Saturday 22nd August 2009

Kirkcaldy 7 v 19 Boroughmuir

Reporter: Simon Furnivall

Boroughmuir were pushed all the way by a committed Kirkcaldy side at Beveridge Park today, but three late tries saw the Premier One side home to victory in their final pre-season game. Looking to build on last week’s win over Hawick, ’Muir began slowly, allowing the sizeable home pack to dominate and grab an early score which veteran fly-half Quintan Sanft converted.

On the narrow 2^nd XV pitch, Boroughmuir were struggling to create space, but that couldn’t be used as an excuse for the myriad handling errors they made; that was likely more to do with the ferocity of the home side’s defence, which illustrated their determination to put right the wrongs of their heavy defeat against Heriot’s a week ago.

There were positives still to be taken from the first half performance, particularly a defensive effort which limited the home side to just their early try. Greg Cottrell was, as ever, a defensive thorn in the side of the opposition, belying his diminutive stature to haul down anything that moved whilst both lock forward Mike Stalley and  winger Redha Guedroudj chipped in with some good tackles.

A switch early in the second half saw James Fish come on in the centre, replacing scrum half Stuart McGee, with Elgan O’Donnell and Cottrell each moving in one position, and it was Fish who eventually got ’Muir on the scoresheet. As the second half had worn on, the visitors had begun to look the more and more likely scorers, and finally Fish obliged, bursting through tackles down the left wing and over the line, much to the chagrin of the vocal home support.

Elgan O’Donnell missed with his conversion attempt, but was more accurate with his second attempt after winger Robert Cairns had shown impressive strength, just getting himself over the line with a Kirkcaldy defender trying to haul him back after a strong run by hooker Shaun McMurchy had set up the chance.

The Boroughmuir pack were well on top by now, regularly battering their way through a tiring Kirkcaldy defence, but it was full back Stephen Ruddick who touched down for the final score, finding space out on the right wing, and Graeme Blackhall finished the game off with an impressive conversion from wide out.

One thing that Boroughmuir can certainly have taken heart from today was their clearly superior fitness, an advantage which eventually proved enough to secure them victory, and the fact that they have conceded only two tries in their two warm-up games suggests that their defence is looking in good order. Things are never going to be perfect at this stage of the season, but their should be confidence amongst the ranks that they can hit the ground running in next week’s difficult season opener against Selkirk.

Boroughmuir : Freddie Lait, Shaun McMurchy, Bronson Ross, Lynton Brinck, Mike Stalley, Ally MacLeod, Euan Matheson (c), James Buchanan, Stuart McGee, Greg Cottrell, Redha Geudroudj, Elgan O'Donnell, Malcolm Clapperton, Tom Bury, Stephen Ruddick - Subs (All Used): Nick Watt, Nick Fraser, James Fish, Rob Cairns,  Graeme Blackhall

Match Photos