New post on Glasgow Accies Rugby Club


Newton Stewart Match Report
by Andrew Brown
With both our usual scribes away on Guinness testing duties, today’s match report falls to an apprentice, so apologies for lack of Reid or Walker erudite discussions of styles of play and references to Homer and Keats.

Our day did not start well as our bus, once fully loaded with players and kit, almost ended up with a trip to Edinburgh as we had tried to hijack the Heriot’s 1st year bus, the French bus driver did comment that he had ‘brought thee leetle boys through’ but ‘where did we want to go?’

After transferring to our own bus and a three hour trip, down the shortest distance, but not coach friendly Barrhill road we arrived at Newton Stewart.

The pitch was in good condition and the weather while looking like rain was coming, stayed dry for the game with a bit of a reasonably strong southerly wind blowing

Our team had three changes from last week with Gavin Paul, Jamie Watson and Mike Hermes coming in with Ruaridh Watts, Brodie Anderson, Craig Wright and Honeymoon dodging Brad Bell on the bench.

We started the first half with the wind and went straight into their half and after 90 seconds our no. 9 Ben Frame sneaked straight through a hole to score, kick bounced off the post with the blustery wind, but 5-0 up and looking to carry on where we left off last week.

Shortly after Elliot was on the receiving end of some questionable tackling, being lifted and ‘dumped’ by the N.Stewart no 12, but wearing 19 to confuse us city boys, who was yellow carded. The penalty was taken by Angus MacCallum , so 8-0 up after five minutes and the bus journey starts to seem worthwhile.

The game then settled down to the format expected, Accies playing fast running rugby making 5 line breaks yet not managing to put the points on the board. N. Stewart using their big forwards and centres in straight running rugby. The game moving from end to end but no change in scores, though Accies really should have put more points on the board, as with the wind and some of the chances that had opened up we hadn’t really capitalised.

So half time came and still 8-0 to Accies, our coach obviously applied a bit of the ‘hair drier at half time as straight away from the kick off we were back in their half and starting to play to the game plan. A good break by our forwards and some good passing gave Angus MacCallum a try which he then converted, 15-0.

After 46 minutes Elliot McLaren had to come off as was slightly dazed, believing that denim and denim was the way forward, after the tackle in first half, Ruaridh Watts on. The next 15 minutes was tough to watch as the N.Stewart team kept running hard at our young team, for many possibly the first time that the opposition weren’t 20 year old boys but 20 stone ‘farmers’. The tackling was superb and fantastic to see that not only does our team run well but also showed huge commitment to preserve their lead.

On 60 minutes though gravity did prevail as there is only so much you can do to stop an 18 stone prop from 3 feet and N.Stewart scored and converted, 15-7 and a bit of belief creeping into the home supporters.

So a test for our young team, how much hard tackling can you do and how to respond? Well with a family filled with as many Accie legends as he has, stepped up Ker Malcolm with a fantastic break through their line and a clean pass to Kiran Seran , who scored, the kick into the wind making life tough for Angus, but 63 minutes and 20-7.

15 minutes still to play and John (coach) required to take off Ross Cowan, after one too many hard tackles replaced by Brad Bell, at the same time Craig Wright on to replace Andy Brown.

After more of the same with some hard tackling and running by our team we had a penalty on 71 minutes, which was missed but followed up soon after with some good passing to let the ‘Father’ of the team Mike Hermes score in the corner, a hard kick even before the crowd start giving comments. 25-7 and five minutes to play was looking good but with a bit of overtime to play and a dedicated team N.Stewart were fairly intent on playing to the last and despite more heroic tackling the inevitable happened and they scored on 83 minutes and missed their kick.

Final score 25-12 and a very worthy win, not our best, which can be very good, but a hard place to come and get a bonus point. As I said earlier they will be feeling it this morning as there were some very big tackles put in against some large men, at times is good to be a ‘blazer’ watching not playing!

So cancel what you were doing next Saturday and come and watch, as our team are good and could be something special in the years to come. So 3pm kick off at New Anniesland or come early and have lunch (phone Nigel 07917120372 or Peter 07854003676) which is £15 inc free entry.

This article was posted on 10-Sep-2013, 12:05 by Hugh Barrow.