County find Currie too hot to handle

Dec 17 2008 by Alan Rennie, Stirling Observer Wednesday

COUNTY’S mid-season revival was stopped in its tracks by a very good Currie side who scored some of the best tries seen at Bridgehaugh for many a long day.

Six Stirling players were absent from the team that had dismantled Heriot’s the previous week – Lindsay, Calder, McFarlane and Ratuva as well as pros Houston and Reid.

The rejigged side did not lack bravery in defence but they were kept on the back foot throughout. The Currie scrummage provided a splendid platform for visiting scrum-half Ryan Reeves to torment Stirling with probing kicks and darting breaks.

Full-back Johnny Smith came to Currie’s rescue against at Malleny Park earlier this season and he produced another super display on Saturday, outshining the two professional backs in the visiting team, Andrew Easson and Andy Turnbull.

Stirling had started brightly enough, Alan Robertson catching the Currie defence cold with a neat chip ahead and Brian Archibald making a break that drew a penalty which he slotted over himself. Time: 30 seconds.

However, it didn’t take Currie long to bounce back with a breakaway try started in their own half by prop Cox and hooker Walker and finished off by flanker Mark Cairns.

There was a lengthy delay as the Currie hooker Alun Walker was stretchered off but, when play restarted, Currie extended their lead to 10-3 with a Smith penalty.

County were working their socks off from hard-won possession and almost pulled three points back when Archibald’s 22-minute penalty bounced back off a post.

However, Currie started turning on the style in the backs, exposing a rather static Stirling defence. Two flashing inside passes opened the door for Turnbull to whizz over beneath the posts.

More defiance from County and a break by Jonny Hope, carried on by Craig Deacons, drew another penalty, converted this time by Archibald.

However, this just spurred on the rampant Currie backs and ever-dangerous Johnny Smith scored a deserved try.

The exchange ref from London yellow carded Currie’s Andy Adam just before the break but it was the visitors who kept up the pressure to keep the half-time deficit at 24-6.

Hopes of another comeback were raised briefly after the restart when Archibald landed a penalty after good phases of possession by Stirling.

But it wasn’t long before Currie gained their bonus point with a try by stand-off Matthew Scott that had sections of the crowd calling for an earlier forward pass.

One-way

Stirling freshened up their side with a number of substitutions but it didn’t alter the one-way nature of this match and, after a series of scrummages inside the Stirling 22, Currie were awarded a penalty try, presumably for persistent offending.

Smith converted to complete a six out of six kicking record on the day and a tally of 18 points from the match.

The visitors took their foot off the gas in the closing 10 minutes and Robbie McGowan showed his class with a delightful break, only for Ross Aitken to kick the ball into touch.

County were then gifted a consolation try after a Currie throw to the tail of the line-out went awry and Colin Eadie took full advantage from close range.

Full-back Jonny Hope showed some touches that reminded senior spectators of his twinkle-toed dad and that earned him two votes and the John Graham (Metals) Ltd man of th e match award. Single votes also went to Chris Faill, Jason Hill, Colin Eadie, Mark Hunter and Grant Gilchrist.

Scorers: Stirling - try - Eadie; conv - Archibald; pens - Archibald 3. Currie - tries - Cairns, Turnbull, Smith, Scott, pen try; convs - Smith 5; pen - Smith.

Stirling County – J Hope; D Jackson, D Lyle, B Archibald, R Aitken; R McGowan, A Robertson; M Hunter, A Moffat, W Davies, P Wilson, G Gilchrist, C Faill, K Bryce and C Deacons. Reps – J Hill, C Eadie, J Hutton, S Wilson (all used) and C Adams.

Currie – J Smith; D Fife, G White, M Norton, A Turnbull; M Scott, R Reeves; J Cox, A Walker, A Reekie, H Blair, A Adam, M Cairns, R Weston and M Entwistle. Reps – A Easson, M Fletcher, A Hamilton, S Burton and R Snedden.

Referee - Michael Tutty (RFU).

Stirling County RFC is grateful to main sponsors Simpson Donald and Ondeo Industrial Solutions.

County have the unenviable task of facing the runaway league leaders Ayr at Millbrae this Saturday.

Relegation rivals Hawick and Hawks, who were also beaten at the weekend, are both at home this week, against Boroughmuir and Currie respectively.

The County 2nd XV beat Currie 20-7 on Saturday to keep up the pressure on league leaders Heriot’s.

Don’t miss Friday’s edition for the latest team news.