Depleted Endrick win at the double

Apr 3 2009 by Jean Pedder, Stirling Observer Friday

STRATHENDRICK 60

UDDINGSTON 7

(SHE West League, Division One)

WORK and holiday commitments reduced Endrick's playingresources to a mere 32 bodies for Saturday's two league fixtures.

At Fintry the 1st XV made do with only two replacements for their match with Uddingston while the 2nd XV travelled to Troon to face Marr with a full starting line-up and no replacements at all, writes Tom Yuill.

Against bottom of the table side Uddingston, Endrick turned in a very creditable performance.

They scored 10 excellent tries and in between provided flashes of rugby which would certainly have undone much better opposition.

With the wind at their backs Endrick attacked from the start taking the lead after less than two minutes. Their marauding pack had caused havoc in the Uddy ranks before the ball went to Sandy Cuthbertson.

With what looked very like a “Toony flip”, the veteran forward fed his son James who was over the try line before Dad could say “that's my boy”.

The pressure was sustained in 10 minutes when Uddingston were penalised in their 22, Ewan MacKay took a quick tap and breenged through the ranks of defenders for Endrick's second try. Neil McQuarrie's kick for goal hit a post and stayed out.

Alertness was again the key for the next try in 19 minutes. A long kick from just outside the visitors' 22 went into touch on the full well inside Endrick's half.

While the Uddy players were ambling towards the mark, level with the kick, a quick throw-in 60 metres away let Scott McCabe get into top gear before the defenders realised what was happening.

He motored past the whole team for a try and this time Neil McQuarrie put his kick clean through the middle.

The visitors held out for a time but in 32 minutes were again opened up by quick thinking. Stuart Forsyth picked up a loose ball and from 30 metres took the shortest route to the line shrugging off all efforts to stop him.

Five minutes later Scott McCabe showed that his game is not all about pure pace and dancing feet when he broke four tackles before engaging the after-burners to race in at the posts.

Just before the break, Dougie Porteous added Endrick's sixth try when he charged through, fending off challenges and managing to keep his feet to score at the posts. Neil McQuarrie kicked both conversions to give Endrick a very comfortable 36-0 lead to take into the second half.

Endrick's first scoring effort on the resumption featured a great run down the left by Paul Bastock. Although he got a scoring pass away, he was deemed to have been in touch and the try was disallowed.

There was only a temporary respite for Uddingston. In nine minutes Simon Emmerson on the other wing made a powerful 60 metre run to score at the posts and Neil McQuarrie added the extra points.

Five minutes later Bruce Duncan, clearly relishing his first game for a month, made a break from halfway to score Endrick's eighth try.

The home side then took a breather and with 15 minutes remaining, rather sloppy defending let Uddingston in for a try which was converted amid considerable rejoicing in their ranks.

Perhaps that was the stimulus Endrick needed and, in the last five minutes, Simon Emmerson and Bruce Duncan both replicated their scoring runs form halfway to take Endrick's try count into double figures.

Bruce Duncan's try was scored near the touchline but Neil McQuarrie made light of the angle to round Endrick's score up to a neat number – 60-7.

Endrick: S McCabe (Capt); S Emmerson, J Cuthbertson, N McQuarrie, P Bastock; B Duncan, D Porteous; S Cuthbertson, S Forsyth, G McAlpine, J McLaughlin, E MacKay, B Holmes, M Braceland and S O'Brien, repl: S Campbell and M Scott.

On Saturday Endrick have no game.

MARR 2nds 8

STRATHENDRICK 2nds 23

(2nd XV League, Div Five, West)

ENDRICK 2nds made it four wins in a row when they defeated Marr in Saturday's league fixture at Troon.

Tries were scored by Martin Forshaw, Rory Kerr and Steven Bastock and Kyle Campbell had a drop goal, a penalty and a conversion to give Endrick a 23-8 win.

Endrick: K Campbell, M Forshaw, S Bastock, R Mair, D McDonald; R Kerr, P Ainsworth, G Buchanan, M Summers, D Spence, A Summers, G Yuill, G Scott, C Jewell and G Callander.

On Saturday Endrick 2nds at Fintry play GHK 2nds in a league fixture starting at 3pm.