Saturday 14th November 2009

West of Scotland 34 v 24 Boroughmuir

Reporter: Simon Furnivall

Having come from behind to lead 22-24 in the second half at Burnbrae, it looked as if Boroughmuir would be leaving Milngavie this afternoon with a pocketful of points. They had cut down the error count which left them lagging behind their hosts in the first half and had fired out of the blocks, claiming two converted tries which took them into the lead.

It turned out, however, to merely be a brief moment of hope in an altogether more frustrating day as the final quarter of the match saw them once again turn over too much possession, playing perfectly into the hands of a West side playing a territorial game which suited the conditions, and eventually sinking to a ten point defeat.

A late change to the Boroughmuir line-up saw Elgan O’Donnell replace Ed Mills on the wing, with scrum half Stuart McGee promoted to the bench, and there were fears that the game may fall victim to the weather with the overnight rain having made the playing surface very soft. After a long inspection by the officials the pitch was judged playable and it was the home side that got their game into gear from the start.

There were only three minutes on the clock when ‘Muir lock Greig Scott was penalised for entering a ruck from the side just outside his own twenty-twp and the home side kicked for touch. Clean ball was won some ten metres from the ‘Muir line and West’s powerful forwards drove over for the score, flanker and captain David Young getting the ball down. Full back Michael Sim converted.

In reply Boroughmuir set out their stall of playing an expansive game, and it reaped immediate reward. Fly-half Greg Cottrell had once already fed Mark Hare for the young centre to break the gain line, and the second time they combined it resulted in a try. Cottrell took Calum Cusiter’s pass and broke inside his opposite number Colin Thwaites, then drew the attentions of Sim before feeding Hare, who took advantage of the wet pitch to slide over the line. O’Donnell added the extras.

West, however, had a game plan which they were going to stick resolutely to, and it paid them huge dividends with the pick and drive particularly successful in the early stages. They also attacked the Boroughmuir back three with judicious use of the high ball, and it was from one of these, sent up by winger Andrew Symington, that they scored their next points. ‘Muir full back Tom Bury claimed the catch comfortably enough and the mark to go with it, but when he attempted a clearance kick, the wet ball slid off his boot and straight to full back Sim, who picked it up and slotted a superb drop goal from thirty-five metres.

‘Muir were quick to reply again, awarded a penalty when West went over the ball at a ruck, O’Donnell thumped his kick between the posts from thirty metres out to level the scores. Sim missed a chance to again nudge his side three ahead when he sliced a penalty attempt across the face of the posts, but it was only a temporary reprieve.

With seven minutes of the half remaining, Boroughmuir were penalised for dragging a maul down in their own twenty-two, and perhaps with memories of both their first try and Sim’s missed kick large in their mind, they opted to kick for touch. It proved to be the right decision. The initial attack was repelled well by the visiting side, but a series of pick and go drives, initiated by former Scotland international Gordon Bulloch, saw them manage to form a maul just five metres from the line and Bulloch was the one to touch down as they drove over. Sim again converted.

The home side were now clearly in the ascendancy, and they piled pressure on the Boroughmuir line, desperately searching for a third score to ensure that their superiority was reflected in the scoreline. The clock ticked into injury time at the end of the half and still they came forward, drive after drive sapping the energy of the Boroughmuir pack until eventually, after Neale Patrick had been sin-binned for a breakdown offence, his opposite number Mark Jenkinson dived straight thorugh the middle of the ruck and over the line for the score. Sim’s missed conversion left the gap at twelve points.

The Boroughmuir coaching staff let their players know in no uncertain terms at half time that they would have to cut down the turnovers, and they reacted well to the message, grabbing a try early after the restart. Having won a penalty in the West twenty-two they attacked the line, first Sione Onesi and then David Callam crashed through tackles towards the line before hooker Shaun McMurchy picked up and dived over, claiming his third try in twelve games for the club. O’Donnell converted and all of a sudden the game was very much back on.

They were eager to take advantage of their new found momentum, and had a second try almost straight away when big runs from Lynton Brinck and (again) David Callam left West defenders trailing, creating space on the right flank. The ball was too slow in finding its way to Bury, however, and the full back was bundled down short of the line. But that mattered not as Mark Hare and Bronson Ross hit the ball up into contact and Calum Cusiter took advantage of a gap that opened under the West posts, diving over the line, avoiding the attempted tackle of Murray McConnell. O’Donnell added his third successful conversion and for the first time Boroughmuir had the lead.

Had Boroughmuir managed to stick with this fast, aggressive and (more to the point) disciplined game then they would have likely returned to Edinburgh with a five point haul that would have lifted them to fifth in the table. Unfortunately though, they dropped back into the way they had played in the first half and nothing could have been more to the home side’s liking.

West did miss the chance to regain the lead when Sim pulled a penalty attempt wide of the posts; Onesi having deliberty blocked the run of Elliott McLaren after the prop chipped the ball ahead to give away the opportunity. It was from the same period of play that they grabbed their bonus point score, however, after they were handed back the initiative when O’Donnell put his twenty-two drop out straight into touch.

West worked themselves into the position for a rolling maul, and when it was illegally dropped, Greig Scott was sent for a ten minute rest. With a man advantage in the pack, West opted for the scrum, and after a few futile drives at the line, they won another, this time closer to the posts. McConnell took the ball from the base and was hit hard by a tackle from Cottrell, but the ball was recycled and Jenkinson dived over for another score, Sim again converting.

The truth was that ‘Muir were still well in the game, and when they could regain their composure they were still threatening the West line. After defending well against the maul which had caused them so many problems, Onesi affected a turn over which Cusiter bombed downfield. Tom Bury’s chase forced a spilled ball which Malcolm Clapperton and Mark Hare carried on, the latter chipping towards the line only to see the ball bounce just into touch only two yards out.

It was eventually their inability to convert the field position that resulted into points that killed them though, as a minute from time West scored the try that clinched the game. From another line out in the Boroughmuir twenty-two, West won possession and kept it tight, the tactic that had won them so much ground in the game, and a massive effort from their pack saw them drive over the line for Young to grab the score.

Undoubtedly this was a massively frustrating game for Boroughmuir as a win could have given them real breathing room from the teams below. More than anything it is so frustrating because there is clearly a good side amongst what it a young team, though perhaps it is experiences like these that they need. In young prop Nick Fraser the Meggetland side have one of the finds of the season whilst flanker Sione Onesi will only get better as he gets match fitness into his legs. And thankfully they show no signs of simply resting on their promise, as with only seven points separating fifth and eleventh in the league, a blip could quickly become a slide, and beyond that bears no thinking about.

Boroughmuir : Tom Bury, Elgan O'Donnell, Malcolm Clapperton (c), Mark Hare, Rob Cairns: Greg Cottrell, Calum Cusiter: Freddie Lait, Shaun McMurchy Nick Fraser: Greig Scott, Neale Patrick, Mike Stalley: Cammy Orr, Sione Onesi. Subs Used: Bronson Ross, Dave Callam, Lynton Brinck, Stuart McGee, Graeme Blackhall

Match Photos