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Anniesland Stags (34) beat Irvine (5) Stags: 1 Max McFarlane 2 Graeme Forbes 3 Andy Dunlop 4 Kyle White 5 Andy Watson 6 N/A 7 Gavin Begg 8 N/A 9 Kenny Weir 10 Tony Smith 11 Neil Lewis 12 David Tait 13 Paul Taylor 14 N/A 15 Brendan Moriarty On a cold windy and sometimes wet day that contrasted vividly with the warm sun last week, Stags faced a very young Irvine side who lacked a bit of weight and an old head to keep things ticking over. Uncontested scrummages usually result in a much more open style of game because the forwards do not get so tired, and this occasion was no exception. Although Stags fielded a much changed side, Irvine were in the game for the first 20 minutes only, while their youthful exuberance kept up with the skilful interplay of the Stags’ forwards and backs. With hindsight it was a mistake for Irvine to lend the Stags a player and the game opened with 13 v 14, but following an injury the player was returned to Irvine to make it 12 v 14. Irvine for some unknown reason decided to play ten man rugby to the amazement of the Anniesland team who tried to coach them during the game to spin the ball wide and enjoy it more. However due to Tony Smith’s call of no kicking, this was still a game of end to end action with the ball being run from the Anniesland twenty two at every occasion, and it was the old heads who triumphed over the inexperienced younger team in the end. Eventually Neil Lewis opened the scoring by finishing from some way out following a flowing move and although he dilly-dallied in in-goal, eventually he touched down near the posts despite the best efforts of an Irvine defender to hold him up. Shortly afterwards Andy Watson went over for a score and he was followed by Kenny Weir who broke on the blind side from a five-metre scrummage after Stags had been held up over the line. Much later there was a 50 metre dash to the line from Lewis following slick handling from Taylor and Moriarty. David Tait snaffled possession in midfield and powered over from 30 metres for the closing score. Tony Smith converted two of the tries. Highlight of the game was seeing Max McFarlane on a ten yard explosion to the try line, being held up just short and touching the ball to the post, only to be told by match referee David McNair that a try can only be awarded when the ball is touching the post and the ground. The backs saw some good service from Kenny Weir playing at scrum half and wing three quarter, and the outstanding player this week was Gavin Begg who successfully and repeatedly took on three Irvine forwards (I don‘t think we‘ll be seeing much more of him unless we‘re watching the seconds or above). Also thanks to Graeme (they still push down south in the scrum) Forbes for coming up from London to show us his handling and kicking skills acquired there. Andy Dunlop’s fitness level must be increasing because he managed to last he pace throughout the game. Finally, it was nice to hear the repeated cheers from the main pitch as Hawks demolished Curry. Next week - Cartha at home. All players, supporters and referees welcome. Saturday 7th October, 2006 Accies (23) overcome Glens (20) in local derby! Last Saturday at New Anniesland Accies extended their winning run to 5 games in a row and put themselves in contention for a push for promotion as they overcame a stuffy Allan Glens side containing two ex-Hawks players, Tony Wright & Steven O’Donnell. “Chippy” seems to be on his own personal tour of Glasgow rugby clubs having played at Hawks, Hill Jills, GHA, West and now Glens.) On a cold breezy October day at New Anniesland, Accies extended their winning run to 5 games in a row and put themselves in contention for a push for promotion as they overcame a stuffy Allan Glens side. Accies were without Captain Ross Chassells and the flying wing Mike Hermes on wedding duty but welcomed back Pete Meiklem into the pack, from injury, to field a strong side with plenty of pace in the backline from Craig Wright and Scott Hazeley on the wings. Accies kicked off into a strong breeze but came immediately under pressure from Glens in the opening salvo’s resulting in Glen’s being awarded a penalty which their fullback stroked over to open the scoring. This spurred Accies into action and from the restart they drove up the field with a succession of forward drives and backs moves that Glens had no answer to. Glens scrambled the ball into touch 10 metres out and the Accies forwards drove on in trademark style from the lineout which resulted in Glens pulling down the maul as a try beckoned. Penalty Try awarded and converted from under the posts by Ali McLaren. Accies continued to pressurize Glens deep in Glens territory when a hurried clearance kick was caught by Ali McLaren in midfield, Ali sent the long pass out right to Craig Wright who scorched outside the Glens winger and popped the pass inside to the supporting Ali McLaren to sprint in from 15 metres for an unconverted try. Game on for Accies. Glens showed they weren’t going to lie down as they came back strongly at Accies and following a sustained period of pressure their excellent Kiwi scrum half broke off after a series of rucks to score an unconverted try in the right hand corner as Accies ran out of cover. This stung Accies back into action and quickly they responded with an Ali McLaren penalty goal. Accies continued to keep the pressure on Glens and, following a series of driving mauls and rucks the ball was fed out to Jamie Doig who passed back inside for No.8 Andy Pogrel to run in for an unconverted try. The game took another twist as Glens struck back pressurizing Accies deep in Accies half with a series of driving mauls and scrums and scored through their right winger for a converted try. As half time approached Accies pushed for a fourth try and bonus point, however as Jamie Doig tried to drive for the line from 8 metres out he was wrapped up by the defence and the chance was lost. It was disappointing moment as a straight hands move through the backs would surely have delivered a try. Half time: Accies 20 – Glens 15 With the wind behind then and playing back towards the clubhouse Accies should have stretched away to a comfortable win, however it was Glens who started more brightly and scored following a lineout and driving maul from 5 metres out to draw level. The second half continued in a see saw motion of both Accies and Glens having periods of domination with the only further scoring coming from the boot of Ali McLaren as Glens were drawn off side at a ruck following a spell of Accies pressure. The last 15 minutes were brightened by a more dominant Accies side pushing for the fourth try and bonus point, which Accies just couldn’t quite get, and also for the debut of Matt Franklin, fresh out of the Academy. In the end Ali McLaren’s penalty kick won the game for Accies but both the team and supporters were hoping for more after leading 20-15 at half time and showing glimpses of great rugby. The day will come when this developing Accies side will really put their opposition to the sword, hopefully it will be next week in Cupar against Howe of Fife in what will be Accies most important game of the season. With five wins in a row and three teams going up Accies now sit just 2 points behind third placed Caithness and, with some hard graft, can push forward confidently for promotion. Friday 6th October, 2006 Anniesland Stags (26) v. Hillhead/Jordanhill (31) Stags: 1 Jon Brown 2 Rob McNaught 3 Willie Brown (HillJills) 4 Andy Beverley 5 Andy Dunlop 6 Andy Nelson 7 Andy Watson 8 Fraser Simpson 9 Kenny Weir 10 Tony Smith 11 James Ogilvie 12 David Tait 13 Paul Taylor 14 HillJills Back (then Sam Makusha) 15 Brendan Moriarty On another hot late summer day an influx of students (good on you lads) to GHK and Accies’ 2nd XVs allowed Stags to field a fairly strong side and this was fortunate as they ran up against a very powerful Hillhead/Jordanhill team. Hills were better drilled up front, indeed chat was even heard from their team of things working out from the training field. (They train!!!). Hills in the spirit of 3rd XV rugby supplied a slightly light numbered Anniesland team with the excellent prop Willie Brown and a back to keep the teams competitive. Hills pressed from the start and there was a controversial moment after only two minutes when a Stags player on the ground was trampled by a Hills flanker who promptly received a ten minute rest in the sin bin. When the Stags player got up it was none other than the old soldier Willie Brown on loan from Hills! This was a ding dong match with both sides mounting impressive attacking raids. Stags were operating on less ball than Hills but the excellent half-back combination of Weir and Smith looked threatening whenever they had possession. If Weir can get some training in he looks a hot bet for promotion to a higher level. Further out the forward David Tait did well to link to the other backs but the defensive alignment looked shaky. Paul Taylor (whose father was cheering from the touchline) scored after a fine move and there was another try scored by someone whose name escapes me. Unfortunately Hills were also scoring and were in the lead near the end when Stags put together a fine flowing move from 65 yards, involving most of the backs and the back row. Andy Dunlop unexpectedly appeared on the shoulder of Paul Taylor just a few yards from the posts and took the pass for glory. As the final whistle approached there was more controversy when Andy Beverley (whose father was also cheering from the touchline) pounced on a loose ball in midfield and outpaced the Hills centres before chipping over the full-back who obstructed him. The referee had little hesitation in awarding the penalty try which was converted by Tony Smith who added to his earlier scores. Sam Makusha would have been on for the full game but missed the start and came on at half time for the HillJill back, but when the Andy Nelson went off injured, the Hills back came back on as a flanker. Fraser Simpson forgot to stay on his feet at the breakdown and was heavily penalised for forgetting the referee knew that law. Andy Nelson, although not penalised, spent most of the day being asked by the referee to stay on-side. James Ogilvie’s father turned up to watch but only occasionally did the ball reach that wing. David McNair was the referee who unforgivingly played 35 minutes each way, much to the disgust of both teams, who were looking for as short a run out as possible. (Note from ref: I think I forgot to restart the watch after an injury, so one of the halves was 40 minutes). However he did manage to keep the game reasonably within the laws and will be welcome back (although if there are any aspiring referees out there please get in touch). We will be looking for a rematch at Hughenden where hopefully the Anniesland team will be able to give a better account of themselves. Sunday, 1st October, 2006 ACCIES BEAT GARNOCK, Garnock 13 Glasgow Accies 15 This encounter was every bit as close as the score suggests. It was a game played between two sides that were equally matched and neither was prepared to give an inch. Every yard of territory had to be won and none was conceded without a battle. In the final outcome this was an outstanding win for Accies. Very few sides go to Garnock and come away with the points. Garnock are a well-organised side with a strong pack and outstanding backs for this level of rugby. However on they day they were well matched. Accies probably just deserved their win on the basis that they scored two very good tries to one and that they were leading when the final whistle blew. Accies kicked off and during the early stages appeared to have things well under control. A searing break by Richard McKnight from close to halfway almost resulted in a try but the cover was just good enough to catch him in the corner. However in the 15th minute it all changed. A silly late tackle by an Accies forward resulted in a penalty that gave Garnock a foothold in Accies half for the first time. From the resulting lineout a scrum was awarded from which the No.8 picked up cleanly fed his open side flanker who strode through a fractured defence unopposed. The try was converted for a 7-0 lead for the host club. This was the signal for a period of Garnock domination as their confidence soared. At this stage Accies were still losing too many turnovers for comfort. The Garnock No.8 was proving to be a thorn in the side especially with his pick technique at the base of the scrum. In the 27th minute Garnock increased their lead to 10-0 with a penalty in front of the posts. Gradually Accies got into the match and in the 33rd minute they scored a beautiful try that was straight from the training ground. Mike Hermes came off his right wing berth and into the line. His pace and strength created enough space for the intruding fullback, captain, Ross Chassels to break through and draw his man before passing to a delighted Craig Wright who romped home for his first try of the season. 10-5 Accies had to survive a few hairy moments before the half time whistle as the Garnock forwards threw wave after wave of mauls and rucks at them close to their line. With the wind and slope in their favour Accies seemed to feel that this game could be won and 12 minutes into the half they scored another copybook try. From a ruck close to touch and a few metres from touch some slick handling involving Richard McKnight, Jamie Doig and Alan Wilson who came in on the angle for him to score under the posts. Richard McKnight converted and Accies were in the lead by 12-10. The remainder of this intriguing game ebbed and flowed until 8 minutes from time when Accies gave away a penalty 45 metre out and straight in front. To the delight of their vocal support it was slotted to give them the narrowest of leads. Accies stormed back from the kick-off and were awarded a penalty, 10 metres in from touch and 35 metres out. The reliable Richard McKnight converted via the upright for the final score. The frantic 5 minutes remaining were nail biting for both sets of supporters. This was a really good performance from this improving Accies side. Richard McKnight, playing his first 80 minutes of the season, was a great steadying influence and he gave the players around him more confidence. The return of Ross Chassels and Jamie Doig after long injuries also helped the moral and the pack even without talisman Andy Pogrel played a full part in this success. There is still a long way to go but four wins in a row is certainly the right direction. Sunday, 24th September, 2006 NARROW WIN FOR ACCIES, Glasgow Accies 12 Highland 8 A win is a win, but Accies cannot take much satisfaction from this scrappy performance. On the 5th good Saturday in a row, played on a perfect surface with a gentle breeze and warm sunshine there was little excuse for this disappointing performance. Highland, minus a number of regulars and all their Fijians gave Accies a difficult afternoon and could consider themselves a little unlucky to go home with only a losing bonus point. Far too often for comfort Accies lost the ball in contact or were penalised for not releasing because there was no support for the tackled player. To be fair Accies defence was solid throughout the game and the lineout was highly effective. Mike Henry improves with every game and his lineout work on his own throw, disrupting the oppositions and support in the loose made him this correspondents man of the match. Accies backs must also take their share of the blame for this stuttering performance. They had a great deal of the ball but had great difficulty in spreading it wide to their speedy wings. Too often they cut back into the traffic. Having said that Jonny Adams and Alan Wilson each had one clean break. In the 35th minute the Jonny Adams break from deep inside his own half lead to a spectacular but somewhat fortuitous try. He surged over the halfway line and kicked ahead. A vicious bounce eluded the fullback and came back into the hands of Mike Hermes. He offloaded to Adams and he scored under the posts for Graeme Simpson to convert for a 7-0 lead. Accies lost the ball from the kick off and were penalised for not releasing. Highland kicked the goal and the half ended with Accies in the lead by 7-3. During the first quarter of the second half the game seesawed without either side gaining an important advantage. As the game entered the closing quarter, at last, Accies managed to work the ball along the line and Mike Hermes squeezed through the narrowest of gaps for the decisive try. At this stage Accies let Highland back into the game mainly through the number of penalties that they conceded some of which needed further explanation from the referee at the end of the match. Apparently if you break away from a rolling maul that is deemed to have been obstruction. That surely needs to be re-examined. Whatever, Highland started to play their best rugby of the match and some excellent handling lead to a good try in the corner that narrowed the lead to 12-8. The final 10 minutes proved to be fairly scary for Accies as Highland pressed for a winner. Accies now have 14 league points accumulated from 3 wins in a row but they will need to much tighter and more game aware if they are going to topple Garnock next week. Sunday, 17th October, 2004 Season Update: Things are going exceptionally well for Accie so far - as a club we have played 23 matches this season and lost only one - the 2nd team and Stags are still both undefeated, long may it continue!! We made it past St Boswells in round 2 of the Cup and have been drawn to face Premier 2 team Jed-Forest at New Anniesland at 3:00 on Saturday 30th October. This will be a huge day for Accie rugby, get everyone you know down to watch, and then maybe stay on for the pre-halloween Super-Heroes night afterwards..... Sunday, 5th September, 2004 Full steam ahead for Accies, both teams 1st and 2nd teams have played four matches and both teams have won 4 matches. Yesterday the 1st team started their National 2 league campaign and recorded a 22-14 win over Langholm, the 2nds have to wait until next Saturday for thei 1st match when they take on Annan at home. The Stags are also scheduled to play their first game of the season against Waysiders/Drumpellier at home - we are going to need at least 50 players this weekend so all hands to the pump!! Sunday, 15th August, 2004 Accies start the season the way we hope to continue - the first pre-season matches against Marr in Troon result in a 52-10 victory for the firsts and a 22-0 victory for the seconds. We we are beginning to develop a bit of quality depth that we haven't had for a few years but we are still short in a few key positions - everyone is welcome down at New Anniesland so please encourage anyone you know to come down to training and get involved - particularly second rowers!!! Sunday, 24th July, 2004 Changes on the coaching side - John Beattie is leaving us to coach the forwards at Premier 1 team Biggar, we are joined by Simon Wintle who will be in charge of the backs and the 2nd XV, so everything is looking good for some productive training sessions. We have some excellent specialist coaches lined up for occasional sessions - you will have no excuses for not improving your game if you are a regular attendee at training this year... Sunday, 2nd May, 2004 Unfortunately not a dream end to the season for Glasgow Accies, but it came close. In the BT Shield Final at Murrayfield we lost 42-24 to a very strong Berwick team, the try-count was 6 to 4 so the game wasn't as one-sided as the score suggests!! It was, despite the result, an absolutelu brilliant day - it will be remembered for a long time to come. Well done to everyone involved!! Sunday, 4th April, 2004 Yesterday was an incredible day for Anniesland Rugby. Glasgow Accies 1st XV took on Dalziel 1st XV at home in the BT Shield semi-final, and despite starting as underdogs went on to inflict Dalziel's biggest defeat of the season scoring 29 points with no reply. This was a magnificent performance by the players and coaches, our already great season will now have a glamour ending at Murrayfield on May 1st at Finals Day. Accies will be playing either Berwick or Preston Lodge (both Premier 3 teams, three leagues above us) for the BT Shield, kicking of at 12:45 on the big pitch, the second half will be televised live on STV. To make things even better, across the fence at Old Anniesland Glasgow Hawks beat Melrose 42 - 19 in the BT Cup semi-final to confirm their place in the Final on May 1st at Murrayfield. What a party we are going to have!! Sunday, 28th March, 2004 The 2nd XV have brought home the first piece of silverware this year, by beating Ardrossan away in their final league match of the season in Division 5(W) they sealed their position at the top of the table. That means they will be playing in Division 4(W) next season - brilliantly done, congratulations to captain Stuart Wilson and all of his 2nd XV players. The 1st XV have also been promoted, albeit in second place behind Perthshire. This matches the Scottish record held by Annan for 6 consecutive league promotions - next season the boys will be gunning for a new record in National 2 Sunday, 14th March, 2004 Yesterday Glasgow Accies 1st XV travelled down to Langholm to play their 1/4 Scottish Shield tie and were victorious, winning the game convincingly with a 43-21 scoreline. This sets us up for a semi-final match on Saturday, 3rd Aprl - we have been drawn at home against National 1 team Dalziel. The winner of this tie will travel to Murrayfield to play in the Final on May Day - please come down to New Anniesland and help cheer on your team!! Congratulations also go to Glasgow Hawks who beat Currie to get to the semi finals of the Scottish Cup, they have drawn a home match against Melrose on the 3rd April so Anniesland will be jumping!! |