeat by Whitecraigs on the North Inch in October.

Flooding in Dunfermline cancelled the 2s fixture so the team have to wait to next week to start 2023, with a home match against Bannockburn. Kick-off is 2pm, supporters welcome to cheer on the 2XV and join them in the Bowling Club after.

Photos taken by Peter Wilkinson.

Perthshire Start 2023 with a Bang

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Greenock Wanderers 15 – 37 Perthshire

Eagles take their chances to secure win on the road.

Bright sunshine greeted Perthshire’s arrival in Greenock where both teams were looking forward to some rugby following the pre-Christmas postponements.

Perthshire were able to name a strong side and they started well, receiving kick-off and setting up a ruck where Ewen MacDonald picked through the middle and offloaded to Simon McGarry, who sprinted 60m and deep into the Greenock half. Desperate Greenock defence conceded a penalty, however Perthshire opted not to take the points on offer and kicked to the corner looking to build pressure. Despite winning the lineout, an error a few phases later allowed Greenock to clear and the chance was gone.

Greenock were soon building pressure of their own and Perthshire gave away penalty after penalty. Pinned in their own 22, the referee’s patience eventually gave out and Angus Walker was sent to the sin bin for holding-on. Greenock opted to take the points from out in front and their stand off made no mistake from the tee.
Greenock 3 – 0 Perthshire.

Despite being a man down Perthshire earned themselves a scrum in the Greenock half. The scrum was dominant throughout the first half, and after a good scrum powerful carries from Matt Stevens and Will Campbell provided the platform for James Armstrong to pick and crash over. An act that left this finely tuned athlete cramping and requesting a packet of salt and vinegar crisps to cure his ills! Despite the tricky conversion, Jonny Armitt made no mistake.
Greenock 3 – 7 Perthshire.

Perthshire were soon back in the Greenock half, the forward pack were making great yards and a good kick chase provided the Eagles with an attacking lineout in the Greenock 22. Jack High’s darts were on point and after hard yards were made through the middle, James Armstrong again spotted a gap to crash over with Jonny again adding the extra 2 points.
Greenock 3 – 14 Perthshire.

Perthshire were now back up to 15 players… however they were unable to maintain the equilibrium for long. Greenock attacked and put a kick through into the Perthshire 22. Aidan Watson covered the kick well, but when a local cameraman put his foot on the ball to prevent Aidan taking a quick lineout Aiden took exception and decided to bounce the ball off his very expensive looking camera. A scuffle followed and when the dust settled Aidan has been given a yellow card and 10 minutes on the touchline himself. This time Greenock were able to take advantage of the extra man, passing the ball out to the right where a grubber through allowed the Wanderers centre to collect and score. Jonny Armitt charged down the attempted conversion.
Greenock 8 – 14 Perthshire.

Perthshire reacted well to this score and when Jonny Armitt’s deep kick bounced favourably into touch 5m out for a 50/22 Perthshire made no mistake in converting the opportunity. The lineout was brought to the ground and the maul proved too strong for Greenock to keep out. Will Campbell controlling, then grounding the ball through a forest of legs as the pack crashed over the line. This time the conversion from the touchline proved too tricky with the kick drifting left of the posts.
Greenock 8 – 19 Perthshire.

Perthshire were well on top by this stage and after winning a penalty in the Greenock half a shot at goal was called. Jonny Armitt’s kick looked good off the tee but curled left and struck the upright and bounced back into play. Although the Wanderers originally claimed it, the Perthshire defensive pressure forced an error and Lewis Murrie was able to capitalise dotting the ball down over the try line and wrapping up the try bonus point before half time. The conversion was again missed but an impressive first half showing had Perthshire well in command at the break.
HT Greenock 3 – Perthshire 24.

The more observant spectators may have spotted an ominous black cloud making its way up the Firth of Clyde during the latter stages of the first half. It arrived at the start of the second half bringing torrential rain and a gloom that almost merited the use of floodlights! Unsurprisingly the heavy rain had a massive impact on the match with a battle of attrition now being fought up front and the halfbacks attempting to secure field position with clever kicking.

About midway through the half Perthshire secured some field position and won a penalty under the posts. Aidan Watson was now on kicking duties and made no mistake.
Greenock 8 – 27 Perthshire.

Aidan was soon afforded another opportunity after James Mair won a jackaling penalty in the opposition half, again he was able to convert, stretching Perthshire’s lead further.
Greenock 8 – 30 Perthshire.

The rain eased slightly and Greenock were the first to take advantage. From a scrum 40m out Greenock’s pack got a shove on a provided excellent ball to the backs. They attacked with pace and a switch move allowed their centre to break the line and scamper deep into the Perthshire 22. Although the cover tackle was made the offload could not be stopped and another pass allowed a walk in try underneath the posts which was subsequently converted.
Greenock 15 – 30 Perthshire.

As the game neared its conclusion, it looked as though no team was going to allow any further scoring. However in the final play a loose ball was kicked through by Aidan Watson. Andrew Guthrie (returning to Perthshire to play against his former club) looked like he was going to kick through and score only for his kick to shoot off sideways. Fortunately, Simon McGarry was on hand to win the race and dive on the loose ball for a further try. Aidan Watson converted to seal an impressive win on the road.
FT Greenock 15 – 37 Perthshire.

A fantastic start to the year for Perthshire who will look to replicate this performance on the North Inch next weekend when Allan Glens will be the visitors. Kick-off 2pm and the North Inch, supporters welcome to cheer on the Eagles in their first home match of 2023.

Photos taken by Arran Sheach.

Plane, Bus and Ferry but Fail to Launch

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Orkney 50 – 12 Perthshire

Eagles travel by all means to Orkney but come away empty handed.

Travelling to Orkney always produces logistical nightmares for Team Manager Mark Coupar. In December, the weather can postpone a match so there’s a lot at stake to get the transport & accommodation right. With plans set in motion most of the squad travelled overnight by coach to a hostel in Wick then caught the ferry across the Pentland Firth, while some others took the early flight from Edinburgh to Kirkwall to join the main squad for an earlier 1:15pm kick-off.

At the beginning Perthshire held their own but Orkney opened their account after around 10 minutes of play after ‘Shire were reduced to 14 men, due to repeated penalties while defending their line, and would score twice more a for a 19-0 lead at halftime.

Orkney scored early in the second half then a bad situation became worse as a tackle judged high by the referee warranted a second yellow card for James Armstrong, so he was shown red and ended his match early.

With the man advantage and in control, the Kirkwall team built up a 43-0 lead before Ewen MacDonald could grab a consolation try after a series of drives. Calum Bruce added the extras.

Moments later a mistake on their own lineout throw had ‘Shire defending their try line again from a repeated Orcadian onslaught. This time Aidan Watson read the play and intercepted breaking through and dancing up to halfway before passing to Simon McGarry who sprinted the remaining distance. Caught and stopped just short he stretched to score in the corner.

There was time for one more try by Orkney to end the match 50-12 on the final whistle. Perthshire can take heart from the resolve at the end to score 2 quick tries but will rue the missed opportunities and indiscipline which ultimately were their undoing.

Next week, it’s an away trip to Milngavie where high flying West of Scotland will be looking to continue their winning streak. It’s up to Perthshire to cause the upset, supporters welcome on the bus departing from Bell’s.

The full match recording can be watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7p2T5GMrZA

Outnumbered but not Outgunned

Aberfeldy 79 – 22 Perthshire 2XV

Perthshire put in gutsy performance.

Injuries and last minute call-offs again gave Coach Dave Lewis a nightmare trying to put together a team. Taylor Mair came across from Glasgow to make it a squad of 13 that travelled upstream to Aberfeldy.

Despite being 2 men down it did not show. Aberfeldy had the lion’s share of possession but determined defence and line speed caused no end of trouble for the Home team with multiple knock-ons killing their momentum. Underpowered in a 7 v 8 scrum ‘Shire still held their own throughout.

Aberfeldy tried to speed the game up and utilise their 2 man advantage with quick tap penalties. Wise to this Rab Pittendreigh and Liam Flavell covered back often stopping any break. Ultimately speed & numbers counted as ‘Shire could not contain the attack and the hosts ran in their first 2 tries under the posts.

Eventually ‘Shire got a bit of possession and into the opposition half, when a neat ball went to Jack High who burst through splintering the Aberfeldy defence. Hauled down just shy of the line, ‘Shire controlled it with a few short phases before Jonny Armitt squeezed over. He then converted his try from a difficult angle, 14-7.

The Boars hit back quite quickly; then on the half hour mark bad went to worse as Taylor Mair left the field with a dislocated shoulder. Perthshire had 12 players and 50 minutes of the match to play. Aberfeldy soon scored again to make it 26-7.

With commitment and determination tackles from Shaun Barton, Jonny Armitt and Angus Macpherson pinned Aberfeldy in own half. The pressure was too much and Jonny Armitt won a ruck penalty which he elected to kick and claimed the 3 points, 26-10.

Perthshire’s attack yielded some more penalties as half time approached; a high tackle on Mikey Evans as he jinked through numerous defenders and an offside at the ruck. These were within range for Jonny Armitt but missed both by fine margins. On the counter Aberfeldy managed another try just as the half ended.

Dave Lewis asked for continued determination from the team. Captain Angus Macpherson urged his players to keep up the pressure in defence and force Aberfeldy into errors.

To a large extent Perthshire heeded these calls. Aberfeldy were all over the place in possession. Shaun Barton chief amongst the Black & White shirts in disrupting their flow. He was unlucky not to score next, the referee disallowing the try for a double movement.

With another try in the bag leading 38-10, Aberfeldy sent 2 players across to Perthshire to make it 15 v 14 players.

The game opened up a bit as ‘Shire upped the intensity, however, this was a high risk strategy and when turned over Perthshire were vulnerable with the Aberfeldy fullback in particular taking advantage of the space offered to him as the hosts ran in a further 3 tries, 57-10.

All day, Jack High was hitting his man at the lineout. Following a strong defensive effort again, Perthshire set a lineout in the Aberfeldy 22. Secured ‘Shire played it simple; carries from Angus Macpherson and Bruce Campbell bringing it close to the line before Shaun Barton dived over from short range. Jonny Armitt converted, 57-17.

Aberfeldy hit straight back with a try but then were reduced to 14 men as a yellow card was shown for foul play. Jonny Armitt missed the shot at goal but solid cover defence from Mikey Evans stopped them leaving their own half. Kicked to clear, ‘Shire caught then ran it back but knocked on in the tackle. Determined, Stevie Wilkie & Mark Morgan walked their opposite props back as ‘Shire won this scrum against the head. From the base No. 8 Shaun Barton picked, drew the defence and offloaded to Jonny Armitt to score an unconverted try in the corner.

Unbelievably there was still 13 minutes left for ‘Shire to try and secure the bonus point try. Exhausted from playing numbers down for so long but undeterred they pressed on. Michael Gratzke and Ryan Beaton covered the pitch as between them they seemed to get to most rucks first, providing the platform for attack. Mikey Evans had another break but was caught just as it seemed to be on.

The last say went to Aberfeldy who had little possession this period but would counter effectively to score 3 more tries and leave it with a 79-22 score line at full time.

Perthshire despite always down 1, 2 or 3 men gave Aberfeldy a game for 80 minutes. Every player in Black & White put in a performance and with a full complement the result would have been very different.

There’s one more 2XV match before Christmas, as Bannockburn visit the North on Saturday. Supporters welcome to cheer on the 2s, kick-off is at 2pm.

Photos taken by Chloe Billimore (Aberfeldy RFC).

End-to-End with Eleven Tries

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Perthshire 33 – 34 Murrayfield Wanderers

Perthshire’s second half slump allows Wanderers to sneak it.

A large crowd descended on the North Inch for this hotly anticipated fixture, with only a point between them in the table it was set to be a close match – and it proved to be. The support was also swelled by the friends & family of Adam Pattinson who had come down to watch, as this fixture would contest the Adam Pattinson Memorial Cup for only the second time in Perth.

The conditions were near perfect for November, soft underfoot but dry and remarkably still. The initial 10 minutes were an even affair both teams getting opportunities but defences holding.

Perthshire then broke through into the Murrayfield 22, stopped illegally they maintained the pace with a tap penalty. After multiple phases the ball was grounded across the line but the referee disallowed it judging there a knock-on at the ruck. Murrayfield then got an easy out with a penalty from the scrum and then the subsequent lineout.

Now on the back foot, Perthshire’s defence creaked as Murrayfield sliced through, only a last gasp tackle and turnover from Mat Rae prevented a score. Perthshire cleared but had to absorb more pressure as Murrayfield struck right back.

Regaining the ball some patience saw the Eagles slowly work into the Murrayfield half. The sustained pressure overcame resolute defence and Rory Bayne grabbed a team try after multiple phases, the conversion hitting the post, 5-0.

The Edinburgh outfit hit back immediately. In a theme for the match a hole would appear in the ‘Shire defensive line and allow a runner through. The scramble would catch up, but this time Jonny Armitt was penalised for pulling the tackled player into touch. From the 5m lineout a few quick short phases of play and Wanderers bundled over to level.

A soft tackle later and they very nearly grabbed a second, only denied by the referee who adjudged a double movement in the grounding of the ball. Following this reprieve ‘Shire woke up and came on to the front foot; charging runs by James Mair and Rhys Darlington building the momentum. A quick tap at caught Murrayfield on the hop, Jack McIntosh was getting quality ball, Angus Walker & Matt Jenns key in delivering ruck speed, and Aidan Watson could distribute as he saw fit. Going wide created the space in the middle which Aidan Watson exploited to race under the posts.

A temporary replacement, saw Aedan Milne come on for Jack McIntosh and what an impact this made. Simon McGarry burst through and ‘Shire gleefully flooded the space. The ball worked out to Aedan Milne who was stopped from scoring by a high tackle. The referee deemed it a yellow card offence and awarded the penalty try, 19-5. Jack McIntosh returned and Aedan went back to the bench.

Despite down to 14 men the momentum shifted to Murrayfield. ‘Shire were holding them back but a lapse in concentration gifted a huge blindside for Murrayfield to exploit. Out to the wing then back inside for a converted try.

With minutes left to half time, the defence well led by Dan Rae effected a turnover. The ball went out to Simon McGarry who scorched the earth as he sprinted down the wing, beating 2 defenders for pace. Snared by the fullback, and despite a heavy contact, he managed an offload to Mat Rae, the Captain finishing the try out wide to secure the bonus point. Jonny Armitt struck the conversion sweetly to make it 26-12 as the half time whistle blew.The second half kicked off into a flurry of activity. Wanderers went close, a maul pushed all the way to the line only for Perthshire to smuggle the ball out and escape. Restored to 15 the visitors needed all their men to stop a sustained Perthshire attack as the Eagles marched from their own 22 up to their opponents. ‘Shire looked good to score but were denied as the move was called back for obstruction.

Unrewarded it was the Home team’s turn to defend. Soaking up the pressure it was a stalemate around halfway until Aidan Watson picked his moment darted froward for the intercept, plucked the ball out of the air and weaved his way under the posts. Jonny Armitt converting to establish a healthy lead, 33-12.

It then started to unravel for Perthshire. Jack McIntosh was injured in a massive collision forcing him off the field and discipline left ‘Shire. Penalty after penalty allowed Murrayfield to build momentum and score twice. Perthshire were lucky not to lose a man to the sin bin.

Despite efforts from Matt Stevens and Gavin Hegarty, Perthshire were stuck in their own half defending a 33-22 lead. Panic set it and poor decisions, forced passes and frustrating penalties put Murrayfield in complete control. On the 65 minute mark after numerous phases Wanderers crossed the whitewash to put them in sight, 33-27.

Perthshire woke up. Solid tackles and carries from Dan Rae, Matt Stevens, James Mair and Angus Walker put ‘Shire back on top. When given space Rory Bayne and John Kelly could eat up the yards, ably supported by Mat Rae and Gavin Hegarty. The lineouts were solid all day and provide a platform but the accuracy was not there when needed. Aedan Milne breezed down the touchline creating a 2-on-1, but could not get the ball away to release Mat Rae screaming for it in support.

Instead on a counter play, Murrayfield sent to quickly to the right wing then ran in into space and under posts, converting the try to take a 1 point lead, 33-34 with only 6 minutes left on the clock.

There was time for Perthshire to save the game and forward they pushed. Reclaiming the ball and getting close but not quite into the 22. When it looked to be over one final attack and the referee awarded a penalty. It was kickable but a difficult angle.

With 30s left this was the final play. The wind seemed to pick up as Jonny Armitt went to strike the ball. It drifted wide and the final whistle blew. Defeated and deflated, ‘Shire know they let it get away from them. A 21 point lead surrendered in under 30 minutes and Murrayfield Wanderers retained the Adam Pattinson Memorial Cup by the finest of margins.

Next week is the long away trip to Kirkwall to face Orkney. Planes, trains, ferries and buses required to get the squad there, for the first time since 2018.

 

A Game of Four Halves

Perthshire 2XV 12 – 34 Carnoustie

Strong start but finishing touches elude Perthshire.

With no league fixture the 2s had a run out against a Carnoustie XV featuring some of their fringe and less experienced players. As a development match it was split into 4 quarters of 20 minutes. Perthshire had their brightest parts in the first & last periods.

Stevie Wilkie taking a slick ball from fly half Calum Bruce covered the ground required to score the first try of the match. The set piece was strong throughout the match, Mike Ryan at hooker taking 4 against the head as well as retaining all his own ball; in the lineout no matter who threw in, Tom Colvin got his hands on the ball and won it back for ‘Shire. As the match progressed Carnoustie’s more established players took control and orchestrated 3 tries before Rabson Chipakupaku could pull one back for ‘Shire. This was following a 40m dash to the line as the space opened up for his dancing feet.

At 12-22 there was a chance for the Home team to push on, Mikey Evans and Ross Goodison to the fore with strong carries and providing go froward ball. Instead ‘Shire were frustrated by their own mistakes despite these good attacking positions. Carnoustie made no mistakes with their chances to score twice more for a 12-34 win by the full time whistle.

The league returns next week with an away trip to Aberfeldy.

Photos taken by Peter Wilkinson.

Depleted Perthshire Struggle to Gain Form

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Hillhead Jordanhill 59 – 15 Perthshire

Sparks from Perthshire but injuries and unavailability hamper efforts.

A depleted Perthshire headed to Hughenden to play against high flying Hillhead Jordanhill. A strong home support were there to witness what became a one-sided affair on the scoreline.

First half tries from John Kelly and James Mair gave Perthshire a chance to at least take a try bonus point once it became clear Hillhead’s lead was too great to claw back. There was hope this may come after Aedan Milne went over, but the injuries to Bruce Campbell and Mat Rae and took their toll and the final 10 minutes were played with 14 men.

It was a tough day on the pitch, but heart was shown with strong performances from Dan Rae in defence and Arran Sheach named Man-of-the-Match for the Eagles.

As with the previous match at Howe of Fife, scoring 3 tries gains no reward for Perthshire. Bonus points will be critical come the end of the season when the league is restructured. To take nothing from those 2 matches may hurt Perthshire at that time. That’s for the future, with a break this weekend the squad can regroup and rehabilitate the injuries ahead of an exciting clash with Murrayfield Wanderers on Saturday 26th November on the North Inch. The teams will once again contest the Adam Pattinson Memorial Cup and a large crowd is expected to be down to support the Eagles. All welcome to come and support, kick off is 2pm.

There are still spaces at the Friends of Perthshire Lunch being held at the Mexican Restaurant from 11:30am, for more information see here: www.perthshire-rfc.co.uk/friends-of-perthshire-lunch

Tight All the “Waid” to the End

Perthshire 2XV 17 – 24 Waid Academy FP

Fifers steal the win in the final play.

With injuries and unavailability affecting both senior squads Coach Dave Lewis had a difficult job constantly juggling and rearranging the 2s for the Waid match; but he put together a viable team ready for the challenge. The teams were level in the table and this was a great opportunity to seize some momentum with half the matches now completed before the league splits.

It started with Waid on the front foot. For the first 20 minutes Perthshire defended and defended some more. At times soft tackles allowed Waid deep into Perthshire territory then some great defence, especially from Hector Inglis & Shaun Barton, would win a turnover and clear the lines. Inevitably it would revert to defence as in possession ‘Shire were readily lost the ball. Waid were persistent and determined in their attacks, and impatient breakdown penalties also hampered Perthshire’s ability to advance beyond the halfway line.

Eventually Perthshire got a break. Some aggressive defence pushed the Waid attackers into their own half and further pressure won an attacking scrum on the 22. From this position, the ball was sent along the hands drawing in the defenders and creating the space for Liam Flavell to dive over in the corner for an unconverted try. Despite 25 minute of defending, with their first real attack Perthshire were up 5-0.

The rest of the first half returned to the original pattern. Solid defence was undone by a few holes readily exploited by the Waid fly-half & back rows. James Armstrong chased back the large second row and wrestled him onto his back to hold up a certain try over the line. Sadly, this effort went to waste as from the following goal-line dropout Waid ran it back seemingly untouched by a Perthshire defender to take the lead with a converted try.

Penalties were racking up and the referee’s patience wearing thin as he took issue with the volume and amount of “advice” players from both teams were giving him. Having brilliantly won a turnover James Armstrong took a quick tap and was brought down by defenders who had not retreated the required 10m. Complaining & appealing to the referee won no favours, instead the penalty was reversed and James was shown a yellow card. Waid, who were having a good time up front, opted for a scrum and soft tackles allowed the Fifers to extend the lead with a converted try as half time arrived, 5-14.

A frustrating first half, the team had the ability to overcome the opponents but were not connecting. Dave Lewis encouraged his players to stick to their structure and take opportunities when they arise.

The second half kicked off at a blistering pace. After taking a boot to the face in a tackle, centre Shaun Barton briefly went off then returned to the field at No. 8 as a rejigging of the scrum was necessary with other injuries. This added some much more dynamism off the base, scrumhalf Jonny Armitt linking well and creating fast attacking ball.

Not long after, Cammie Rennie received the ball and surged forward as tacklers fell off him, charging 30m to take possession in to the 22. An offload to Jonny Armitt and he took it all the way to the line. Nearly but not close enough, the ball was knocked on in the next phase. However, Waid were judged offside and taking the penalty tap quickly, Andy Jack barrelled forward, stopped just short he stretched his arm out and pushed the ball into the base of the post to score. Jonny Armitt added the extras and it was a 2 point game, 12-14. In a further boost Perthshire were restored to 15 as James Armstrong’s time in the sin bin was over.

The momentum slowly swung back to Waid. Taking a lineout 5m out they set a maul but were stopped illegally. Opting for the scrum they controlled the ball holding the forwards in. With the defence stretched Mikey Evans saved the day winning a great turnover to kill off the move.

‘Shire were then guilty of getting too excited in attack. A good chip & chase seemed to be on but a needless obstruction gifted Waid a penalty which they aimed at goal, slotting it over to extend their lead, 12-17.

The game reverted to the pattern of the first half, ‘Shire forced to defend and mistakes preventing any meaningful attack or relief of pressure. Yet more injuries occurred and the squad was reshuffled further with Graham “Smudge” Smith coming off the bench to lend his considerable rugby brain & experience to the proceedings.

With yet another scrum in their own half ‘Shire through James Armstrong created something out of nothing. Taking the ball standing still at fly half, he picked off his opposite man then beelined for the touchline. Keeping just in field and out-running the cover defence, he dived over in the corner to level the match, 17-17. Jonny Armitt came close but couldn’t add the extras.

The final 20 was an edgy affair. Neither team had the upper hand, lineouts were unreliable, Andy Jack using his stature to steal a few against the throw but ‘Shire could not hit their mark either. More runs by James Armstrong, Reece Brown and Shaun Barton came to nought as the pack tired and failed to secure rucks.

Waid were using all they had to break the deadlock, and remained determinedly camped in the ‘Shire 22. Defence was desperate and winning a penalty Waid opted to go for goal but missed. The final play was near. Jackaling for a turnover ‘Shire broke the siege and stormed through into the Waid half, only again the pack could not keep up and the play ended.

Tired bodies were obvious and now ‘Shire were too slow and without the urgency needed. Quick penalties in succession had the men in Black & White backpedalling while Waid flooded the space behind and went in under the posts. Converted as the referee blew for full time, the Anstruther team took the victory, 17-24.

This was a tough defeat to swallow. With 2 evenly matched teams it could have gone either way. The slow start and scrappy ending were the undoing of ‘Shire. The middle was good and plenty to build on. A thanks to Reece Brown for coming in to the team and also to Cameron Archibald & Arran Rex borrowed from Panmure; hopefully they’ll come back to play in Perthshire colours soon.

Photos taken by Peter Wilkinson.

Friday Night Frights

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Howe of Fife 74 – 19 Perthshire

Set piece woes haunt Perthshire

A large vocal crowd assembled at Duffus Park, in anticipation of decades old local derby under the floodlights. The first half lived up to the billing but by the second half, the crowd quietened as the match became a formality. Still there were positives to take and Perthshire kept fighting to the end.

Perthshire kicked off into the still and mild night, near perfect conditions for a match. The initial exchanges ware even, especially the kicking tennis that ensued. Jonny Armitt was denied a 50:22 by a dubious call from the home touch judge which added to the edginess of these opening minutes.

It would prove a problem all night as ‘Shire could not secure their own lineout ball. An early lineout fumble allowed Howe to kick through, Jonny Armitt manged to secure the bouncing ball under sustained pressure and then from the ruck James Mair made a storming break. Finding space he covered 20m before an over ambitious pass to the wing went into touch. There was certainly intent from the men in Black & White.

From the Howe lineout, Aidan Watson came up rapidly to intercept a pass and, after pulling in a few defenders, offloaded to Rory Bayne who covered the final metres to cross the whitewash, Jonny Armitt added the extras.

Howe came back and went through the phases. The ‘Shire defence absorbed it all and forced a knock-on. Despite having the put in, ‘Shire were pushed back and concede a penalty. Going to the corner, Howe set a maul from the lineout which was held out. Chop tackles brought down the runner and Perthshire thought they’d won a turnover only for the referee to judge it differently and award Howe the penalty. This was tapped and within a few phases Howe scored an unconverted try to make it 5-7.

Testy exchanges followed and Howe came close to another try but were denied as the final pass went forward. It was not long until the Fifers took the lead, a charged down clearance kick bounced around and hit the referee but play continued. Howe shifted it right to left, then a short pass back inside to a barging front row carry crashed over.

Howe backed this up quickly as from the kick-off the back rows got involved in off the ball antics with their opposite numbers, creating space in the midfield for the Howe centre to scythe through and score from 50m out. Adding the conversion it was now 19-7.

This focussed the energies of both packs and ‘Shire led a strong defensive charge forcing back the Howe attack until they threw the ball into touch. This good work seemed to be undone as despite securing the ball from the lineout the next ruck was under-resourced and Howe won penalty. Lewis Murrie had other ideas and was lightening quick off the back of the following lineout putting extreme pressure on the backline. They fly-half fumbled the pass, Aidan Watson hacked it on and scooped up the ball to canter in under the posts. Jonny Armitt again slotting the conversion. 19-14.

Jonny Armitt was mastering the kicking game, the fullback either directing his kick returns to unguarded areas of the pitch or running it back and making up swathes of territory. With clean ball both Aidan Watson and Rory Bayne were very dangerous in attack. Howe had their hands full trying to contain them. However, often ‘Shire did not work hard enough to support them nor back up their attacks and the momentum would be lost.

On the defensive front Dan Rae and James Mair were shutting down anything in the close quarters but there was space to be found out wide. Howe exploited this for 2 more tries in the first half. The set piece continued to let ‘Shire down with the scrum now also becoming a weakness. The back row having to stay in created the space required for a hard tight running line by the inside centre to break clean through and score once more before half time to build a commanding lead, 36-14.

The intensity did not let up as the second half opened. There were some big hits and keenly contested breakdowns to excite the crowd. Howe opened the scoring when a soft shoulder on the fringe allowed them to break on the wing and get in behind. Stopped 5m short they patiently built the pressure before taking the unconverted try.

Within minutes Aidan Watson ignited a free-flowing move. Catching a clearance kick around halfway, he put on the after burners as he danced down the left touchline leaving defenders grasping at thin air. Blocked with 10m to go he passed back to Jack McIntosh who also put on a turn of space to sprint the final 10m and dive over in the corner for an unconverted try, 41-19.

Barely had the dust settled and the Eagles were back in defence, hitting hard and containing Howe. Amongst the fury, Dan Rae was shown a yellow card for a tip tackle. Booting the penalty to the corner, Howe set a maul, trundled forward and broke off to score.

Buoyed, Howe began to turn the screw. Hard carries, scrum and lineout dominance; Perthshire were definitely up against it now. There were flashpoints as disagreements between players were expressed, the referee unable to police them. This made no difference as Howe exerted their dominance to score twice more before Dan Rae could return.

There was no shortage of ambition from Perthshire as they went hunting for the fourth and bonus point try. Potentially they were guilty of trying too hard. An offloading game made great inroads but one speculative pass too many and the attack ended. Matt Stevens was providing the momentum with sort taps and hard carries, Aidan Watson & Rory Bayne could exploit some space, all to no avail.

By the time the referee blew for the end of the match, ‘Shire were down to 14 men as injuries took their toll and Howe had scored twice more to make it 74-19. Both teams looked exhausted, the crowd knew the was nothing much left in the tank with neither giving up for a full 80 minute performance. It went Howe’s way and there are lessons to learn for Perthshire, but also a positive, that the spirit did not break and the squad were not intimidated by a large opposition crowd.

It was a similar score line for the 2XV on their league match, also a under the floodlights on Friday night in Forfar.

Strathmore 2XV 57 – 14 Perthshire 2XV

Due to injuries and late call-ups to the 1XV, Campbell Watson’s 2XV was a scraped together, only 15 players for the short trip to Forfar. The normal warm up routine was ruined due to heavy traffic making players arrive late. That being said the Perthshire players played out their skins under difficult circumstances.

Perthshire kicked the match off and immediately put Strathie under pressure in their own half. Strong tackling from Bruce Campbell put the home side on the back foot, however Strathie used the space and their pace to score the first try of the match. ‘Shire kicked off again and were camped on the opposition’s try line for what seemed an eternity but were unable to capitalise on their possession.

This seemed to be the theme for the game, ‘Shire would gain territory only to lose it due to unforced errors or Strathies resolute defence. Strathmore were unable to cope with the ‘Shire set piece at all, their scrum was on skates the whole match and the Perth men used this to good effect.

This was a game where the score line didn’t reflect the game at all. Strathmore took their chances and were clinical whereas ‘Shire squandered a number of theirs, only scoring twice through Rabson Chipakupaku and Kyle Montgomerie. A tough shift on a very wet and boggy pitch.

Next weekend there are no matches as Scotland play Fiji at Murrayfield. This allows the squad a break and chance for some of the injuries to recover before league action resumes the following weekend, Saturday 12th November. The 1XV will travel to Glasgow to play Hillhead Jordanhill while the 2XV have a home fixture against Waid Academy FP, both will kick off at 2pm.

Shambolic Start then Second Half Success

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Perthshire 27 – 19 Royal High

Eagles recover from 19 point deficit to score a bonus point win.

The new 1XV strips arrived ready for their first outing. Thursday night was the reveal, the team are grateful to Tan International and Braeburn Whisky who continue as sponsors and the new shorts’ sponsor: The Silvery Tay.

Perthshire started very quickly. The kick off to Royal High was followed with immense pressure resulting in a quick turnover. The Eagles surged forward over a few phases then up to the 5m line. Here Royal High won a ruck penalty and ended the attack. ‘Shire then compounded this with a further 4 penalties to be successively kicked down to their own 5m line. The latest penalty was taken quickly and ‘Shire held for a few phases before Royal High took the first converted try.

The penalties continued to hurt ‘Shire who were all over the shop. The referee’s patience ran out and Simon McGarry was shown a yellow card and took 10 minutes in the sin bin. From the following lineout, Royal High set a maul, trudged forward sucking in defenders the sent it out to the centre running an inside line to dive over for a try, converted to make it 0-14.

Both sides were killing their own momentum with mistakes and penalties and for the next period little ground was made by either team, though Royal High often had the upper hand. Restored to 15 men ‘Shire had a defending scrum in their 22, which they won only for the ball to be dropped gifting Royal High a 5m attacking scrum. The pressure was relieved as the scrum dominance of Ewen MacDonald, Will Campbell and Angus Walker continued this season winning a penalty.

The relief was short lived. More penalties hurt Perthshire who were soon back defending a 5m lineout. Royal High secured the ball and sent it to the opposite corner for the winger to dot down, the conversion falling short. With 25 minutes played, the Edinburgh team were up 0-19.

With 10 minutes of the half remaining Lewis Murrie got a pass out to onrushing Will Campbell who broke the line and sprinted from around halfway into the 22. Caught, he managed to offload to Jonny Armitt who was stopped 7m short. The forwards took over and a series of pick & drives followed until the line was crossed, but the ball dropped. Returning for a penalty, banking on their scrum dominance, ‘Shire opted for this. The pack heaved and No. 8 Matt Stevens gained the momentum he needed to pick from the base and barge over to score. Jonny Armitt was just wide with the conversion.

Half time was imminent and both teams again struggled to string their attacks together. Running a kick back, Jonny Armitt was deliberately tripped by a Royal High defender who was dismissed with a yellow card.

Half time came, Perthshire were trailing 5-19. Head Coach Alan Clark must have found the right words as, without any personnel changes, the team that started the 2nd half stepped up in quality & intensity.

Safely taking the kick-off, Perthshire took a few carries up the middle then to the left of the pitch. From the base of the ruck Ross Goodison found the blindside unguarded and ran down the touchline being 2 defenders as he covered 50+ metres to ground the ball under the posts. Jonny Armitt converted, 12-19.

Within minutes of this triumph Goodison went over on his ankle and had to come off. A swift recovery is hoped for as his defence was solid and showed his threat in attack. This meant the return, after a long injury delay, of Kieran Ramsay into the centre as Gavin Hegarty moved to the wing.

The intensity from the men in Black & White went up another gear. Another returner from injury James Armstrong was finding his place in the game. He made a strong surge deep into Royal High territory following a quick tap penalty on halfway. Royal High were now conceding the penalties, a scrum followed then from that play a high tackle. This penalty was taken quickly and a maul formed close to the line. James Armstrong finished what he started and peeled off from the back of the maul to score in the corner. Conversion missed, it was now a 2 point match.

Some indiscipline allowed Royal High a shot at goal in front of the posts around 45m out. This went wide; rather than opt for the 22 drop out James Armstrong booted it downfield. The kick chase was rewarded as Royal High were penalised for holding on now inside their own half. Jonny Armitt lined up this kick and made no mistake; Perthshire took the lead 20-19.

Half backs Lewis Murrie & Rory Bayne were starting to control the play now. The pack, led from the front Dan Rae, were stifling Royal High and providing quick clean ball. A series of plays saw Rabson Chipakupaku in space only to be tackled out with the try line beckoning, Kieran Ramsay also nearly crossed after a short penalty.

Shaun Barton had come on earlier for Simon McGarry and now Jack McIntosh joined in place of James Armstrong who had played a huge role in rejuvenating the attack in the second half. A further attack saw the forwards power over but were held up. Royal High fumbled the drop out to gift ‘Shire a 5m scrum. From his scrum there was only going to be one outcome. Matt Stevens picked from the base but was brought down inches short. A few more picks and Matt Stevens made it across this time, with Jonny Armitt adding the extras, 29-19.

The remainder of the match was exciting, but no more scores. Following a high tackle on Jack McIntosh, Royal High had a player sent to the sin bin, but the shot at goal fell short. Rory Bayne went close after a chip & chase only for the ball to be judged as going dead before he dived to ground it. Later Jack McIntosh was close to a ball hacked through but was just beaten by the defender.

In the closing minutes Royal High lost another player to a red card for a reckless shoulder charge to the head of Shaun Barton. There was time for one more scrum but the referee decided ‘Shire infringed and Royal High decided to end it there kicking the ball dead.

A win that was made difficult by indiscipline and poor decision-making for the first 30 minutes, yet, the second half saw Perthshire score 22 points unanswered. With more players set to return from injury and a proven ability to sort problems out on pitch; the squad have the opportunity to back this result up with at Friday night’s Derby fixture against Howe of Fife. Kick-off is 7:30pm at Duffus Park, Cupar.

Photos by Andrew Sanderson.

A Tussle on the Inch

Perthshire 2XV 34 – 26 Rosyth Sharks

Perthshire 2XV come away from arm wrestle triumphant.

Campbell Watson had 19 players to choose from on Saturday including club legend Andy Elder and Calum Bruce who returned from injury. Campbell’s message to the boys before the game was about mind set, structure but most importantly to enjoy it.

The game kicked off with a series of 5 scrums for Rosyth’s indiscipline at the breakdown and Perth handing errors. Shire’s scrum held up well allowing Calum Bruce to nudge a beautifully weighted kick into touch deep inside the Rosyth 22. Lewis Macpherson secured the lineout and the ball was mauled over the line by Calum Robertson for the first try of the afternoon. Minutes later Perth were in again when quick thinking Andy Elder quick took a penalty, handed off defenders and ran it over for another score. Rosyth were on the back foot and struggled with Perth’s physicality, whenever they got decent possession Lee Graham was there to steal the ball back, amassing an impressive 10 turn overs throughout the match.

However, the players mindset started to go and after the 25 minute mark Rosyth were back in the game after scoring two easy tries. Rosyth’s ill-discipline became an issue when their player slide-tackled Colin Smith when he was on the floor causing a shoulder injury, then again moments later Andy Elder was crocodile rolled from a ruck. Captain Chris Wallace was only too eager to press these infractions to the referee but they fell on deaf ears. Rosyth found themselves down to 13 players for the remainder of the half.

Campbell gathered his squad and read the riot act. The message was clear – do not lower yourself to their level and play with structure. Just before half time Perth were in again when Lee Graham hit the blindside, shrugged off the defender and slid over the whitewash for Perth’s 3rd of the afternoon.

Half time came and Campbell again rallied his troops, Rosyth were there for the taking but mindset had to be right to switch on and play to their potential. The second half started off in an arm wrestle with neither team really giving up territory before Rosyth broke through a lazy Perth defender and made it deep into the 22 only to be stopped by legendary Andy Elder with Lee Graham gaining yet another turn over. Shire’s outstanding defence took the wind out of Rosyth sails and their heads started to go down and they were bickering between themselves. Shire’s mindset was spot on and try as they might Rosyth couldn’t drag it down to their level. This boiled over late in the second half when the opposing prop kicked out in a ruck and was instantly given his marching orders from the referee.

Perth needed to put this game to bed and they did so through Angus ‘Stoorie’ Macpherson. Some great hands and off loads in the tackle saw Stoorie roll back the years with a 20 metre run in a for a brilliant team try. Moments before the final whistle Lee Graham took the ball from a scrum and hit the blindside, handed off two defenders and over for his second of the afternoon.

A brilliant performance for the 2XV in a game that was a proper arm wrestle at times. Special recognition to Andy Elder, Calum Bruce and Lee Graham. Next week, it is a Friday evening fixture away at Strathmore 2XV for a 7pm kick-off under the floodlights.

Photos by Andrew Sanderson and 2XV photos by Trish Macpherson.

 

Won in the Scrum but not on the Scoreboard

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Strathmore 29 – 6 Perthshire

Strathmore pack buckles but Eagles fail to capitalise on scrum dominance.

Injuries and unavailability were again a concern, but the players who took to the pitch this week knew they would get no sympathy from a fired up Strathmore. Always a close and fierce contest, Perthshire knew they had to bring their top game.

It didn’t start well, on receiving the kick-off a miscommunication led to an immediate knock on. Strathmore nearly scored from the scrum but were denied as the referee judged the final pass as forward. The pressure did not release as Strathmore were soon again threatening with a 5m lineout after ‘Shire were judged offside. Great defence, with James Mair & Matt Jenns featuring prominently, repelled the attack winning the turnover but the ball was dropped returning possession readily back to Strathmore. This error was compounded by a ruck infringement, Strathmore took a quick tap to spin the ball out wide and score as Perthshire’s defence were retreating in disarray.

The response from Perthshire was immediate. The pressure on the receiver at the restart kick was immense, Strathmore were pedalling backward and conceded a penalty for diving over the ruck. Jonny Armitt opted to kick and slotted the goal, 5-3.

Perthshire struggled to regain possession; undone by dropped balls, isolated runners and a faltering lineout, thus the next 20 minutes were mostly spent in defence. Strathmore were ratcheting up the gears in power and tempo, but Perthshire matched them with line-speed and chop tackles; Dan Rae, Simon McGarry and Angus Walker leading the charge. Despite winning penalties with the intensity of defence, the lineout did not fire and Perthshire, having just cleared, would be back on the defensive.

After a brief foray into the Strathmore 22 the Forfar men got the break and strode out into Perthshire’s half. A penalty for a high tackle led to a 5m lineout, this was then quickly passed along the line to the openside winger who picked his way round Perthshire’s fringe defenders to dot down in the corner, 10-3.

While lineouts struggled, the Perthshire scrum was dominant. Almost every time on their own ball ‘Shire would earn a penalty, yet this led to nothing, as at the following play invariably the lineout was lost or ball cheaply surrender in contact.

After failing a few times with lineouts close to the try line Jonny Armitt opted to take another shot at goal, this fell just short and the half time whistle blew.

The second half got off to a bizarre start. Perthshire kicked off but were penalised for being offside and Strathmore awarded a penalty on half way. In the confusion over the referee’s Law interpretation, Strathmore took a quick tap and ran into the 22 without any resistance, hauled down the backpedalling defence couldn’t organise in time and Strathmore picked and went to score under the posts, adding the conversion to make it 17-3.

This setback did not deter ‘Shire, they picked themselves up and started to attack with more purpose. Lewis Murrie moved to scrumhalf and Rabson Chipakupaku came on to the wing, both adding a bit of pace to their positions. This was soon rewarded with a penalty 30m out which Jonny Armitt converted to make the score 17-6.

Angus Walker, who was a menace in defence all day, then had to leave the field injured with Will Campbell coming on in his place. The intensity of attack persisted but a Perthshire infringement allowed Strathmore to kick into the 22 for a lineout. The maul was set and trundled a good few metres before the ball was released to the backs who sent it out to the winger for an unconverted try in the corner.

The scrum dominance of props Rhys Darlington and Ewen MacDonald was then eventually rewarded. After 4 consecutive scrums where Strathmore were penalised, the Forfar tighthead was shown a yellow card. With the 1 man advantage gained ‘Shire were guilty of trying too hard and had not earned the right to go wide and were tackled into touch.

The disappointment was compounded by the loss next of Rhys Darlington and Simon McGarry to injury; and the rain started to pour down.

Despite having only 14 men Strathmore dominated the closing minutes. The ‘Shire defence was unyielding always up and forcing Strathmore to play their best. It seemed the storm was weathered as the Eagles’ pressure earned a scrum and the chance to clear. However, the ball was not controlled and popped out the side, reacting quickest the Strathmore centre scooped it up and sprinted through to claim a try under posts. It was converted to make a final score of 29-6.

In many ways Perthshire can look to positives in this performance: an aggressive defence, dominant scrum and pride within the team; but the mistakes and shortcomings at: the lineout, decision making and stringing phases together were too costly. There is room for improvement and with more players returning from injury the difficulties of the last couple of weeks may look like a blip. It’s up to the squad to rally and prepare for Royal High who visit the North Inch in the next fixture.

There was no 2XV match but they too are in action on the North Inch on Saturday as Rosyth Sharks visit to make it a double header in Perth. All supporters welcome to come and cheer on the teams kicking off at 3pm. The Bowling Club will be open afterwards and the Perthshire Rugby Quiz Night follows at 7pm, also in the Bowling Club.

Photos taken by Peter Wilkinson.

Invitation to the Perthshire Christmas Party

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26th November 6:30pm for 7pm at the Station Hotel, Perth.

All members and supporters are invited to join the Perthshire Rugby Christmas Party on 26th November. A 3 course meal, DJ, dancefloor, raffle and maybe a game or two – come and join the fun!

Tickets at £40 per head, can be obtained via the Club webshop; depending on numbers, tables will seat 8-10 guests. Alternatively, they can be bought in cash given to the Club Captain Ewan MacKessack-Leitch. Closing date for ticket sales is Sunday 13th November. The dress code is formal black tie attire.

The menu for the evening is below and you will be asked to pre-order your choices:

Starter
• Teriyaki-cured salmon winter slaw served with sourdough crispbread.
• Veggie and cheese arancini served with arrabbiata sauce.
• Spiced pumpkin soup served with rustic bread.

Main
• Pork, sage and chestnut stuffed ballotine of turkey served with carrot puree.
• Pan seared cod served with pancetta and broad beans risotto with pea velouté.
• Vegan Wellington served with Brussels sprouts and Parisienne potatoes cranberry juice.

Dessert
• Christmas pudding with brandy sauce.
• Quenelle of mousse served with salted caramel and a crumble of nut.
• Vegan chocolate tart with raspberry sorbet.

That Saturday the 1XV play Murrayfield Wanderers on the North Inch, why not make a day of it? Watch the matches, join the fun in the Bowling Club afterwards and then celebrate Christmas in style at the Station Hotel.

Disappointing Day for Perthshire on the Inch

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Perthshire 15-17 Whitecraigs

Eagles struggle to make most of opportunities.

It was a bright and blustery day for the eagerly anticipated clash between Perthshire and Whitecraigs on the North Inch, although a rain shower before kick-off led to a slippery ball for the players to contend with. Both teams entered the fixture with one win apiece from their opening 3 matches and a tight game was anticipated. Perthshire were dealt an early blow however when captain Mat Rae pulled up in the warm up and could take no part in the game. The experienced Jonny Armitt came in at fullback with Mikey Evans moving onto the wing and John Kelly filling the vacant spot on the bench to later make his 1XV debut.

The coaches had stressed the need for a fast start pre-game and the desire was evident straight from the kick-off with Jack McIntosh and Matt Jenns putting real pressure of the Whitecraigs catcher forcing a knock on. Most of the opening 10 minutes was spent in the Whitecraigs half, however Perthshire were unable to turn pressure into points and dropped balls, penalties and a misfiring lineout repeatedly provided Whitecraigs opportunities to clear. From one such penalty Whitecraigs kicked to the left-hand touchline just outside the Perthshire 22. After a good lineout Whitecraigs kept it tight and went through a couple of phases until their Scrumhalf – scarcely believing his luck – capitalised on a totally undefended blindside to jog it in for the first points of the game. The missed conversion left the score as Perthshire 0-5 Whitecraigs.

The two teams were largely cancelling each other out and each yard made was hard won. However around 30 minutes in Perthshire were able to piggyback penalties deep into Whitecraigs territory. The forwards made a series of pick and goes but Whitecraigs repeatedly put their bodies on the line to keep out the men in Black and White. With a penalty advantage coming many of the crowd were looking for the ball to be moved wide, but Ewen MacDonald was not to be stopped and he powered over the line for the try. Aidan Watson slotted the conversion from out to the right-hand side and put his team in front. Perthshire 7-5 Whitecraigs.

Both defences stayed strong for the remainder of the first half with few real scoring opportunities allowed. After an audacious 50m penalty attempt from Aidan Watson drifted wide and short, Whitecraigs were happy to kick the ball out and end the half.

Half time score, Perthshire 7-5 Whitecraigs.

The coaches’ message at half time advocated that the game was very much there to be won – it was Whitecraigs however who struck first in the second half. A try out to the right of the posts was converted to take the visitors back into the lead, Perthshire 7-12 Whitecraigs.

In a similar pattern to the first half, Perthshire were struggling to find their verve. Whitecraigs stoutly defended Perthshire’s attacks in open play and too often a spluttering lineout left the home side unable to capitalise on good field position. Whitecraigs too were struggling to threaten the try line. Although they broke the Perthshire line on a couple of occasions, brave defence from Mikey Evans & Gavin Hegarty stopped the attacks before Whitecraigs could capitalise.

The game had been littered with penalties and mid-way through the half, the referee’s patience ran out. Whitecraigs loose head prop was sent for 10mins in the sin bin and Perthshire looked for a way to exploit the extra man. After a sustained period of pressure in the Whitecraigs half, a clearance kick found its way into the arms of Aidan Watson. He stepped the first man and took off down the line leaving defenders in his wake. Despite being hauled down 5 meters short of the line, the forwards took over and captain for the day James Mair burst through the defence to level the scores. Aidan Watson was unable to convert and the scores were tied up, Perthshire 12-12 Whitecraigs.

Further yellow cards were dished out for high tackles, one for each side, as the two teams battled to get the win. With 14 minutes left Perthshire were afforded the opportunity to edge themselves ahead when the referee awarded a penalty 30m out in the centre of the pitch. Aidan Watson stepped up and split the uprights despite the blustery conditions. Perthshire 15-12 Whitecraigs.
The home supporters hoped those points would prove to be the difference between the sides, however Whitecraigs struck back with around 5 minutes to go. An initial break got up to the Perthshire 22, and after a couple of phases the ball was passed out to the left to exploit a stretched Perthshire defence who were unable to stop the Whitecraigs man reaching the line. The conversion was missed leaving 2 points between the sides. Perthshire 15-17 Whitecraigs.

Perthshire were now forced to open up to try and find the points they required. The final play saw Perthshire running from their own 22. They made good yards and stretched Whitecraigs defence allowing Ewen MacDonald to pick and go through the middle and into open space. The crowd were roaring him forward and he made 20 metres and into Whitecraigs territory until a desperate tap tackle brought him to ground and forced the ball to come loose. The referee sounded his whistle and a disappointing afternoon ended.

Full Time. Perthshire 15-17 Whitecraigs.

Congratulations to Whitecraigs who battled for 80 minutes to take home the points. However, for Perthshire this will undoubtedly be viewed as one that got away. Attention now turns to next week when Perthshire will be in Aberdeen to face table topping Gordonians.

Bashes, Bumps, Breaks and Beaton

Perthshire 2XV 17 – 44 Grangemouth 2XV

2XV start brightly but hampered by freak injuries.

The first home match of the 2s season kicked off full of optimism. Coach Dave Lewis was fizzing with excitement at being able to name a full team and bench across all the positions. Even more satisfying was the knowledge this was achieved with 15 players unavailable for various reasons. There is a strength & depth to the Senior squad now.

The rain came just as ‘Shire received the kick-off. It made it slippery; knock-ons and forward passes disrupted both teams’ initial plays. Grangemouth had the first real attack as Perthshire surrendered space by going high in tackles and allowing Grangemouth easy yards.

Perthshire rallied and won a turnover. Taking the initiative Rab Pittendreigh ran from his own half then kicked down field. A foot race ensued with the Grangemouth fullback getting to it ahead of Pittendreigh but forced inside he was tackled by the onrushing ‘Shire back row. The ball was offloaded but this runner had no support and Perthshire smothered him and quickly won possession with a counter ruck. Ewan MacKessack-Leitch picked from the base and found a gap into open space, sprinting the 10m or so to score, Rab Pittendreigh adding the extras for a 7-0 lead.

At the restart Perthshire failed to effectively clear their lines and were immediately under pressure. Quick ball and soft tackles allowed Grangemouth to make deep inroads over a few phases. Perthshire held on and were starting to push back when a head knock forced Ewan MacKessack-Leitch off the pitch with suspected concussion. Minutes later scrumhalf Andrew Sanderson also left the field injured.

Losing these players in quick succession disrupted the team and Grangemouth surged over for their first try. Not long after they were over for their second, taking the lead 7-10, taking advantage of a disjointed Perthshire.

As the team settled things started to go better. Bruce Campbell was quick around the pitch causing havoc in attack while Angus Macpherson and Gavin Orr were effectively leading the defensive efforts in the backline. A quick penalty and Perthshire burst into the Grangemouth half. This flowing move saw the ball out to Liam Mowat on the wing who sprinted towards the line. Just caught and brought down Perthshire were not quite organised and Grangemouth pounced, picking up a loose ball they sprinted up the pitch to cross the line. Worse followed as Liam Mowat had stayed down following the tackle, a broken ankle and he was off to hospital. All hoping he makes a quick recovery.

With the bench nearly emptied within the first half Perthshire started to struggle with players covering out of position and there was time for Grangemouth to score their 4th try to make it 7-22 at the break. Coach Dave Lewis asked his players to calm down and revert to doing the simple jobs well and the fightback would follow.

The next 15 minutes were very even. Perthshire settled and went back to their structure. Dave Hutchison & Gavin Orr in the centre made strong inroads, ably supported by Ryan Beaton & Bruce Campbell who seemed to cover every blade of grass on the pitch. Jack High was proving a force to be reckoned with, bursting onto the ball at pace and threatening the Grangemouth line on a few occasions.

As Grangemouth scored again somewhat against the run of play, Perthshire pulled an ace from their sleeve. Liam Flavell took a nasty knock to his shoulder and Ben Cameron, who was supposedly down to spectate, was given a pair of boots, shorts and a strip to join the field. There was an immediate impact, with added urgency to the attack. Taking a quick penalty on the 22, Ben Cameron chipped over the defence and beat everyone else to scoop up the ball and dive over the line for an unconverted try.

Minutes later another gap opened up for Ben Cameron who needed no second invitation and dashed & danced his way around defenders to score under the posts. Missing the conversion this put Perthshire right back into the game 17-27.

Injuries hurt Perthshire again, Captain Angus Macpherson and Bruce Campbell both left the field and they were soon joined by Kieran Maclean, all with knocks they couldn’t shake off. While diving to pick up a dropped ball, James Marley’s fingers were broken by the boot of an attempted kick forcing a visit to A&E to assess the extent of the fracture. The bench was emptied now, Mark Morgan coming on to make his debut in Black & White, and Liam Flavell was forced to return in spite of injury.

Grangemouth spurred into action and took full advantage of the unfamiliar rejigged Perthshire. A further 3 tries would follow before full time as Perthshire were undone by the injuries and inevitable disrupted defence & attack. That’s not to say there were defeated, heads stayed up and no-one gave in, particularly: Man-of-the-Match Ryan Beaton, Mika Gratzke and Jack High; who pushed and encouraged their teammates onwards and led by example.

Full time came and there was pride in the performance and positive attitude, mixed with a rueful feeling that without the early & numerous injuries this was an opportunity missed. Coaches Dave Lewis & Campbell Watson know there’s plenty to build on for next week’s away fixture to Howe of Fife 2XV, a local derby that has been missing in recent years. With time for recovery, work at training and some consistency; this 2XV has the players, skill and potential to make real impact on the restructured Caledonia Midlands League 3.

Photos from Grangemouth Stags Facebook page.