Rugby: EK draw with league leaders (match report)

Mar 7 2012 by Paul Thomson, East Kilbride News

EAST KILBRIDE23

GHK23

By Richard Beaton

EAST Kilbride waited until their penultimate game of the season before finally turning in an accomplished performance, becoming the first side to take points from league leaders GHK in a pulsating encounter at Torrance House.

Unusually for the club this season EK opened strongly and tries from Greenfield and Shankie, along with a penalty from the latter, gave EK a 13-3 lead after 20 minutes.

With the heavyweight pack on top, coach Jason Currie opted to begin his rotational policy for the front row early on.

Whether the changes were the reason or not, more likely GHK simply woke up and showed just why they are unbeaten as they totally dominated the next 40 minutes, scoring three tries to jump into a seven point lead with 20 minutes remaining.

With the city boys in the ascendancy and the EK forwards looking puffed out, most observers would have foreseen only one result going into the last quarter.

Instead, EK fronted up and were the better side for the remainder. Craig Ferguson drove over the line following a powerful scrum effort before Shankie and the GHK kicker exchanged penalties to leave the teams level.

Saturday saw EK display the physical side of their collective nature that has been missing for much of the season.

The captain set the tone with some fearsome hitting, well supported by veteran Bill Anderson. The carpet fitter may be half the height of young Rosie but is exactly the same weight and Anderson used his chiselled frame to great purpose.

The pack were strong at set-piece, particularly the scrum, while the backs defended well against the slickest midfield in the division.

The galling point for the coaching staff is that it has taken so long for the side to really raise their game, with this Saturday seeing the conclusion of the league campaign when Waysiders visit Torrance House.

TEAM: Miller, Anderson, McLellan, D Rosie Jnr, P Rosie (captain), Jones, Thornton, C Ferguson, I Stevenson, Greenfield, McDermott, Shankie, G Stevenson, Brown, McKenzie.

Replacements: D Aitken, L.D Aitken and Timmons.