First XV Page
Season 2006/7
Caledonia Division 1 Champions 2006/7
Back Row (Left to Right): Simon Jones, David Hull, Donald Robertson, Aaron Dalgarno, Craig Sim, Graeme Merrie, Jamie Mclaren, Keith Robertson, Graeme Crozier, Stuart Gray, Colin Strachan, Kevin Mollison, Robin Young, George Strachan.Front Row (Left to Right): Colin Bell, Atholl Bowman, Kenny Christie, John Westwood, Gary Wood, Michael Bruce, Iain Fletcher, Scott Mckenzie.Mackie Academy FP's 12 - Strathmore 15
Strathmore won Caledonia Division 1 at Stonehaven on an idyllic day for rugby in what turned out to be a pulsating, physical encounter that put the large away support through the wringer before victory was assured. The collective sigh of relief could be heard all the way down the A 90 as the referee ended the blacks season of seasons on an incredible high.
This was a title that was won on the first day of the season with the epic comeback against Aberdeenshire proving to be the catalyst for the weekends celebrations. On that dramatic day it was the introduction of Kiwi Jason Leslie that turned the tide, having the same destructive effect as a released bull at Pamplona. The South Islander has been unavailable for much of the league programme but the importance of his input in Aberdeen and Orkney is the stuff of legend.Mackie were always going to be a tough assignment for Strathie and their defence has improved out of sight from twelve months ago when they were deemed a soft touch. The blacks maybe did not produce a vintage eighty minutes but for sheer effort and commitment they deserved the fruits of their labour.
At times of hardship during games it has been the fabulous support that has literally dragged the blacks over the finishing line. Those players that played against Selkirk will never forget the roar as James Kiely crossed for his try and Saturday was certainly no different as about one hundred Strathie fans made the pilgrimage to the Redcloak pitch, shouting themselves hoarse as they exhorted their players on to greater efforts.
One player that was thoroughly inspired throughout was Colin Bell. Open side flanker Bell epitomises the commitment these players have shown to the cause as once again the local bricklayer laid the foundations for victory with a superb all action display of ball pilfering and elusive running. His efforts in this campaign should never be under estimated.
The opening moments saw Strathie create several gilt edged opportunities as first Fletcher then McKenzie went agonisingly close to opening the scoring. Quick ball was at a premium and the forwards seemed sluggish and lacking in cohesion.
Strathmore's lineout was malfunctioning for much of the first forty but the tactical kicking from McLaren and Fletcher in particular, kept the home side penned in their twenty two for the majority of the half. This kept the pressure on Mackie and they started to concede penalties as they sought to keep their line intact.
In the absence of skipper Robin Young due to a pre match injury, the captaincy was handed to veteran scrum half Mike Bruce. His calm demeanour flowed through the side and when he slotted the opening penalty, confidence began to grow.
Just before the break Strathie increased their lead when a line out steal from Westwood was utilised brilliantly by the backs. Centre Graeme Crozier combined with full back Atholl Bowman to put teenage wing Colin Strachan into space on the left flank. The boldness of this young talent shone like a beacon throughout this match and he took his try brilliantly, leaving three bemused defenders in his wake before placing the ball in the left corner. Bruce then converted the touchline kick to a massive cheer as the first half finished.
With one hand on the trophy, Strathie upped their efforts and a delightful flick from David Hull almost resulted in another try for Strachan in the opening moments. Strathie's mobile front row of Dalgarno, Merrie and Sim started to put the blacks on the front foot, creating space out wide.
Another wonderful move between Crozier and Bowman almost resulted in the second try but the referee blew for a forward pass with the line beckoning. Mackie were starting to drift out of the contest as they attacked with little penetration.
It was the official who allowed them great field position when he wrongly awarded a five metre scrum when it should have been a drop out to the blacks. Concerted Mackie pressure eventually paid off when they smashed through the defence in the left corner.
Keith Robertson then delivered a thunderous performance for the next twenty minutes that blasted the men in red from the field. Ably assisted by second row partner Stuart Gray, Robertson carried the fight back to the homesters with renewed vigour.
Left winger Strachan was once again released into space and though stopped short of the line the ball was quickly recycled. The danger seemed to have been cleared until the colossal Robertson bounced off three would be tacklers before crashing over the whitewash, creating bedlam on the sidelines. Bruce narrowly missed the conversion attempt.
Inside centre Iain Fletcher then left the field because of injury to be replaced by the versatile Kevin Mollison. He made his mark immediately with a thumping tackle on his opposite number that once again drew a positive response from the travelling support.
Credit must go to Mackie as they never buckled and came back and scored their second try with just three minutes left on the clock to set up a tense finale. THe blacks held on to gain promotion to the national leagues for the first time in twenty years thoroughly justifying the celebrations back at Inchmacoble Park.
Strathmore should be proud of their Corinthian spirit that shines through all that they try and achieve as an amateur club in an increasingly professional sport. Regardless of the success next season there will always be a great atmosphere down by the Loch.
Strathmore : A Bowman, D Hull, G Crozier, I Fletcher, C Strachan, J McLaren, M Bruce, C Sim, G Merrie, A Dalgarno, S Gray, K Robertson, S McKenzie, C Bell, J Westwood. Subs : G Strachan, K Mollison, G Wood.Other Results
Aberdeenshire 67 - Alloa 0
Crief & Strathearn 23 - Kinross 18
Orkney 18 - St. Andrews University 55
Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007 Pos Team Pld W D L F A TB LB PD Pts 1 Strathmore RFC 16 15 0 1 555 161 10 0 394 70 2 St Andrews University RFC 14 11 0 3 523 169 10 2 354 56 3 Aberdeenshire RFC 14 10 0 4 457 196 8 2 261 50 4 Mackie Academy FP RFC 15 9 0 6 389 223 8 3 166 47 5 Kinross RFC 16 8 0 8 253 412 3 1 -159 36 6 Orkney RFC 14 6 0 8 399 353 5 1 46 30 7 Crieff & Strathearn RFC 14 5 0 9 211 379 4 1 -168 25 8 Alloa RFC 16 3 0 13 198 446 2 3 -248 17 9 Panmure RFC 15 0 0 15 47 693 0 1 -646 -3 W RAF Lossiemouth RFC n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Strathmore 22 Blairgowrie 14
Blairgowrie visited Inchmacoble for a game under the floodlights on Friday night. The small crowd were treated to some fine rugby with both teams fielding some youngsters and 2ndXV players due to the Paris Six Nations game. The score line flattered the visitors as, during the second half they only got close to the tryline on one occasion and were awarded a penalty try. A straight forward win which gives the team confidence for the last league game away to Mackie on March 24th.
03/03
Strathmore 36 Crieff & Strathearn 3
Another slow start - something of a speciality of ours recently, and the second successive game where the score was 3-3 approaching half time. A Mike Bruce penalty cancelled by a similar score for the visitors was all we had to show before two brilliant tries had the large home crowd breathing more easily.
First of all, a superb break from deep inside his own half by the rapidly improving Colin Strachan led to a perfectly timed offload to the supporting Scott McKenzie, who touched down under the posts giving Bruce a simple conversion.
Almost before the crowd had drawn breath, last season's top try scorer, Ian Fletcher, was racing over unopposed to finish with a characteristic dive, again giving Bruce a simple task to make the halftime score 14-3.
The much needed bonus point looked in doubt for much of the second half, for although the home side dominated possession, a series of handling errors prevented the scoreboard from ticking over.
Pressure was eventually converted into points, however, with tries in quick succession from Graeme Crozier, returning from injury, Jamie Wilson, after a fine bit of work from young flier Matt Marshall, and a first try for the Blacks from prop forward Arron Dalgarno. Bruce and McLaren added 2 conversions to make the final score 36-3.
The Blacks now have to secure one more point from their final league game at Mackie in 3 weeks' time to be certain of a second successive league title, with only St Andrews having a faint chance of spoiling the party. The students still have 3 games to play - Orkney home and away, and Mackie away, and must score maximum points in each game to be in with a chance.Other Results
St. Andrews University 55 Kinross RFC 18
Panmure 3 Aberdeenshire 65
Pos Team Pld W D L F A TB LB PD Pts 1 Strathmore RFC 15 14 0 1 540 149 10 0 391 66 2 St Andrews University RFC 13 10 0 3 473 151 9 2 322 51 3 Aberdeenshire RFC 13 9 0 4 390 196 7 2 194 45 4 Mackie Academy FP RFC 13 8 0 5 322 205 7 2 117 41 5 Kinross RFC 14 7 0 7 208 389 3 0 -181 31 6 Orkney RFC 13 6 0 7 381 303 5 1 78 30 7 Crieff & Strathearn RFC 13 4 0 9 188 361 3 1 -173 20 8 Alloa RFC 14 3 0 11 195 324 2 3 -129 17 9 Panmure RFC 14 0 0 14 47 666 0 1 -619 -3 W RAF Lossiemouth RFC n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 17/02
Strathmore managed to put recent disappointments behind them as they romped to an easy victory in an incident packed match. The emphatic scoreline seemed very unlikely at half time and indeed at that point of the contest any victory would have been greeted like a long lost friend.
The visitors performance in the first twenty minutes was insipid and sluggish but did markedly improve during the half until they had total control of the match at the interval. This was partly down to the differing fitness levels of the two squads of players, though Strathmore have proved to be the slowest of starters in most of their matches this season, an area that will have to be addressed for the next campaign.
Kinross had the lion's share of possession and territory in the opening minutes as they utilised the slope and a tactical kicking game to pin Strathie back into their twenty two. Their lack of creativity was the main problem, that combined with the excellent defensive effort from the blacks, especially flanker Colin Bell, meant that one solitary penalty was all they had to show for their dominance.
Even when Strathie were reduced to fourteen players, Graeme Merry was sin binned for colourful use of the English language, they still looked comfortable against a side rapidly running out of ideas. Aaron Dalgarno slotted into hooker for the sin bin period and did well, especially with his throws to the line-out.
The homesters did have one back move that left Strathie struggling to cover the gaps in their defence, it took an outstanding tackle from stand off Jamie McLaren to extinguish the danger and engender confidence throughout the side. Strathie began to fight back and stormed into their opponents half with more intent and purpose, keeping hold of the ball with more authority and forcing a penalty of their own which Michael Bruce converted to tie the score.
Seconds before the break and the blacks were awarded another penalty metres from the line. Showing great awareness Strathie's number ten McLaren tapped it quickly and circumvented the defence to dive into the right corner. Bruce narrowly missed the conversion attempt as the whistle blew for half time.
Forwards coach David Wren was not entirely happy with his charges display, expressing displeasure at the fact that they had not played how they had trained, with little or no pace in attack and a desperate lack of continuity. Within five minutes of the restart Strathie had crossed the whitewash twice, showing a greater desire to support the ball carrier and offload in the tackle. Blacks number eight Kenny Christie scored the first try after the break, benefitting from a bullocking run from stand in skipper Keith Robertson.
Moments later and a delicious kick from Jamie McLaren had the Kinross left winger in all sorts of bother. Jet heeled winger Matt Marshall reached the loose ball first and showed great vision to pop the ball inside to McLaren who crashed over for his second try. Bruce converted McLaren's try to extend the lead to seventeen points.
Sensing that their opponents were wilting Strathie increased the tempo with restored hooker Graeme Merry charging into the tackle like an enraged Rhino, creating gaps all over the park. One wonderful move forced Kinross deep into their twenty two and in the ensuing ruck a Kinross player suffered a badly broken leg. For fifty minutes the injured player waited on an ambulance and the game was almost abandoned as a result but thankfully there was enough
light to continue.Colin Bell was substituted during the pause in play with veteran number eight John Westwood entering the fray with twenty minutes left. The break seemed to galvanise the blacks and disillusion Kinross as the home sides tackling seemed to disintegrate. The bonus point try was secured by Kenny Christie from another quick penalty, though the
attempted defence was token to say the least.Outstanding flanker Scott McKenzie carried the ball superbly throughout the match and was rewarded with two fine tries. The first was a dash for the line after a flowing back move and the second try was an opportunistic score after a hack through from Kenny Christie. Bruce managed to convert one of these scores on a difficult day for the kickers.
Bruce was replaced by Gary Wood for the final ten minutes and the diminutive scrum half urged his teammates on to complete the rout. A fabulous individual effort from Mclaren completed his hat-trick in style with a run of pace and power that left four defenders lying in his wake.Full back Atholl Bowman was the catalyst for the next score with a devastating hand off opening up some space on the right. Centre of excellence Iain Fletcher off loaded in the tackle to fellow centre David Hull who was left with an easy stroll to the line.
The final try was the finest move of the match drawing a positive response from even the most partisan of home supporters. Robertson fielded the kick off before looking to pop off to a teammate. John Westwood then came out of the low Winter sun like a Spitfire, swooping down to collect the pass one handed before flying past the first line of defence. Slick handling put power prop Craig Sim into space as he charged on into the twenty two. With bravery deserving of a Victoria Cross the Kinross full back stood his ground but was left powerless to prevent
Kenny Christie scoring his second hat-trick this year. McLaren slotted two conversions to finish with a deserved haul of nineteen points but more importantly he may have found his best position.The final whistle blew on Guy de Boehmler's Strathmore career as he heads of to the Arabian Gulf, he and his family will be sorely missed and they leave with the best wishes of everyone at the club ringing in their ears.
Strathmore : A Bowman, C Strachan, I Fletcher, D Hull, M Marshall, J McLaren, M Bruce, C Sim, G Merry, G de Boehmler, K Robertson, S Gray, S McKenzie, C Bell, K Christie. Reps : G Wood, A Dalgarno, J Westwood.Other Results
Aberdeenshire 51 - Orkney 27
Mackie Academy FP 45 - Panmure 0
Crieff & Strathearn 21 - Alloa 13
Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007 Pos Team Pld W D L F A TB LB PD Pts 1 Strathmore RFC 14 13 0 1 504 146 8 0 358 60 2 St Andrews University RFC 12 9 0 3 418 133 8 2 285 46 3 Mackie Academy FP RFC 13 8 0 5 322 205 7 2 117 41 4 Aberdeenshire RFC 12 8 0 4 325 193 6 2 132 40 5 Kinross RFC 13 7 0 6 190 334 3 0 -144 31 6 Orkney RFC 13 6 0 7 381 303 5 1 78 30 7 Crieff & Strathearn RFC 12 4 0 8 185 325 3 1 -140 20 8 Alloa RFC 14 3 0 11 195 324 2 3 -129 17 9 Panmure RFC 13 0 0 13 44 601 0 1 -557 -3 W RAF Lossiemouth RFC n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
27/01
St. Andrews Uni 30 Strathmore 10
Strathmore finally lost their unbeaten league record in Fife on Saturday, ironically it was the students in the corresponding fixture one year past that last beat the blacks, nineteen games ago. In the last three years Strathie have only been beaten on four occasions in forty five league contests, three of these defeats have been inflicted by St Andrews.
This match could have seen the blacks crowned as champions but they were comprehensively beaten by a street wise, mobile, aggressive varsity side. The majority of the eighty minutes were evenly contested but in a mad ten minutes Strathie managed to concede four soft tries and proved that little was learned from the mistakes made last week against Selkirk. In fact the visitors found even more ways to shoot themselves in the foot as their title credentialsimploded before their very eyes.
Skipper Robin Young once again won the toss and decided to play down the slight slope in the first half. The opening moments certainly belonged to the blacks as their forwards dominated proceedings, smashing into the students with great alacrity. A penalty chance was earned in front of the posts and with the benefit of hindsight should have been kicked to get points on the board immediately.
This opportunity was spurned but the visitors remained camped in their opponents twenty two with only great defence keeping them out. Keith Robertson and Craig Sim were prominent in these early exchanges, bursting through tackles and putting their side on the front foot.
The students eventually broke free of the shackles and were awarded a penalty of their own which they converted to take the lead. Within ten minutes they would have the match sewn up. Three missed tackles allowed the opposition winger a run to the line when there seemed little danger, Young and Bell tackling each other a la McLeish and Miller in the World Cup of '82.
Moments later and another ill judged attempted tackle allowed the home right winger time and space to chip over Young and dive in the corner.
Strathie couldn't get the ball back as the students poured on the pressure in search of the bonus point. They did not have to wait long as stand off Bruce was charged down for a third try and a loss of communication led to the softest of tries from a lineout as the much vaunted blacks defence turned into a shambolic mess.
Prop Grant Dickson was sent on and his calm assurance spread through the team as they tried to make it to the break before another error blotted their copybook. The scrum started to become dominant and the momentum began to shift almost imperceptibly towards the blacks as the half time whistle blew.
At Aberdeenshire the exact same scenario was facing the visitors and they managed to outdo Houdini to win that match and at certain points during the second half history looked like it might have been repeating itself.
For thirty minutes Strathie attacked the St Andrews line with a desperation that took their opponents by surprise. Substitute flanker Simon Jones was fantastic in the second forty minutes, adding a much needed injection of pace into the numerous assaults on the homesters defence.
Number eight John Westwood started to rule the roost at the lineout and the stranglehold began to pressure the students into mistakes. Scrum half Gary Wood pounced on a loose ball to open Strathie's account, a fine reward for his never say die attitude. Bruce narrowly missed the conversion.
Sensing that they had a chance, albeit a small, sliver of hope, Strathie upped their tempo as their opponents started to give away a raft of penalties. On two occasions the blacks were held up over the line and the second should have resulted in a penalty try but the official seemed reluctant to award one or even send any offender to the sin bin.
A blissful backline move reduced the deficit moments later with a rehearsed move slicing through the home defence putting full back Robin Young into a gap. Showing good pace Young timed his pass to perfection allowing Jamie McLaren to dive into the corner for a fantastic score. Bruce dragged the conversion attempt wide.
Powerful prop Craig Sim ran himself into the ground for the cause and certainly did not deserve to be on the losing side. He took the ball into contact with such aggression and speed that the collisions were of biblical proportions. In hooker Graeme Merry he found a kindred spirit as they both refused to buckle and continued to fight to the bitter end.
It was a defiant effort from the blacks and they kept going forward at every opportunity and finally forced the referee to yellow card a St Andrews flanker for persistant infringement. Colin Strachan made an immediate impact when he came on to the field with two storming runs that should have led to a score had the ball beeen moved wide.
The students played on the edge of legality and got away with it but in truth it was the ineptitude of the Strathie side that was the most frustrating facet of the match to deal with.
The varsity side used their limited possession wonderfully well, creating a fifth try in their first attack of the second half. For their belligerent defence and creativity they deserved the spoils in what was a high quality sporting contest, Strathie played their part but ultimately were the support cast and not the main star.
Strathmore : R Young, J Kiely, A Bowman, D Hull, M Bruce, G Wood, C Sim, G Merry, A Dalgarno, K Robertson, S Gray, J Wilson, C Bell, J Westwood. Reps : G Dickson, C Strachan, S Jones.
This Saturday sees Strathmore entertain Highland but the club will be open from 1.00pm as the
six nations kicks into life.Other Results
Alloa 7 Kinross 23
Orkney 8 Mackie Academy FP 15
Panmure 0 Creiff & Strathearn 28
Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007 Pos Team Pld W D L F A TB LB PD Pts 1 Strathmore 14 13 0 1 496 150 9 0 346 61 2 St. Andrews University 13 10 0 3 461 147 9 2 314 51 3 Aberdeenshire 12 8 0 4 329 180 6 2 149 40 4 Mackie Academy FP 13 8 0 5 298 222 6 2 76 40 5 Kinross 13 8 0 5 215 298 3 0 -83 35 6 Orkney 13 6 0 7 364 266 4 2 98 30 7 Alloa 14 4 0 10 223 306 3 3 -83 22 8 Crieff & Strathearn 12 4 0 8 200 326 4 1 -126 21 9 Panmure 13 1 0 12 64 563 0 1 -499 1 W RAF Lossiemouth n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
13/01
Thirteen league matches played, thirteen league matches won, Strathmore continued their excellent form with a solid performance in dreadful conditions watched once again by a large, vocal support at Inchmacoble Park.
Though the wet and blustery weather should have prevented an open, attractive game, Strathie still played the fifteen man game that has served them well thus far. The two wingers McLaren and Kiely thrived with the ball in hand and both produced stellar performances, especially McLaren who has never played better in a black shirt.
Skipper Robin Young won the toss and decided to play into the stiff breeze and rely on his mobile forwards to keep the ball rather than play a tactical kicking game. Strathie's pack rose to the challenge as one, dominating all facets of play and looked particularly impressive driving the ball from lineouts, where they made huge yardage throughout the eighty minutes.
Alloa were put under intense pressure and gave away a penalty thirty yards from the posts. Stand off Mike Bruce has been in tremendous kicking form recently and he judged the wind perfectly, dissecting the posts and giving the blacks the lead.
Moments later and the home faithful were treated to the try of the season from left wing Jamie McLaren. The massive speedster brushed off one tackler before handing off another, with just the full back to beat he chipped the ball over his head and dived on the ball in the corner for a remarkable score. Not to be outdone Mike Bruce kicked over the conversion of the season
against a vicious crosswind.
The lead was extended shortly after with a flowing handling move releasing the black's captain Robin Young through a gap in the Alloa backline. Young then showed great strength to force his slight frame over in the corner despite the attention of two Alloa defenders. Bruce narrowly missed the conversion.
It was disappointing to concede a try before the break but it was down to a piece of bad luck as the bouncing ball turned into the Alloa players path when there seemed to be no danger at all.
The Strathmore coaching staff were unimpressed by the efforts of their charges in the first forty minutes, bemoaning the lack of quick ruck ball and the way players were being isolated on too many occasions. With the rebuke stinging in their ears the blacks set about their task with renewed vigour and were rewarded with a much improved second half display. Alloa's perceived danger was in the centres where former Scottish Thistles player Rab Truesdale was their in form player, he was marshalled superbly
by Bowman and Christie and was rarely allowed to threaten.
In attack Strathmore were winning quicker ball which created bigger holes in their opponents defensive line. Slick handling created a try for hooker Graeme Merry in the left corner as Strathie strived for the bonus point.
That was secured moments later when James Kiely capped a fine game with a try in the right corner as he benefitted from a dreadful clearance kick from the Alloa fly half.
The floodgates were threatening to open when Scott McKenzie and sub Keith Robertson crossed the whitewash with ease as Alloa's defence crumbled in the face of sustained, intense pressure from the homesters. The fact that it took until the dying few minutes to add to their lead was down to the belligerent nature of the opposition.
It was apt that Strathmore's captain Robin Young finished the try scoring because of his high level of play throughout the year and in particular the last few months. When he took possession twenty yards out there was no doubt that he would score, using his searing pace to outstrip the cover defence for a fantastic team five pointer. Bruce converted four of the five second half tries and ended up with a haul of thirteen points, a fine return in awful conditions.
As the referee blew the final whistle, thoughts immediately went forward to next Saturday's cup tie when Strathmore entertain Premier Two side Selkirk in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup. It is hoped that a bumper crowd will turn out to cheer the Blacks on to a famous victory, one thing that is certain is that it will be another great occasion in the clubs history.
Strathmore : R Young, J McLaren, A Bowman, K Christie, J Kiely, M Bruce, G Wood, G Dickson, G Merry, C Sim, S Gray, J Wilson, S McKenzie, C Bell, J Westwood. Reps : I Fletcher, G de Boehmler, K Robertson.Other Results
Aberdeenshire 29 St. Andrews Uni 15
Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007 Pos Team Pld W D L F A TB LB PD Pts 1 Strathmore 13 13 0 0 486 120 9 0 366 61 2 St Andrews University 12 9 0 3 431 137 8 2 294 46 3 Aberdeenshire 12 8 0 4 329 180 6 2 149 40 4 Mackie Academy FP 12 7 0 5 283 214 6 2 69 36 5 Kinross 12 7 0 5 192 291 2 0 -99 30 6 Orkney 12 6 0 6 356 251 4 1 105 29 7 Alloa 13 4 0 9 216 283 3 3 -67 22 8 Crieff & Strathearn 11 3 0 8 172 326 3 1 -154 16 9 Panmure 12 1 0 11 64 535 0 1 -471 1 10 RAF Lossiemouth 9 1 0 8 110 302 0 1 -192 -7
6/01
Strathmore returned to league business with a mediocre display against the weakest team in the division. Panmure have a limited game plan that relies on the tight driving of their overweight, ponderous pack. Life must be very lonely for their wingers as they received little or no ball throughout the eighty minutes. It was ironic then that their only try came from an awful pass from Strathie's Mike Bruce, a fact that wasn't lost on the large travelling support.
The result was the pleasing aspect of this match as the performance was a typical post Christmas affair, numerous passes were misplaced and the urgency of previous encounters was desperately missing.
There were individual performances of note, especially from the recast back row of Christie, Bell and Wilson who as a unit turned over ball and provided a much needed injection of pace into many of the attacks. Bell was superb once again, proving to be a thorn in the flesh of yet another opposite number this season. Strathie number eight Jamie Wilson covered a remarkable acreage during the match and fully deserved his try moments before half time.
It was blind side Kenny Christie that reaped the full reward for his efforts, crossing for a well merited hat-trick as he supported the ball carrier all match and defended the gain line with numerous thumping tackles.
The conditions in Broughty Ferry were favourable for open rugby and it was no surprise that the visitors had secured the bonus point before the break. The first try was the finest as slick handling left centre David Hull with an easy run in to the line. Scrum half Gary Wood barged over from close range after a number of drives from the forwards, quickly followed by an opportunistic try from captain Robin Young. Wilson's battering run ended the first half try scoring, stand off Mike Bruce converted three of the four tries with unerring accuracy. Strathie tried to play to much rugby in their own half at the start of the second period and put an enormous amount of pressure on their defence. Once play had been settled down and the forwards began to run straight and hard the gaps began to appear on this surprisingly narrow pitch.
Highlight of the second half was a caveman like hand off from prop Grant Dickson who treated a Panmure defender with utter disdain before discarding him on the soft turf. The front row were once again in the ascendancy throughout the one sided contest, looking more and more mobile as the weeks pass and fitness is regained.
Man of the match Atholl Bowman began to exert his influence at outside centre with some strong running and excellent handling, his experience of the Premiership obviously proving an advantage. Two of his breaks led to tries for the ever present Christie, though every time he received the ball he threatened the gain line and broke the first tackle.
Left Wing Jamie McLaren was prominent in Christie's third try, selling a delicious dummy before releasing the rampaging blind side metres from the line. Captain Robin Young crossed for the last try, though he would be the first to admit that his display was a mixture of the sublime and ridiculous. One thing Young does do in abundance is provide entertainment and lead from the front, with a brace on Saturday he did just that.
Once more Bruce slotted over three conversions out of four for an excellent day with the left boot. The game will probably be remembered for an unsavoury incident involving an apparent stamp on Black's centre David Hull. A nasty ear injury required treatment and the Strathie players were incensed with the deliberate intent to hurt a fellow rugby player.
Strathmore : R Young, J McLaren, A Bowman, D Hull, J Brodie, M Bruce, G Wood, G Dickson, G Merry, C Sim, K Mollison, S Gray, K Christie, C Bell, J Wilson.
Reps : G Strachan, S Jones, J Kiely.
Other Results:
Orkney 34 Kinross 3
Aberdeenshire19 Mackie Academy FP 3
RAF Lossiemouth Vs Crieff & Strathearn Postponed
St. Andrews Uni 45 Alloa 15
Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007 Pos Team Pld W D L F A TB LB PD Pts 1 Strathmore 12 12 0 0 440 115 8 0 325 56 2 St Andrews University 11 9 0 2 416 108 8 2 308 46 3 Aberdeenshire 11 7 0 4 300 165 6 2 135 36 4 Mackie Academy FP 12 7 0 5 283 214 6 2 69 36 5 Kinross 12 7 0 5 192 291 2 0 -99 30 6 Orkney 12 6 0 6 356 251 4 1 105 29 7 Alloa 12 4 0 8 211 237 3 3 -26 22 8 Crieff & Strathearn 11 3 0 8 172 326 3 1 -154 16 9 RAF Lossiemouth 9 1 0 8 110 302 0 1 -192 5 10 Panmure 12 1 0 11 64 535 0 1 -471 5
16/12
Strathmore 83 Orkney 13
There was no repeat of last years horror journey, although the Orcadians may wish that the match had fallen foul of the frozen pitch at Inchmacoble Park. Moving the game to the surprisingly spongy Academy turf proved to be an inspired choice, as did the selection of the black's fifteen which was the strongest to take the field this season.There were seven changes from the awful debacle in the cup last week but the main difference was the intensity and pace that Strathie injected into their game. That was allied to a weakened Orkney team, yet in the cup last week they managed to knock out Hillfoots who are three leagues above them.
THe biggest disparity in the contest was the sheer physical size of the Strathmore team, next to the blacks the islanders looked like waifs from a Dickensian workhouse. Tackles were easily broken and pressure was applied for the entire eighty minutes which has been an Achilles heel of this side recently.
In all thirteen tries were scored by the home side in a performance of ruthless efficiency that would have had the coaches purring with delight. The home supporters were treated to some fantastic tries, with the slick handling more in keeping with a varsity side than a team noted for its power. Recent recruit Scott McKenzie shone in this environment scoring four cracking tries, a rare feat for a blind side flanker but if anything it was his work in tandem with the fabulous Colin Bell that would have given Strathie the most satisfaction. They dominated the breakdown and that in turn gave lightning quick ball to the pacy Strathie backs. The Strathmore half backs then used this possession to run riot, using the full width of a narrow pitch to circumvent their opponents almost at will. When Orkney did receive the ball they kicked most of it away, a tactic that backfired badly as the blacks back three ran the ball at the Orcadians at every occasion, affording the visitors no respite.
Captain Robin Young was in majesterial form, his footwork sublime as he led the islanders cover defence a merry dance every time he touched the ball. Right wing Iain Fletcher followed his skippers lead with a belligerent display of power running that brought the reward of
two tries but could have been three or four. On the left wing the powerful presence of Jamie Mclaren meant that missing touch just wasn't an option for Orkney, the touchline should have been their friend but the punting was just too wayward. Strathie's centre partnership showed some great touches and Hull and Crozier looked menacing
in defence , though in truth they were never stretched by the under strength Orcadians. The hard yards up front were provided by Robertson, Gray and Westwood who drove the ball well and never fell into the trap of playing the match too loosely, the structure of the side never wavered throughout, another pleasing aspect for the coaching team.
The set scrum was solid throughout, the front row of Sim, Dickson and Merry dominating that area of the match and still they supported the ball carrier like auxiliary flankers. With McKenzie scoring four and Fletcher two there were seven other try scorers on the day, Young, Robertson, Merry, Bell, Soppett, Hull and McLaren joining their teammates on the scoresheet. Scrum half Michael Bruce kicked nine conversions to add to his overall dynamic display to complete the rout.The spotlight as always fell upon Kelvin Soppett who was making his last appearance for Strathmore before returning to the land of the long white cloud. His try was greeted with the biggest cheer of the day as he slid under the posts with a large grin on his face. Not only will the mercurial fly half be missed on the Inchmacoble paddock but more, much more as a friend of all those that met him. The club wishes him well.
Strathmore : R Young, J Mclaren, G Crozier, D Hull, I Fletcher, K Soppett, M Bruce, C Sim, G Merry, G Dickson, S Gray, K Robertson, S McKenzie, C Bell, J Westwood.
Reps: G Strachan, R Fotheringham, K Mollison.
This Saturday could see either Strathclyde Uni or RAF Lossiemouth visit Inchmacoble Park.
KO 2.00pm.Other Results
Alloa 17 Panmure 0
Pos Team Pld W D L F A TB LB PD Pts 1 Strathmore 11 11 0 0 388 110 7 0 278 51 2 St Andrews University 10 8 0 2 371 93 7 2 278 41 3 Mackie Academy FP 11 7 0 4 280 195 6 2 85 36 4 Aberdeenshire 10 6 0 4 281 162 6 2 119 32 5 Kinross 11 7 0 4 189 257 2 0 -68 30 6 Orkney 11 5 0 6 322 248 3 1 74 24 7 Alloa 11 4 0 7 196 192 3 3 4 22 8 Crieff & Strathearn 11 3 0 8 172 326 3 1 -154 16 9 RAF Lossiemouth 9 1 0 8 110 302 0 1 -192 5 10 Panmure 11 1 0 10 59 483 0 1 -424 5
2/12
RAF Lossiemouth 7 Strathmore 48
Match Report To Follow
Other Results
Aberdeenshire 50 - Kinross 14
St. Andrews Uni 112 - Panmure 0
Mackie Academy FP 22 - Crieff & Strathearn 7
Orkney 22 - Alloa 8
Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007 Pos Team Pld W D L F A TB LB PD Pts 1 Strathmore 10 10 0 0 305 97 6 0 208 46 2 St Andrews University 10 8 0 2 371 93 7 2 278 41 3 Mackie Academy FP 11 7 0 4 280 195 6 2 85 36 4 Aberdeenshire 10 6 0 4 281 162 6 2 119 32 5 Kinross 11 7 0 4 189 257 2 0 -68 30 6 Orkney 10 5 0 5 309 165 3 1 144 24 7 Alloa 10 3 0 7 179 192 3 3 -13 18 8 Crieff & Strathearn 11 3 0 8 172 326 3 1 -154 16 9 RAF Lossiemouth 9 1 0 8 110 302 0 1 -192 5 10 Panmure 10 1 0 9 59 466 0 1 -407 5
18/11
Strathmore 14 - Aberdeenshire 5
Strathmore stretched their unbeaten league run to fourteen games but once again failed to play within a set gameplan that would surely have brought more reward against a physical Aberdeenshire fifteen. Injured scrum half Michael Bruce took over the pre match duties from unavailable coach Jason Leslie and was disappointed to see such a disjointed performance from
his teammates. That said, the blacks have proved themselves adept at winning games without ever engaging top gear, which is a marvellous habit to possess. The supporters may not have been totally enamoured with the quality of rugby but were appreciative of the effort expended through the eighty minutes. New winger Rob Fotheringham made his league debut, making an impact in attack and defence showing excellent appetite for the fray.Strathmore were further boosted by the return of skipper Robin Young to the blacks ranks, Young has been so solid at full back this season and looks more comfortable with the captaincy as every game passes. The skipper won the coin toss and elected to play with a slight breeze on an almost perfect autumnal afternoon. The home side attacked from the off and were rewarded in the opening moments with a try from inspirational stand off Kelvin Soppett. This score came from the same move that pierced Mackie's defence last week, Crozier's offload in the tackle created a massive hole in the midfield that Soppett sprinted through to go under the posts. Scrum half Gary Wood surprisingly missed the conversion but luckily it wasn't to prove crucial.
At times this was an ill tempered clash and the Strathie team were enraged by some of the foul play perpetrated by the granite city side. Strathie extended their lead moments later when the Aberdeenshire stand off was lucky to stay on the field after a malicious stamp on Soppett. The Kiwi composed himself before rifling the ball through the sticks. The home side obviously had the edge in the backs and the forwards battled for quick ball but a combination of poor decision making and the away side killing possession meant that the advantage was rarely utilised. Just before the break Aberdeenshire used their bulky forwards to drive over from a lineout much to the embaressment of the Strathie eight. It wasn't difficult to see why the blacks were out muscled as their body positions were atrocious for stopping a driving maul.
The second half was more of an arm wrestle as both sides tried to gain an advantage without ever really threatening their opponents try line. One player who did shine in the gathering gloom was second row Stuart Gray. Dismissed by many as one dimensional, Gray has worked hard at his game to become indispensable to the blacks cause as his work rate and confidence rise. One soaring lineout take proved his burgeoning reputation as a player that is appreciated more and more by his teammates. Strathmore continued to put width on their game while 'Shire persevered with their driving mauls, though the blacks coped with their threat with more confidence in the second half. A disappointing forty minutes was made worthwhile after two more Soppett penalties meant that the visitors left Inchmacoble empty handed once more. The blacks have a week off and hopefully the injury list will decrease to give Jason Leslie more options for the trip to Lossiemouth.
Strathmore : R Young, J McLaren, G Crozier, I Fletcher, R Fotheringham, K Soppett, G Wood, G de Boehmler, D Robertson, G Strachan, K Robertson, S Gray, J Wilson, C Bell, J Westwood. Reps : K Mollison, J Edwards, A Bowman.
This Saturday Strathmore have a break but the Scotland v Australia will be shown at the club. Kick off is 2.30pm.Other Results
Panmure 5 - Orkney 31
Kinross 35 - Mackie Academy FP 30
Alloa - RAF Lossiemouth (Postponed)
Crieff & Strathearn 0 - St. Andrews Uni 34
Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007
Pos Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
TB
LB
PD
Pts
1 Strathmore 9 9 0 0 257 90 5 0 167 41 2 St Andrews University 9 7 0 2 259 93 6 2 166 36 3 Mackie Academy FP 10 6 0 4 258 188 5 2 70 31 4 Aberdeenshire 9 5 0 4 226 148 4 2 78 26 5 Kinross 9 6 0 3 167 200 2 0 -33 26 6 Orkney 9 4 0 5 287 157 3 1 130 20 7 Alloa 9 3 0 6 171 165 3 3 6 18 8 Crieff & Strathearn 10 3 0 7 165 304 3 1 -139 16 9 RAF Lossiemouth 8 1 0 7 103 254 0 1 -151 5 10 Panmure 8 1 0 7 52 346 0 0 -294 4
11/11
Strathmore 10 - Mackie Academy FP 0
Strathmore stretched their unbeaten start to the season as they racked up win number eight in the league against an improving Mackie fifteen. The visitors had also been on a winning run and were deemed in many quarters to be good enough to derail Strathie's serene progress. This match was also notable for a father and son playing in tandem for the first time in a league match as George and Colin Strachan took the field for the blacks, Colin's game would end prematurely with a shoulder injury. Substitute Kevin Mollison came on for the luckless Strachan and impressed in his time on the paddock. Although the scoreline hints at a close game in reality there was a big difference between the teams, most notably up front where the visitors looked undernourished compared to the bigger, more aggressive Strathie pack. It was ironic that the best player afield was the blacks smallest forward Colin Bell, who once again proved how adept he is at breaking tackles and pilfering opposition ball. In Jones and Westwood he had support from his back row colleagues and Strathmore dominated the contact area for the majority of the game. The forwards consistently made yards with Stuart Gray and captain for the day Keith Robertson prominent and the front row could have dismantled the Mackie scrum with great ease if only the new laws allowed it, yet Strathie contrived to lose two
put ins against the feed an issue surely to be addressed in training this week. Club Captain Robin Young, sidelined with a hamstring injury, must have been delighted with the performance of his side in the first half as they played great continuity rugby into a strong
