Tag Archive for: Perthshire Rugby

Pushed Around the Eagles Take a Step Backwards

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West of Scotland 38 – 9 Perthshire

West overpower in a decisive second half.

This was a game of two halves. It was a dry day but recent rain made for a heavy pitch at Burnbrae and with Storm Malik blowing through a forwards game was on the cards.

The initial exchanges were fairly even, both teams playing a simple gameplan and defending it well. West were well drilled in the scrum and put pressure on Perthshire, something the Black & White pack have not really experienced this season. A scrum penalty followed by later indiscipline at the breakdown saw Perthshire retreating backwards. On the 8th minute West capitalised to score their opening converted try.

The next 25 minutes followed a similar pattern. Slowly but surely the Perthshire forwards made the hard yards entering in to the West half; carries from Ewen MacDonald, Calum Chalmers and Dan Rae making significant inroads. The backs saw some ball too, Mat Rae and Jonny Armitt making valuable metres when the space was there. Some errors would see ‘Shire go back, but return they would with relentless determination. When the assault got too intense West would concede a penalty. Up stepped Calum Bruce to duly slot them, 3 from 3 even in the wind. With 35 minutes on clock Perthshire took the lead 7-9.

A failure to clear the restart gave West valuable possession in the ‘Shire half for only the second time in the match. Rucks were keenly contested but after catching the eye of the referee one too many times Matt Jenns was shown a yellow card with 2 left minutes in the half. West used their numbers advantage in the scrum to hold the forwards in, creating space outside to run in a try, unconverted the half time whistle blew. West of Scotland 12 – 9 Perthshire.

‘Shire started the half with 14 men and battled well to hold off West, some strong tackles by Kieran Ramsay, Dan Rae and James Mair keeping West honest. Just as Matt Jenns was ready to return West claimed their third try.

The next score was crucial, down 19-9 Perthshire could recover if it went their way. Alas it did not, guilty of conceding penalties at the rucks and the scrum creaking ‘Shire were soon on the backfoot. West scored two more tries reasonably quickly to secure the result. Injuries to Ewen MacDonald and Shaun Barton did not help matters, a considerable reshuffling of the back line was needed seeing Man-of-the-Match Kieran Ramsay move out to the centre.

Individuals continued to battle hard but there was no luck for ‘Shire. Scrums held a bit better but gaps were opening up and getting tired Perthshire were guilty of going too high in tackles giving West some easy metres. When in possession support was too slow to make effective attacks and momentum lost. Eventually on the 80th minute West scored their 6th try to finish the match 38-9 winners.

This was a sobering experience for the Perthshire team who had trained well and came in with some confidence after the improved performance against Hillhead the week before. Plenty for coaches Alan Clark & Kenny Christie to work on before the challenge of Berwick on the North Inch in 2 weeks’ time.

It was a similar story for the 2s who worked hard but for little reward throughout their match. In it until the 2nd half eventually losing 7-34 against Dunfermline 2XV. See the full match report here: www.perthshire-rfc.co.uk/teams/2nd-xv

Meanwhile the Women’s team shared their opposition with the 1s travelling to Milngavie to take on the West of Scotland 2XV. This match marked a huge achievement as it was the first time they had a full 1XV thanks to players from Aberfeldy RFC joining the squad. They achieved a 45-15 win and more can be seen on their page: www.perthshire-rfc.co.uk/teams/women

Next week it’s the Calcutta Cup so no 1XV match but, the 2XV will be in action hosting Crieff under the North Inch floodlights on Friday night with a 7pm kick-off. Come down to support the players in Black & White! All are welcome to the Perth Bowling Club on Saturday to watch the 6 Nations matches, including the action from Murrayfield.

Photos can be seen here: www.westofscotlandfc.co.uk/galleries/west-v-perthshire-29_01_22

 

Close and Pushing All the Way

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Perthshire 0 – 10 Hillhead Jordanhill

After a long battle on the North Inch, Shire just lose in the end.

Considering this was Perthshire’s first competitive game since the defeat to Howe on 27th November this was an enthralling game and both teams went at each other hammer and tongs for the full 80 minutes, or 95 minutes, depending on whose watch you were looking at.

Hillhead had the majority of possession in the 1st half but seldom has a Perthshire team exhibited so much passion and skill in defence as time after time they repelled everything Hillhead could throw at them. Shire suffered an early injury blow when James Armstrong, who was making his comeback after injury, was carted off in the first 5 minutes resulting in a reshuffle of the backs. Jonny Armitt, celebrating his birthday with a confident and excellent all round display, made an early bone crunching tackle to save a certain try and this set the tone for the rest of the game. Shire’s forwards stepped up to the plate and with the front 5 doing all the unheralded work to contain Hillhead, the back row of Chalmers, Mair and man of the match Matt Jenns ensured that every ball was contested and they gave no ground to the strong Hillhead pack.

It was all desperate backs to the wall stuff and the referee seemed to be penalising Shire every time they went near the ball and if Hillhead had opted for kicks at goal instead of trying to score tries all the time they could well have been out of sight at half time. With a half time score of 0 – 0 people could have been excused if they were thinking this was a dull boring game but it was anything but.

Kieran Ramsay brought fresh impetus to the forwards when he came on and the return of Armstrong who had shaken off his earlier injury went on to the wing and brought a new attacking threat to Shire. As a result, Perthshire had a much more attacking presence as the game went on and tested the Hillhead defence with their strong running.

Mat Rae was proving a handful and young Andrew Sanderson like all good scrum halves was scrapping away with his opposite number at every opportunity and providing good ball for the backs. Ross Goodison was full of elusive running and James Armstrong was causing all sorts of damage on the wing. Unfortunately, he was yellow carded on 50 minutes for an innocuous offence and Shire had to dig even deeper. It was good to see a Perthshire team exhibiting such a fighting resolve and there was no way they were going to lie down to the pressure coming from Hillhead.

Perthshire scored what would have been a monumental try and every player on the park along with the spectators were certain that the try was good but the one man who mattered, the referee, didn’t award it although the photographic evidence certainly looked to support Shire’s view.

Shire’s forwards grew stronger as the game progressed and a yellow card for Hillhead’s French hooker added to the impetus although they then reverted to uncontested scrums which nullified Shire’s advantage somewhat. Just as it looked as though a draw was inevitable Hillhead at last broke the Shire defence to score. The clock then seemed to tick on well past the 80 minutes and a further devastating blow to Shire’s players was another late try to rob them of the losing bonus point.

To come away from this encounter with nothing to show for it was a huge disappointment but everyone in the squad can take credit for a fighting display and if this form can be repeated away from home, then there should be a strong finish to the season for the mighty Shire.

The 2XV were also in action for the first time in 2022 away at Grangemouth 2XV. The team started well and were unlucky to go down 5-0 after about 10 minutes. The Eagles then conceded a second try before a quick tap, followed by forward carries in midfield, allowed space to release Rabson Chipakupaku out to score. The final 10 minutes of the half were dominated by Perthshire but they couldn’t turn the pressure into points and were down 10-5 at the break.

In the second half, the 2s lost structure and confidence shipping some easy tries before a late rally when a lineout maul surged forward allowing Arran Sheach to crash over and score Perthshire’s second try. The match ended 27 – 10 in Grangemouth 2XV’s favour.

Next weekend Perthshire travel to West of Scotland for the first double header shared with the Women’s team, supporters welcome on the teams’ bus. The 2s host Dunfermline 2XV at the North Inch with a 2pm kick-off, all welcome to come and cheer on the 2s!

Photos taken by Peter Wilkinson.

Eagles Blown Off Course

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Howe of Fife 40 – 15 Perthshire

Too slow to start Perthshire are punished in first half.

Storm Arwen blew in and forced the 2XV match away to Waid Academy FP to be postponed but the 1XV trip to Howe of Fife was good to go. There was thus sizeable support on the bus with many 2s players joining to watch the match at Duffus Park.

The first half was dominated by the wind and the Eagles’ scrum. Winning the toss, Howe opted to play uphill but with the wind at their backs for the first 40 minutes. For ‘Shire it was a tough period of intense defence and slow marches towards Howe’s goal-line.

Both teams were up for it from the start with big hits and powerful runs. It was Howe who opened the scoring around the 10 minute mark after working the ball out wide to score. Perthshire rallied and fought straight back pushing into the 22 but were turned over at the ruck. Howe cleared with the wind taking them right back into the ‘Shire 22.

This pattern would continue, Perthshire made hard yards, Ross Goodison, Ewen MacDonald and Mat Rae leading the charges, only to drop or get turned over. Then Howe would send it back down for Perthshire to start again. The teams were even but for the scrum. Kyle MacKinnon was destroying his opposite prop; time after time the Howe scrum reversed and buckled, yet, the referee saw no infringement and forced Jack McIntosh at scrumhalf to play the ball out.

The second try came for Howe after a counter-attack where ‘Shire were exposed in the backfield, 14-0. The Duffus Park crowd were enjoying the spectacle of the match. Shaun Barton, Dan Rae and Angus Walker gave the ‘Shire line a hard edge which repelled the Howe attacks, at one stage forcing a knock-on in-goal to prevent a third Howe try. More surging runs from Kieran Ramsay and Calum Chalmers built momentum backed up by James Mair. Scott Alcorn and Aidan Watson were making breaks but support in wider channels or in behind was not quick enough.

Still the scrum was dominating Howe who would wheel it round in desperation, but no reward came the Eagles’ way. Then at last a scrum penalty – against Perthshire for boring in! More bad luck followed when at the stroke of halftime, Howe scored from close range following a lineout to lead 21-0.

Three scores down the men in Black & White got their orders from coaches Alan Clark and Kenny Christie: use the wind, continue to dominate the scrum and keep up the pressure.

It didn’t go to plan, the wind died down so Howe were reprieved from fighting against it and scrum dominance failed to gain any credit. Despite a bright start, Howe again on the counter-attack released Gregor Smith to score under the sticks.

This rallied Perthshire and they fronted up more, really taking the game to Howe. Angus Walker in particular was causing them problems, to which one Howe player took exception and used his head to try and change things. Unimpressed the referee produced a red card for the headbutting Howe player and dismissed Angus Walker to the sin bin for 10 minutes with a yellow card for his retaliation.

Minutes later Perthshire crossed the whitewash. After sustained pressure from the forwards battering towards the line, Kieran Ramsay claimed the 5 points.

Tempers were fraying and the referee was struggling to contain the frustrations of both teams, with ‘Shire increasingly aggrieved that the scrums were still not yielding the penalties they felt were deserved and then a forward pass going unnoticed for Howe to score their 5th try. To compound the bad luck, vice-captain James Mair had to leave the field injured.

A high tackle on Aidan Watson won Perthshire a penalty which he sent to touch around 10m out. Calling the lineout to himself Ewan MacKessack-Leitch took the ball and secured by Dan Rae the maul rumbled inexorably forwards. Splintering slightly at the line, Man-of-the-Match, Kieran Ramsay took hold of the ball and pushed over for an unconverted try, 33-10.

Restored to 15 men minutes later ‘Shire had a numerical advantage for the rest of the match. Having threatened all day with breaks, the back 3 of Jonny Armitt, Shaun Barton and Ross Goodison linked together on the counter to send the latter over after some slick hands and fine running. There were now 10 minutes left for ‘Shire to score again and secure at least a try bonus point.

Perthshire came close on a couple of occasions but were undone by the decisions of referee and players under pressure. Ross Goodison again went very close but the momentum was lost by a poor pass. Howe illegally slowed the ball after a Mat Rae break only for the Perthshire players to be penalised for trying to remove the offending players from lying on the ball.

Howe took one more try and their bench & coaching staff managed to get entangled in an “off-the-ball incident” before the referee called time at 80 minutes.

It was deflating for Perthshire to have nought to show from the match. For 30 minutes they were on top but games are a full 80. Positives to take but lessons to learn ahead of next weekend’s trip to Midlothian to face the undefeated Lasswade.

The 2s are also away, as they return to action at Bannockburn in the penultimate match of 2021.

Photos taken by Heather Kirkman.

The Hills were Alive to the Sound of Tries

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Hillhead Jordanhill 58 – 7 Perthshire

Perthshire outscored by 10 to 1 at Hughenden.

Scottish Rugby is played & supported week-in, week-out at the clubs across the country by those who truly enjoy & love the game. It is a great frustration that these communities are forced to choose whether to support their local Club or go to Murrayfield when there are International fixtures. Both Hillhead & Perthshire had players absent away to watch the Springboks or had decided to give up their tickets to play for their Club. This was a rescheduled fixture, but the money-men at Murrayfield need to realise that success isn’t a full 67000 crowd at the stadium, it is passionate supporters down to watch and play in their Clubs every week. Putting matches behind a paywall TV will not help either…

So it proved a challenge for Alan Clark to put together a Perthshire team, making calls that saw Glasgow-based Eagles Erlend Oag, Rory Bayne and Taylor Mair all come into the squad for their first matches in Black & White in years.

The weather was fair with bright sunshine not normal November conditions. Hillhead seized the momentum early on. After a ruck penalty they kicked to the corner. The lineout maul was unstoppable and they crashed over. The next 20 minutes was an even affair. Kyle MacKinnon dominated his opposite man all day in the scrum but when in possession Perthshire could not build the pressure before the greasy ball was dropped or ruck lost.

Hillhead equally in attack could not make anything stick, strong tackles from Dan Rae and Angus Walker held them back and they too often split the ball. From the backfield Scott Alcorn & Erlend Oag were safe under the high ball often returning or running it back with interest gained.

Eventually and somewhat against the run of play Hillhead manged to find a gap on the wing and kept the ball for the big men to burrow over from short range.

The remainder of the half saw Perthshire completely out of sorts shipping 3 more tries. It could have been worse but for some keen defensive efforts of Dan Rae, James Mair, Ross Goodison and Mat Rae. Half time Hillhead 31 – 0 Perthshire.

Another quick score after the restart and things looked ominous. However, Mat Rae rallied his men and building on the solid scrum Perthshire began to compete again. Building phases continued into be a problem. Despite great breaks from Mat Rae, Ross Goodison and Scott Alcorn possession was surrendered too cheaply.

In contrast to the scrum the lineout was not functioning further frustrating Perthshire’s attack. Hillhead capitalised on loose balls and a tiring ‘Shire to score 3 further tries. Despite desperate scramble defence led by Ewan MacKessack-Leitch and Dan Rae. Tom Colvin was using his height well to reclaim a number of the restarts but errors would force ‘Shire onto the backfoot again.

As the game wore on injuries took their toll. Another Hillhead try came from a driving maul and not long after Dan Rae was forced off. The bench had already been emptied and so there were only 14 Black & White shirts left on the pitch for the final 10 minutes.

Eventually, Perthshire got into a roll of pressure. The referee grew impatient with Hillhead’s offside and ruck skulduggery awarding ‘Shire penalties but the ropey lineout was an unreliable platform to attack from.

Following a turnover Hillhead kicked out of their 22 and into the arms of Scott Alcorn. He ran it back, chipped over the defensive line and won the foot race to collect the ball. Haring for the line he was hauled down millimetres from the whitewash. Perthshire surged forward but were pushed back, however, Hillhead were offside and James Mair took the penalty quickly. A few pick & goes from the base edged ever closer, then with an advantage being played it went out. Whether he was meant to receive it or not, Stevie Wilkie took the pass and trundled over the line, Hillhead helpless in the wake of Stevie’s irrepressible momentum. Calum Bruce made the conversion.

The game ended with one final score from Hillhead to make it 10 tries to 1. Despite the score line there were positives to take for the Eagles. The back rowers covered all the pitch popping up to support rucks or make cover tackles. The scrum was solid and at no point did Perthshire give up or get negative. Still there will be plenty for Alan Clark to work on with his team over the next 2 weeks before the trip to Howe of Fife.

That match will be on 27th November as there is a weekend off now which will allow for some recovery. The 2XV were not in action and will return also on the 27th away to Waid FP.

Photos taken by Heather Kirkman.

All Go but All Square after Gripping 80 Minutes

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Perthshire 26 – 26 Murrayfield Wanderers

Perthshire regroup and fight back to secure draw.

Both teams arrived at the North Inch eager to play rugby; and as has been consistent this season the supporters down on the North Inch were treated to an exciting, enthralling game of rugby in which the momentum swung back and forth between two evenly matched teams.

Following the kick-off neither team could make the breakthrough. Defence was resolute and Murrayfield were able to repel surging runs from Kyle MacKinnon and darting snipes from Aidan Watson. In defence James Mair and Shaun Barton were shutting down anything Murrayfield tried.

With about 10 minutes on the clock ‘Shire had a lineout 30m out. Quickly delivered off the top, Andrew Sanderson passed to Aidan Watson who ran a sweet loop around the centres creating an extra man to give Jonny Armitt the ball and a 2 on 1. Armitt ran on enough to interest the defender then sent a long pass out to Jay Pettie who took his chance brilliantly sprinting the remaining 20m to score in the corner. Despite the circling wind Calum Bruce made the tricky conversion to lead 7-0.

Perthshire’s receipt off the restart has given coaches Alan Clark & Kenny Christie nightmares all season and so it proved again. Knocked on, Murrayfield were awarded a scrum and an immediate chance to strike back. From this platform Wanderers were patient, slowly building the phases in the forwards until a gap opened in midfield which was exploited to give them their first converted try of the match.

Now it became very one-sided. Murrayfield were in the ascendancy and Perthshire went AWOL. Only some desperate defending by Angus Walker and Ross Goodison relieved the intense pressure. Perthshire missed touch with a clearance kick presenting an open backfield into which the Wanderers’ wing chipped & chased into. He hacked on again, just pipping the retreating ‘Shire defence to score under the posts and take the lead 7-14.

It went from bad to worse, for the team in Black & White. The bounce of the ball was going Murrayfield’s way and Shire were making life very difficult for themselves. Kicks failed to find touch or the chase was poor, tackles were missed and possession rapidly squandered. Twice denied after resolute defence of lineout mauls, Murrayfield took their third try after building patiently from a scrum within the 22. Unconverted and with 25 minutes on the clock they had a 7-19 point lead. Worse for the Eagles, early try scorer Jay Pettie was forced off the field with a knee injury.

This team has changed under Mat Rae’s leadership and the work of Alan Clark & Kenny Christie. In seasons gone by the rot would have continued and ‘Shire would have softened up allowing more scores in. Instead a switch seems to have gone on and ‘Shire took the game to Wanderers.

Winning a scrum in the midfield the forwards set a solid platform. Aidan Watson noticed the defence was flat and collected his own chip over the top to get in behind. Multiple phases followed, the forwards putting in hard carries; with a penalty advantage Aidan Watson sent a high ball into the in-goal area. It bounced off the outstretched hands of the Murrayfield fullback into the arms of Ross Goodison to touch down for an unconverted try on the stroke of half-time; 12-19.

Continuing in this vein Perthshire flew out of the blocks in the second half. Stuart Magill & Dan Rae were like demons tackling to bring down the heavy runners, meanwhile the back row of Calum Chalmers, James Mair and Shaun Barton were contesting every ruck turning many and giving Murrayfield no platform to attack.

The pressure was relentless. Scott Alcorn found the space in behind his opposite number on the wing with a precise kick through. Given the chance of trying to out manoeuvre Alcorn or head into touch, the wing took the latter. From the attacking lineout the Eagles turned the screw. Barrelling carries from Ewen MacDonald and Kyle MacKinnon forced a penalty. Opting for the scrum Perthshire were dominant, the ball was released and sent quickly through the hands to reach Mat Rae who used his strength & speed to better his opposite man and score. Calum Bruce brought it level to 19-19 with the conversion.

The game was tense, but ‘Shire were still on the front foot. Angus Walker was playing out of his skin to keep the ball moving forward, Dan Rae continued to put in the big hits and Aidan Watson was controlling things with Andrew Sanderson at the back of rucks. Penalties started mounting against Murrayfield, Calum Bruce just pulled wide in an effort to go ahead. Then moments later with Wanderers marched back for ill-discipline ‘Shire spurned the chance of an easier 3 points to go for the scrum. This time, the scrum buckled and Murrayfield countered. It was a quick attack and they made it right into the Perthshire 22 until they were stopped.

The match then descended in to a real end-to-end affair. Ross Goodison with only one boot danced and battered his way 60m up the touchline before stopped by a high tackle. Breaks were made by Mat Rae, Scott Alcorn, Calum Bruce and Claude Millée too, but each time something conspired to stop progress and Murrayfield attacked right back down the pitch.

After one such Perthshire foray, Murrayfield had a defending scrum inside their 22. Somehow from first phase they found an opening in the centre and managed to run through getting the ball in behind the Black & White defensive line. Spun out to the wing the cover defence was beaten and, against the run of play with 15 minutes left, Murrayfield were ahead 19-26.

A response was needed and Shaun Barton delivered with a stunning catch of the restart to put Perthshire into a strong attacking position. It was slow progress, maybe guilty of kicking possession away too readily rather than building up field the Eagles could not find the edge needed to draw level. The penalty count against Murrayfield crept ever higher, eventually the referee sent the openside flanker to the sin bin for the remainder of the match.

Still the pressure built and the penalties came their way but Perthshire could not cross the line. Finally, the forwards took it upon themselves and slowly but surely crawled up the hard metres until just enough space opened for, Man of the Match, Aidan Watson to show & go then score the bonus point try in the last minute.

With no time left on the clock at 24-26, Calum Bruce stepped up to take the conversion. The 2 points would earn the draw. Coolly he slotted it over and there was great relief all around that Perthshire had the points to reflect the performance on the pitch.

This was the second meeting of these teams this season. At the away fixture Murrayfield Wanderers introduced the Adam Pattinson Memorial Cup which is to be contested each time these two teams play. Ads was a big man in Scottish Rugby who inspired many and it was great to see some of the family down to watch and Claire Pattinson present the trophy jointly to both captains in recognition of the draw.

Due to the Autumn Internationals there was no 2XV fixture. Next week the 1XV travel to Hillhead to play in the rescheduled match with an 11am kick-off. Supporters welcome on the bus but beware, it is an early 7:30am departure.

Photos taken by Peter Wilkinson and Heather Kirkman.

Tries Galore but Luck Goes West’s Way

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Perthshire 32 – 38 West of Scotland

Last minute defeat for ‘Shire in an 11 try match

Always a close encounter, Perthshire welcomed West of Scotland to the North Inch. Conditions were near perfect for rugby, no wind, no rain and mild temperature. A reasonable crowd gathered and were not to be disappointed with the excitement played out over 80 minutes in front of them.

Perthshire received the kick-off and immediately struck up field. Simple plays tested the West defence who were up to the task. Then West got a bit too enthusiastic at ruck time conceding a penalty. Without hesitation Aidan Watson played with the advantage to chip a cross-field kick left which was beautifully gathered by Jay Pettie who used his pace to beat the cover defence over 30m and dotted down the opening try which Calum Bruce duly converted.

Next up Perthshire managed to clear their lines but West were undeterred. After a few phases in the forwards they managed to find some space in midfield and slick offloads allowed them to respond with an unconverted score.

This galvanised Perthshire who dominated in the forwards. Club Captain Macka, back in the 1s for the first time, was stealing lineout ball and the solid front 3 of Kyle MacKinnon, Ryan Moon and Ewen MacDonald were bossing the scrums all over the park. West had no reply and were pushed back into their half, a penalty kick went to the corner. The following lineout maul was clean and steamrollered over with Kyle MacKinnon at the back taking the try, Calum Bruce again adding the extras.

The remainder of the first half continued to see Perthshire dominate upfront. James Mair, Angus Walker and Calum Chalmers putting in fine performances securing rucks and winning turnovers. In the backline, centres Mat Rae & Calum Bruce would punch deep holes in the West defence and Aidan Watson was alive to any half chance. It was somewhat against the run of play that West, exploiting a mismatch on the wing, pulled an uncovered try back to give a half time score of 14-10.

West came out firing in the second half. Desperate defence and last gasp turnovers, especially from Angus Walker, saved Perthshire a good few times. One such turnover around halfway saw the ball passed back to the right where Ross Goodison, now playing centre, spotted a small gap and burst through. In the try of the match he proceeded to smash though 3 further tacklers over a 60m run to score – what a try, the crowd cheered that immensely!

This was a short reprieve as the penalty count mounted against the men in Black & White. Given ample opportunities West found spaces when ‘Shire were guilty of concentration lapses, squeezing in tight to the scrum in a fine set piece attack for a try under the posts.

Worse was to follow, ‘Shire play a fast defence and Jonny Armitt was unlucky not to get an intercept knocking on; unfortunately moments later Jay Pettie was equally unlucky but this time the referee judged it a deliberate knock-on and dished out a yellow card.

Down to 14 men, the Eagles tried to keep it tight and wear down the clock. It was hard going, Ewen MacDonald and James Mair making more than their fair share of carries. All of a sudden a gap opened up and Aidan Watson used his sharp mind and sharp pace to scream up the pitch. He covered 70m but was denied just short. The ‘Shire support got there quickly and the ball was worked to Angus Walker who surged over for the unconverted try.

West kicked the restart deep and Perthshire were stuck in their 22, escape was made difficult by the speed of West’s defence. Multiple forward phases made little ground and the ball then went out to the backs, under enormous pressure the kick went awry allowing West cheap possession in the 22 and with an in-built overlap they exploited within 2 phases to score and bring it level 24-24.

Perthshire hit back into the West half and won a penalty about 40m out. Calum Bruce elected to kick and struck it well to regain the lead. Jay Pettie, having had time to reflect on what he’d done, returned as the team were restored to 15.

It was not too long before Jay made amends. On the counter attack Shaun Barton on the right wing ran up the touchline into the 22m and looked certain to emulate Ross Goodison’s earlier try until the cover defence bundled him out. West took the lineout quickly but it was read by the ‘Shire back row who immediately pounced on the hapless recipient who dropped the ball. Seized quickly the pack surged on and nearly made the line. Assessing the field, scrumhalf Andrew Sanderson sent the ball to Calum Chalmers who then passed long to the left wing where Jay Pettie was ready to dive over and give Perthshire an 8 point lead with 8 minutes left on the clock.

These remaining minutes were frantic. Both teams had expended their energy and there were tired bodies all round. West were mostly held for the next 4 minutes but made a break attacking into the Perthshire half. The scramble was good and ‘Shire looked to have won the turnover only for the referee to decide a supporting player came in the side and awarded West a penalty. With the wind in their sails West took a short penalty and going nowhere in the tight carries threw the ball wide finding the space to score and taking an excellent conversion made it a 1 point game, 32-31.

Only 2½ minutes left for Perthshire to hold the win. The restart was sent deep, West were going to have to win the match from their own 22. Tackle after tackle, ruck after ruck they made no distance. Into the final minute and they got their break. A flowing and offloading attack took them all the way across the line. The conversion was made and the final whistle blew. Elation for West and devastation for Perthshire.

This is the third time on the North Inch that West scored in the final play to seal the match. The bounce when it mattered didn’t go the Eagles’ way, but this was an improved performance. West now sit 2nd in the league table and Perthshire were ahead for 79 minutes. The next 2 matches against Strathmore (away on 23rd October) and Greenock (home on 30th October) will be critical for Perthshire to climb up the table. Supporters today made a difference and will do so again to lift the players in Black & White at these upcoming matches.

Unfortunately, with 31 players in the Senior squad unavailable this weekend, there were insufficient numbers and the 2XV match was called off.

Photos taken by Peter Wilkinson.

Invitation to the Perthshire Christmas Party

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11th December 6:30pm for 7pm at the Station Hotel, Perth.

All members and supporters are invited to join the Perthshire Rugby Christmas Party on 11th December. A 3 course meal, DJ, dancefloor, raffle and maybe a game or two – come and join the fun!

Tickets at £38 per head, can be obtained via the Club webshop (individual or a table of 8). Alternatively, they can be bought in cash given to the Club Captain Ewan MacKessack-Leitch. Closing date for ticket sales is Thursday 2nd December. 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 (please advise of any dietary requirements):

Starter
• Ham hock pickled carrots and wholegrain mustard terrine
• Salt cod fritters served with pil-pil sauce
• Emmental and caramelized onion quiche
Main
• Duck leg confit served with fondant potatoes, sweet pot puree and red berries jam
• Smoked salmon and sea food risotto
• Beetroot and goat cheese tortellini served with green pea velouté
Dessert
• Ruby chocolate fondant served with vanilla ice cream
• Spiced apple tart served with maple walnut ice cream
• Blackberry and yoghurt panna cotta served with chocolate mouse

That Saturday there are 2 homes fixtures for the Seniors the 1XV v Berwick and the 2XV v Montrose, 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.

The Station Hotel are offering a special rates for rooms on a bed & breakfast basis for us that night:
 • Single room £60 per room per night
 • Double/twin room £75 per room per night
 • Book by e-mail events@perthstationhotel.co.uk quoting HLAC-071021.
Station Hotel accommodation is closed for 3 months so rooms cannot be booked.

Try, Try and Try Again, Eagles’ Lesson for Ardrossan

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Perthshire 36 – 25 Ardrossan Academicals

Ramsay hattrick helps ‘Shire in second half fightback

The emotions of the Perthshire supporters swung from utter despair to sheer delight as the Eagles overturned a 12-22 deficit at half time into a 36 point try fest at the end. Shire were 5 points down within 2 minutes as Ardrossan’s strong runners forced a penalty and then ran in for an unconverted try. The weather conditions were atrocious and the swirling wind and driving rain made handling and kicking very difficult. Perthshire tried to keep the game tight and were rewarded after 10 minutes when Matt Jenns finished off several phases of play to batter over the line.

Ardrossan made several surging breaks from the back of the scrum and although the Perthshire defence was generally strong it eventually caved in and Ardrossan took full advantage to score two tries in quick succession. Perthshire looked rattled and they started to fall off tackles and concede penalties allowing Ardrossan to dominate this spell of play; although they managed to win a penalty which was kicked into touch and the forwards took the ball magnificently from the lineout. A well-controlled maul charged over the line and Kieran Ramsay claimed the touchdown to bring Shire right back into the game.

However, Shire’s penalty count was destroying their attempt to maintain any sort of control over the game and when they conceded their tenth penalty of the half, Ardrossan took it quickly and with a two man overlap they cantered in for another 7 points on the stroke of half time. Shire suffered a further blow when Ewen MacDonald, who was a huge influence in the scrum as well as carrying the ball, had to retire injured.

Another blow early in the 2nd half saw centre James Armstrong carried off and Mat Rae had to move to centre from the wing but whatever Alan Clark said to the boys at half time certainly had the desired effect. The forwards kept hold of the ball in the tricky conditions and every single one of them played their part in driving into and beyond the Ardrossan defence. They drove up to the Ardrossan line but a certain try was lost after they were penalised yet again but when they regained possession, Scott Alcorn was sent clear and 99 times out of a 100, he could be relied on to outpace his opposite number but on this occasion he was caught and tackled.

Shire didn’t give up though and after another series of pick and drives from the forwards that man Ramsay did it again as he dived under the posts. Shire were on fire now and although there might not have been any frills about their game plan it was very effective. After another series of forward drives, Aidan Watson elected to spread the ball wide and this time Jay Pettie’s strong running resulted in a try right at the corner flag and he did a good job to stay in play despite being tackled on the line.

Ardrossan hit back with a penalty to regain the lead after a high tackle but once again the Eagles’ forwards took control and although all eight forwards plus centre Mat Rae were involved it was Kieran Ramsay who delivered the killer try and with Calum Bruce’s conversion, Shire were back in the lead.

Dan Rae in his first match back since injury crowned a typical tenacious display with his try to seal Shire’s first victory of the season. All of Perthshire’s forwards deserve special mention for their efforts and if this can be repeated then we should look forward to many more victories.

This match will have done wonders for confidence in the 1XV, but the players will realise that conceding a penalty every 4 minutes on average in the first half was instrumental in their slow start. Next up is an away trip to the undefeated Hillhead Jordanhill which promises to be a real humdinger of a game. All supporters are most welcome to travel on the team bus which will leave the Clubhouse at 12:30pm.

The 2XV suffered a Deflating Defeat at Dundee, but Dave Lewis’ men will take inspiration from the 1s at training this week to put right the wrongs ahead of facing Grangemouth 2XV on the North Inch this Saturday 3pm, all supporters not going to Glasgow welcome to cheer on the 2s.

Photos taken by Peter Wilkinson

No Luck in Northumberland

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Berwick 33 – 23 Perthshire

Depleted Perthshire fall short in over the border foray.

Alan Clark was not a very happy coach on Saturday morning as Perthshire could only muster a total of 23 senior players to fulfil 2 fixtures. The 2s game was cancelled and the 1s travelled to Berwick with only 17 players, several of whom would be making their 1XV debut.

The scene at Berwick could not have been more contrasting with more than 100 supporters in their buzzing clubhouse and only Perthshire’s 2 geriatric supporters to combat them. Not surprisingly, Berwick started strongly as the Shire youngsters fought to find their feet. Shire were confined to their 22 but the defence was excellent as Berwick’s massive forwards and sharp backs pinned them back. Aidan Watson almost scored a breakaway try as he kicked a loose ball downfield and was just beaten to the touchdown. It wasn’t long before Perthshire settled into their game though and centre James Armstrong chipped a beautiful kick over the heads of the rushing defence, plucked the ball out of the air and sped through the rest of the cover to score a superb try. Aidan Watson almost replicated this when he did the same but was hauled down and Berwick escaped with a penalty. However, Shire fought back again and were rewarded with a penalty 40 metres out and Calum Bruce slotted this one with ease and Shire entered the second quarter with an 8-point lead.

Berwick were stung into action and sent a huge penalty into touch in the Shire 22. Their big pack then drove over for a converted try. Berwick scored again but thankfully the referee spotted an infringement and the score was chalked off, but minutes later they landed a penalty to take the lead. This was a slack period for Shire as dropped passes and penalties mounted up but they stuck to their task only to be dealt a devastating blow in injury time when they were pounding the Berwick line before a mistake allowed Berwick to breakaway and score another converted try to give them a fortuitous 14 – 8 lead at half time.

Perthshire’s young guns were playing out of their skins and even some of the others such as Andy “Combine” Jack who hasn’t seen a rugby ball for a year and a half and Ryan Moon parachuted into the front row from the 2XV were holding their own and lasting the pace. Aedan Milne at scrum half made his debut from the Colts and he is a burgeoning talent with his strength and passing ability. Young Adrian Venter is the feisty type of backrower that all clubs hate to play against. He is fast, in your face and one of the first to every breakdown and a good tackler. Perthshire started the 2nd half in determined fashion and Aidan Watson received a thumping tackle but he managed to retain possession and this allowed the team to strike back swiftly with Jay Pettie finishing off a lovely move by squeezing in at the corner. With just 1 point separating the teams they were both going all out for the deciding scores. Adrian Venter pulled off a try scoring tackle before Aidan Watson again made a sweeping break dodging through 4 tackles but he was too fast for the support and when he was hauled down in the 22, he was penalised for holding on to the ball.

Calum Chalmers, one of Shire’s outstanding players had to leave the field and after all their pressure, Shire went into a lull as players tired and fell off tackles and passes went astray allowing Berwick to score two converted tries. Adrian Venter then received a bad injury and was assisted off and coach Clark reshuffled his reshuffled team once again giving a debut to another former Colt, Tom Colvin. The score line flattered Berwick but one more time Shire picked themselves up and secured enough penalties to almost win the game but they persevered for the tries and were rewarded when James Armstrong was driven over for his second try. Berwick’s speedy backs took advantage of some slipshod tackles to score again but Shire fought back and newcomer Matt Jenns scored Shire’s 4th try and secured a well-earned bonus point for his team.

This Perthshire team have now scored 8 tries in their last two games. With a bit more composure that number could have been doubled and it is clear that once Lady Luck shines on them, everything will click into place and the wins will return.

The team have issued a plea for all supporters to come down to the North Inch on Saturday for a must win game against Ardrossan. They will be treated to a sparkling game of rugby as Perthshire aim to convert their potential into winning ways. Kick off 3pm.

Lasswade Power Overcomes Perthshire

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Perthshire 20 – 49 Lasswade

Alan Clark’s team secure try bonus point in defeat to quality opposition.

The sun shone and day was set up for some exciting rugby, following on from the Perthshire Rugby Club Day, it was great to see such support on the touchlines for the 1XV & 2XV matches; and the crowds on the North Inch were not disappointed by the quality of rugby on display.

From the off this was an intensely physical and quick paced affair. Perthshire received the kick-off but fumbled the ball, so immediately were on the backfoot. The defence held and leading from the front Mat Rae won a turnover to relieve the pressure. Perthshire managed to break out down the right wing before working to the other side where a stretched Lasswade conceded a penalty around halfway.

Perthshire patiently worked through the phases as Lasswade gave away nothing in defence. Then using his power James Armstrong took a wide ball to work up into the 22. A series of quick rucks followed and Armstrong was there to finish the move with a carry from the base of the ruck to surge over the line for an unconverted try.

Restarts would beleaguer Perthshire all day and again they dropped this one. However, with the ferocious tackling and work on the ground neither team could gain an advantage as both sides exchanged attacks & turnovers without escaping the 10m lines.

Referee, JP Doyle, who was previously officiated at the Rugby World Cup, Six Nations and Heineken Cup was being fair on the whistle but Perthshire were guilty of slowing the ball down illegally. Lasswade opted to go for the posts, but missed. Jay Pettie took the ball and rather than touch down for the drop out, he ran out of his 22 before kicking ahead. In retreat, Lasswade were disorganised allowing Calum Chalmers to steal the ball around halfway. On the counter Perthshire were maybe too keen and Jonny Armitt’s next kick through returned the ball to Lasswade who made no mistake this time and powered down to the ‘Shire line. This was repelled by another stunning turnover from the back row and booted clear.Lasswade started to benefit from penalties at keenly contested rucks and stayed on the front foot. Awarded a scrum 30m out their luck held and they sent an up & under into 22 where there was no defender allowing the onrushing centre a simple catch and run in to score.

Perthshire struck back quickly securing the restart. Aidan Watson at 10, identified a mismatch and skipped round the defender to sprint downfield. Hauled down short the ball was fired out to the right wing where Jay Pettie used his speed and the remaining centimetres of the pitch to evade the tackles and squeeze over a try in the corner. Aidan Watson missed the conversion making the score 10-7.

This was an energetic half and still the action came. Hits were hard and resolve was strong, no team backed down. In particular the back rowers Kieran Ramsay, Calum Chalmers and James Mair were devastating in attack and defence. Meanwhile James Armstrong was working well with centre partner Mat Rae to cause all sorts of trouble in the wider channels.

The next to score were Lasswade, the ball spurt out from a ruck and the Midlothian men were quickest to react, kicking it through and diving over before the ‘Shire cover could get there. Converting the try they took the lead, 10-14.

Perthshire gave Lasswade too much space at the restart and after a quick ruck, their prop somehow found a clear park in front of him and charged near 20m before getting stopped. In behind, the retreating cover were unable to stop Lasswade who used quick hands and pace for a flowing move to extend their new lead with a converted try in the corner.

The lively action continued, the large crowd could hear and feels the hits, Kyle MacKinnon chief amongst the Black & White shirts battering his opponents. The temperature rose on the pitch as Lasswade illegally tipped James Armstrong upside down in a ruck clear out. The penalty went to the corner, lineout secured but the waves of attack were pushed back. It was the final play and Perthshire stilled endeavoured forward. James Armstrong & Kieran Ramsay fed off each other’s power crashing forward on short balls until Ramsay surged over the whitewash. With the kick again wide, it stood 15-21 at halftime.

Lasswade are a quality outfit and must be aiming to top the league this year. Head Coach Alan Clark asked for more of the same in the second half, could Perthshire maintain the intensity and discipline to see out the match?

The first 10 minutes were all Lasswade. Slowly but effectively they ramped up the pressure and creeped towards the ‘Shire line. No matter the outstanding efforts in defence, Lasswade were irrepressible eventually pushing forward to score against the base of the post. Minutes later they were back under the sticks following some soft hands and fast feet outfoxing ‘Shire to build a commanding 15-35 lead.

The replacements came on and made an impact, Jack McIntosh at scrumhalf took over from Andrew Sanderson who impressed on his 1XV debut in the 9 shirt, but was maybe not up to speed when he was caught at the base of the scrum and split the ball. Lasswade took advantage to quickly snaffle it, ship it wide and a series of 3 offloads saw them cross the line.

It wasn’t over and Mat Rae, who’s growing well into the role of Captain, rallied his players. Jack McIntosh started the counter with a scintillating break from his own half and was just caught with 10m to go. Matt Jenns hot on his heels brilliantly secured the ruck and quick ball was sent to the corner where Ross Goodison was rebuffed with inches to go. Lasswade had infringed, the penalty was taken quickly and after 2 phases Angus Walker, capped off his fine performance, burrowing over for a try. This bonus point try also went unconverted.

The final minutes ticked on with both teams clearly running on empty. Lasswade sneaked another score before the final whistle. What a performance, in a quality match that took everything out of the players to end 20-49.

Perthshire secured their first points of the league and have improved again. Alan Clark has an improving squad and though bruised and battered most players came out of the battle with Lasswade fit for next week’s challenge, the long away trip to Berwick.

This performance was buoyed by the 2XV who recovered from a slow start to better Strathmore 2XV, winning 40-17. The full report “Fun in the Sun on the North Inch” can be read on the 2XV page.

Photos taken by Peter Wilkinson & Heather Kirkman.