County blasted by Boroughmuir

Nov 12 2008 by Donald Morton, Stirling Observer Wednesday

COUNTY BLASTED BY BOROUGHMUIR

STRUGGLING Stirling slumped in the second-half on Sunday at Meggetland as the home side ran in a hatful of tries.

It looked a close game at the break with Muir only leading 14-6 but six tries and five conversions meant the home team were well out of sight before Ryan Grant’s consolation try.

Although unchanged in the backs and back row Stirling made changes in the front five. Bruce MacFarlane was out injured and his place was taken by Paul Wilson while in the front row Ryan Grant started with Mark Hunter on the bench.

Despite playing against the diagonal wind it was the home team who had most of the early possession. After eight minutes Boroughmuir were penalised on the Stirling 10-metre line and Brian Archibald opted for a shot at goal which was just short. Stirling kept Boroughmuir in their own half and two minutes later Archibald opened the scoring when the home side conceded another penalty.

He made it 6-0 shortly after but Boroughmuir hit back and should have scored the game’s first try only to knock on under the posts.

The score however was only delayed when centre Hadden running in for a simple score which O’Donnell converted for a 7-6 lead on the half hour mark. The lead was increased when Archibald received a yellow card and Fraser MacKenzie went through some weak tackling to score under the posts with O’Donnell added the conversion.

Worse was to follow when Stirling were temporarily down to 13 men after Wilba Davies was also yellow carded on the intervention of the touch judge.

With the wind at their backs Boroughmuir kept Stirling pinned down and five minutes into the half increased their lead with a try by Martyn. They gained their bonus point shortly afterwards with a quick tap and go by scrum half Cusiter. This opened the floodgates and more inept to non existent tackling saw Boroughmuir score four more tries by Mills (2), Mathieson, Lawrie. Five of the six second half tries were converted by O’Donnell.

Stirling had the final say when Ryan Grant finished off a fine move for a consolation try which Brian Archibald converted.

The John Graham (Metals) Man of the Match Award went to Grant Gilchrist.

Stirling County: Allan Robertson; G Lindsay, B Archibald, G Hamilton and R Aitken; R McGowan and Alan Robertson; R Grant, A Moffat, W Davies, P Wilson, G Gilchrist, C Eadie, A Ratuva and C Deacons. Replacements (all used): M Hunter, R Reid, K Bryce, A Simpson and S Wilson.

Boroughmuir: S Ruddick, R Couper, E O’Donnell, A Hadden, E Mills; G Cottrell and C Cusiter; C Costigan,A O’Connor, B Ross, G Scott, N Patrick, F McKenzie, F Pringle and A Martyn. Replacements (all used) F Lait, S Lawrie, E Mathieson, A Sievewright and O Brown.

Referee A Healy.

Boroughmuir 2nd XV9

SCRFC 2nd XV 41

BOROUGHMUIR were the only side to beat County last year and have won at Meggetland for the last three seasons.

They started the game as if they wanted to do so again but thanks to a strong defence Stirling survived the initial onslaught. As Boroughmuir began to run out of ideas Stirling began to take control of the game and ran in five tries by Jason Hope, Jonny Hope, G Gilliland, D Lyle and S Robertson, all converted by Jonny Hope who also added two penalties.

According to coach A Blair this was the 2nd XV’s best display of the season with some of the support play simply outstanding. At the moment the seconds do not have a game next weekend but face opposition from Edinburgh in each of the following weeks in what will be crunch games.