EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS REPORTS

Teague's vow to the groom
BILL LOTHIAN ([email protected])
Edinburgh Acads 38
Boroughmuir 14

EDINBURGH ACADS skipper Dan Teague has dedicated a "fairytale" Scottish Cup final bid against Glasgow Hawks at Murrayfield on Saturday week to prop Alistair Marsh, who misses the glamour rugby occasion due to his long-arranged wedding.

Acads qualified for their first-ever final with a 38-14 Raeburn Place demolition of Boroughmuir which was every bit as comprehensive as the scoreline suggests.

Indeed, it is impossible to look past, for a summing up, the vanquished side's official web-site which stated: "Boroughmuir were always on the back foot and never got into the game. Accies harried at every opportunity and 'Muir constantly coughed up ball whenever they looked like building a platform.

"Credit must be given to the hosts who took the chances they were given and never allowed 'Muir to settle from the first moment to the last.

"There was no time in the 80 minutes when 'Muir looked likely to win and Accies deserve their place at Murrayfield."

They say lightning doesn't strike twice but, earlier in his rugby career, Marsh was denied a first-ever run-out on the international arena when an age-group cup final had to be switched to the back pitches at short notice due to deteriorating weather conditions.

The circumstances are entirely different this time round, but skipper Teague still wants his colleague to be part of what he believes will eventually be cup celebrations.

"We will win it for Alistair then maybe a couple of us can take the trophy to the wedding reception," said Teague in making clear how integral Marsh had been to a victory based on five tries to two.

Whatever form these touchdowns took - they ranged from run-ins by Ross Browne and the exciting 17-year-old centre Paul Louden to a rolling maul rounded off by Nathan Pike - each had its genesis in a forward display of crushing power and momentum.

Capturing that mood, flanker Teague said: "It's a fairytale because this is Acads' 150th anniversary year and now we are going to Murrayfield.

"Barney [coach Ian Barnes] said we'd take Boroughmuir up front and that is what we did to the extent they just lost interest completely."

Acads led 23-0 at half-time and Teague added: "Relatively early they knew there were beaten so long as we continued to believe. Actually I knew we had the game won in the dressing room beforehand.

"Looking around, I noted the quality of our forwards and they did themselves proud with their scrummaging and driving mauls in particular.

"Really, I don't know why teams complicate things so much.

"All we did was try to emulate the outstanding teams of recent years like Leicester and Munster while recognising the style that powered Hawick to a host of Scottish titles in the '70s.

"All of them base or based their approach on denying opponents the ball, without which there is no way they can play and the final 15 or so minutes we controlled."

Of course, that is all subject to having the right type of personnel and, in fellow back-rower Jamie Parker, the skipper believed they had a key performer.

"Jamie was immense at being first to get to ground and secure turn-overs," said Teague of a player who overshadowed highly-rated opposite number Angus Martyn, who posted his 24th try of a remarkable season.

It was not a day on which roving commissions sometimes granted fleet-footed individuals like Martyn were ever going to work and, once they had tied in their rivals, Acads had sufficient skill out wide to provide killer touches.

Teague said: "It can't be long, surely, before Paul Louden's pace earns the offer of an Edinburgh contract while, alongside Luke McCann, he displays handling skills befitting an Australian once on the books of top rugby league side Manly Sea Eagles.

"What's more, with players coming back from Scotland under-18 duty, Paul might not be the only teenager in our squad for the final which we won't enter into entirely without insight even though Hawks have been playing in Division One whereas we've been battling [successfully] to get there this season.

"For example, stand-off Murray Strang is a former colleague of mine at Aberdeen Grammar FPs - what a great contrast it has been to win a semi-final compared to when I lost at the same stage previously with the Dons, incidentally - while ex-Acads second row Ally Dale is someone we know quite a lot about."

As to whether Acads can bridge the Division One/Two gap a fourth time in their campaign, 'Muir captain Rory Couper doesn't rule it out - while injecting a note of caution.

"Overall we made too many mistakes on a day when, with hindsight, we probably ought not to have given Acads first use of what was a fairly stiff wind," he said.

"Those elements, coupled with the fact they had plenty of ball and a bit of space to operate in, left us too much to do.

"Ultimately we panicked a bit and, as for whether Acads can go all the way, Hawks will be more experienced although they retain the capability to make an impression in the First Division when we'll be out for revenge."

Any future meeting may not see 'Muir so disadvantaged as when they lost star centre Elgan O'Donnell with an ankle injury after ten minutes.

That prompted all their inside backs to shuffle one position out, raising question marks against the composition of the bench though, in the event, even as O'Donnell departed en route to hospital, Acads were on the ascendancy and leading through a penalty by Gavin Douglas.

As 'Muir restructured, Douglas landed a snap drop goal and, apart from a quick surge when Malcolm Clapperton was squeezed out in the corner, it was virtually one-way traffic, Loudon, Browne and high tackling scrum-half Michael Campbell all crossing before the change-around.

Not even a yellow card for home hooker Joe Edwards for ball-killing could rouse 'Muir, whose misery was summed up in 68 minutes by a complete breakdown in communications at the line-out, ironically involving their hooker Dave Cunningham.

Arguably 'Muir's best player by claiming two heels against the head which added to plenty of bustle in the loose, Cunningham found himself so out of synch with the jumpers that the ball plopped into the hands of an Acads forward who did not even need to leave the ground.

By then Martyn and Douglas had exchanged converted tries and the answer to the only remaining question, the victory margin, was provided by tries from Pike (Acads) and Niall Malloy ('Muir), with Douglas adding a penalty as part of a 'full house' comprising every means of scoring.

Meanwhile, Acads coach Ian Barnes is calling on his side to put on a final show for veteran Kiwi hooker Joe Edwards, who has been instrumental in keeping the fires burning as the club youth development officer and who could retire afterwards.

Edwards helped set up an intriguing challenge at Raeburn Place on Wednesday between the BATS (an amalgamation of youth players from Acads, Trinity and Broughton) against schools champions Bell-Baxter.

"Joe is still expected to be doing further good work for the club next year but his playing days might soon be over," said Barnes as part of post-match remarks which included a tirade against the coaching methods of the Scottish rugby hierarchy and, on evidence just presented by his charges, it was possible, at the very least, to see where he was coming from.

"There has been criticism of [SRU chief executive] Gordon McKie but the Rugby Division is a sight worse. For example, three of our under-17s are not allowed to play this Wednesday because they have been told to rest. They [the SRU] do not have a clue," said Barnes, an accountant.

Scorers: Edinburgh Acads: Tries: Browne, Loudon, M Campbell, Douglas, Pike. Conversions: Douglas (2). Drop goal: Douglas. Penalties: Douglas (2).

Boroughmuir: Tries: Martyn, Malloy. Cons: Cook, Hadden.

Edinburgh Acads: R Browne, J-M Howison, L McCann, P Loudon, D Rattray, G Douglas, M Campbell, P Burns, J Edwards, A Marsh, E Stuart, N Pike, D Teague (captain), G Campbell, J Parker. Subs: E Stott, D MacLeod, S Paterson, S Walker.

Boroughmuir: R Cook, C Keenan, M Clapperton, E O'Donnell, R Couper, captain, S Hadden, G Cottrell, N Drapper, D Cunningham, F Lait, G Scott, G McCallum, C Capaldi, B Fisher, A Martyn. Subs: J Malakoty, N Malloy, J Hare, S McGee.

Referee: D Changleng (Galashiels).

This article was posted on 23-Apr-2007, 15:13 by Hugh Barrow.