Weather-wise students teach EK squad a lesson

Jan 21 2009 by Paul Thomson, East Kilbride News

EAST Kilbride Rugby Club 1st XV played their first game, competitive or otherwise, since November, and their lack of match practice showed as Edinburgh University comfortably took the points.

Conditions on Saturday dictated the proverbial game of two halves, and it was the students who harnessed the elements better in the first period.

They opted to bang the ball long and force EK to bring it back out; a policy which saw them build an 18 point lead inside the first 20 minutes.

However, when EK had the wind they tended to keep the ball in hand, a tactic which may please the neutral but which does little to enhance your chances of winning the contest.

To give credit where it is due, the inability to put boot to ball was, in part, forced by the blitzing defence of the University backs, which put significant pressure on the EK inside backs.

The pack worked hard all afternoon and held a slight edge over the home side in most areas, at least until the wind really began to howl, thereby messing up the previously solid line-out.

The students, however, were quicker around the set-piece, and solid tackling prevented the EK forwards from generating much in the way of momentum.

What possession they were able to control was, as previously stated, spoiled by the aggressive defence they faced.

This relentless pressure, heightened by both the elements and the lack of match practice, proved to be too much for the EK backs and their performance was stilted.

There was no doubt that the University were worthy victors.

They made greater use of the wind at their backs and defended better with it in their faces.

That EK put in a below par performance should come as no surprise though, for no amount of training sessions can replicate game time and the rust showed after nine weeks without a meaningful contest.

To make matters worse for East Kilbride they lost Fraser McKinnon with a broken arm, which required the insertion of a pin on Sunday.

This Saturday the club will hope to have a wee bit more fortune on their side when they host Preston Lodge, kick-off 2pm.

Team: 1. Miller, 2. Aitken, 3. McKinnon, 4. Rosie, 5. Dalgleish, 6. Anderson, 7. Kampman, 8. Bruce, 9. Stott, 10. Greenfield, 11. O'Rogers, 12. Simpson, 13. Seymour, 14. MacDonald, 15. Little.

Replacements (all used), Watt, B. Blackwood & Shankie.

There was, at least, better news from the reserves at the weekend as they put in their best performance of the season to overwhelm Marr College 46-5 at Torrance House.

East Kilbride took advantage of the strong wind at their backs in the first period to put the game away.

There were two tries from Blackwood, two for Timmons and a fifth from Chris Quinn.

Playing into the wind was a little harder, but EK maintained control with further scores from Lubo Turnbull, Hugh Johnston and the ever improving David McLelland, with conversions shared between Andy Ritchie and Gareth Jones.