Rugby: EK notch up first away win

Sep 21 2011 by Paul Thomson, East Kilbride News

EAST Kilbride rebounded from last week's poor performance at Irvine to claim the points from their trip to Castle Douglas.

Changes were minimal from the previous week; a choice dictated more by the availability of resources rather than any great vote of confidence in the side.

Frank Ferguson came in for David Rosie Jnr at number eight while Grant Seymour returned from his life on the ocean wave to bring his direct running to the midfield.

The coaching team's main criticisms last week had been on defence and rugby IQ. In the first respect a hard week on the training field brought dividends, with the plan to double-team on every hit paying off, ensuring that players did not fall off the tackle and that Stewartry struggled to off-load the ball to supporting runners.

Intelligence-wise, the kicking game was the main beneficiary of players actually thinking about what they were about to do. Half-backs Ian Stevenson and Scott Shankie repeatedly banged the ball into the corners, something they had not done at Irvine.

This may not be the most aesthetically pleasing of game-plans but when the chase is good and captain Paul Rosie is such a presence along the touchline, it is effective, and two of East Kilbride's tries came from this tactic.

With the captain claiming the line-out and the pack driving forward around him, Dennis Aitken was able to climb from the floor to acknowledge the cheers of his dad and wee brother for the first try, with Ally Dalgleish taking the honours for the second.

Aitken scored his second after a clever behind-the-back flip from Stevenson wrong-footed the Stewartry defence.

Away wins have been rare over the last few difficult seasons for East Kilbride and, with that in mind, the points were very welcome.

However, Stewartry are unlikely to be involved in the promotion shake-down and Saturday was possibly more one point dropped, in that the try bonus was missed, rather than four gained.

This weekend will present an entirely different challenge when Marr College come to Torrance House.

TEAM: McLellan, Anderson, Miller, Dalgleish, P Rosie (captain), D Aitken, Timmons, F Ferguson, I Stevenson, Shankie, G Stevenson, G Blackwood, Seymour, Greenfield, McKenzie.

Replacements: LD Aitken, Neilson and Little.

When the reserves played their opening two games of the league campaign at home they were flush for players.

To nobody's great surprise, the first away trip of the season, to Stewartry with the senior side, proved to be a different kettle of fish, and it was a challenge to find 15 warm bodies.

In the end, EK struggled manfully, tackled poorly and went down 22-18, with tries from Bruce Beggans and Duncan Home and the remainder of the points from the boot of Bert Blackwood.

The under-18s had an even longer journey on Sunday when league duties took them to Stranraer to face Wigtownshire. EK fielded a powerful pack but the advantage was negated by the home side being short of front row players, leading to uncontested scrums.

The home side scored the first try of the day from a smart counter attack, before scrum-half Kenny White went over for EK and Jordan Green's conversion gave the visitors a lead at the half.

EK used the elements well in the second half and although Wigtownshire were dangerous on the counter EK took the points with tries from LD Aitken and a second for White.

Elsewhere, the under-15s moved into the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup with an impressive 48-19 win at Greenock.

When the teams met last season EK were turned over by a sharp Greenock backline, but EK have improved considerably since then and had a clear edge in the backs, both in attack and defence.

New recruit from Strathaven, Kern Douglas, continued to impress at stand-off, while Ross Rafferty scored the pick of the tries with a 60-metre dash.

The pack was too well-drilled for their physical opponents and there were tries for Cailean McIver, Robbie McCallum, Mark Donnachie and the outstanding Craig MacKenzie.

Ross Hynde kicked well in trying conditions. East Kilbride have put together a strong side at under-15 level but lack numbers and any third-year boy who fancies trying the game should contact John Campbell on 07786 545 086.

The under-14s undid a solid afternoon’s work in the last five minutes of their contest at Glasgow Hawks when they surrendered two soft tries to see the home side win by 30-22.

EK were dominant for most of the contest and led with tries from James McKinnon (two), Sam Hume, Roddy Beaton and a lung-bursting flop over the line by Cameron Horner.

Hawks battled their way back into it before a glorious rampage by muscular prop Paul Cairncross seemed to have settled events in East Kilbride's favour. However, a collective late brain freeze handed Hawks the points.