Hamilton vs Glasgow East vs Hillhead Jordanhill
Boo! The true professional sportsman has an early night before a game, but Halloween parties had kept many of the youngsters out the night before - Ollie and Alfie coming home after their dad had gone to bed - and Laurie not coming home at all! Still, it didn’t seem to do any harm and vampire’s turned to dust in the morning light as the tri-team tournament kicked off!
It’s a measure of how much fun the teams are having these days as record numbers attended the very well organised festival, so apologies, but not everyone will have a ‘shout out’ in this brief report. However, a particular welcome to new comers Izhan, making his debut in the P6s and brother Arslan in the P4/5s.
Nearly new Alistair joined Rorry and Gavin in the micros and new girl Lucy showed she is taking after brother Rory (P4). Sebastien joined in today and led by example. Coach Gary, assisted by Ken had the stars of tomorrow through their paces and getting into good habits.
The P4/5 team saw Adam and Drew shine, alongside Shay and Jude, with Aaron working hard. Try machine Rory made the scorers lose count with so many touchdowns - the first from the very first move of the very first game. Scary Monsters!
P6 all stars played three very hard games, beating Hamilton Goblins 2-1 in a narrow and tough victory and in a final game running in 8 tries to 1 against the Hamilton Ghouls. But it was the middle game against Glasgow East that caught the eye. The youngsters one up and cruising took their mind off the game and conceded three tries in a huge lapse of concentration. But what spirit, what heart, what endeavor to come back. Two tries were pulled back and the game finished in an honorable draw. Coach Colin drills the team, not to get the basics right, but so they can’t get them wrong: tackling, passing, rucking. The tricks and treats are just an added bonus.
So, no need to mention Gabriel’s seven (yes seven) try tally in the whole morning, or Sandy’s three long range, solo scores, or the number of players he beat along the way. No need to reflect on the glory of Fergus’s tackling and rucking, sheer power, or Cameron, like a midfield werewolf. I’ll not say a word about Josh’s game, it would be wrong to call whether it was his darting running or covering tackles that were better. Keep quiet about Oscar’s try, it will mask his all round performance. The scouts will be out for Jamie, so keep schtum about his outstanding game management (just his dad’s physio support: “get up son, you’ll be alright”). Craig tackled (jings), Zain off loaded (crivvens), Izhan had the hang of rucking before the end of the game (help ma boab): shhhhhh, we don’t want to wake the ghost of missed tackles past.
P7s had a tougher time of it, but regardless of what happened at the beginning of the day, Coaches Brian and Colin summed up the team’s last half performance as “terrifyingly good” - what a way to go into Halloween for Tom, David, Joseph, Lui, Stuart, Nathan, Alistair, Jack and the rest of the team.
Hillhead Jordanhill vs Garnock
“Home sweet home” for the Hillhead youngsters as they laid out the welcome mat for the friendly visitors from Lochshore and an afternoon in the true sprit of this wonderful game. Micros Rorry, Gavin, and Ollie were the perfect hosts and enjoyed a frolic in the most pleasant of autumn days.
“Welcome home” to the P4/5 combo who scored tries a plenty. Mighty tackles came from Drew and Aaron. Matthew and Rory darted this way and that. New starts Felix and Mattie quickly settled in. Shay passed well (one of his team mates described him as a very “cooperative player”) and Adam ran with real purpose.
Robaidh really caught the eye, especially of the Garnock coach. Its a good job Robaidh’s dad Bruce was coaching as he saw that the blood his sone was covered in came from a nose bleed, not a bad tackle! Coach Paul helped Jude fix his compass to “forward” and was rewarded with three tries. This included one scored whilst sportingly playing for the short numbered opposition. (Editor: surely not the first Taylor to score a try for Garnock this season?)
It was “no place like home” for the P6/7 team, or more like “home away from home” for Tom, Nathan and Stuart, who generously turned out for the opposition. That made a real game of things and the 16 remaining Hills boys were rotated on and off the pitch at speed. Despite the constant disruption, they coped well, taking the lead with a trade-mark try from Gabriel, covering half the pitch at top speed. "Mo’ faas", as Usain Bolt might say.
But they make ‘em tough at Garnock and the visitors muscled their way back into the game. Strong tackling from the outstanding Jamie, Alistair and Laurie prevented more than three tries going against the boys in the quartered jerseys.
Home on the range, Sandy masterminded a come back though, ably supported by Jack, Ruaraidh and Josh on the break. Lui proved that the smallest players make the biggest tackles and Zain caused the opposition defence to look confused - more DIY skills than Home Base. Then Conall popped up to score a wonderful solo try to narrow the gap.
Old stars Jack and Oscar had great games, with Craig getting stuck in too. New stars in the making, David and Joseph, have been great finds and we look forward to this being the club where they lay their hats (“wherever I lay my hat is my home...”). And it was Joseph who drew the sides level with a well taken try, based on great team work, strong tackling and un-erring support.
“Home is where the heart is”, but it was nearly broken hearts at the end as Fergus - who never gave up - had a last ditch reach for the line an agonizing inch short: but it left the scores even and that was probably a fair result. Well done to the whistler Coach Colin - a perfect balance of fairness.
To end and because the boys are now doing so well, they won’t mind a bit of fun quiz:
Question 1: If you have the ball in your hands, facing the opposition, should you run into
(a) a massed crowd of players blocking your ever step or
(b) open space?
Question 2: If a player is running towards you with a ball in his hands, should you
(a) stop, stand still and winder what is for tea or
(b) try to tackle him?
Question 3: If your team mate has the ball and is tackled, should
(a) every member of the team jump on top of him and have a mass bundle or
(b) two players ruck over the ball, a third pass the ball out and the rest of the team run an attacking line?
Homework for those who answered “a” to any question!
...And off to the new club house: wow! Coach Paul wasn’t sure if he was more worried whether he could up-hold his promise to the club to keep the new facilities in pristine condition or to hold back the “enthusiasm” of 40 boys looking for their post match snack. Afearty bar man gave him the answer as he was trampled underfoot. It felt more like a Club-Home, than a Club-House.
Cambuslang Festival
Mud, mud, glorious mud, nothing quite like it, for....a game of rugby. Cambuslang was reduced to a swamp for the annual minis and micros festival this year. The fixture list was as clogged as the conditions and chaotic as a pantomime, which left some of the lads hanging around for hours, but fun was had by all - until the conditions won out.
So who had fun? Well, the micros fielded a formidable team. Gavin and Rory put into practice all that hard work on the training ground, to show that they had been listening more than some of the older boys. New Alastair is a great find for the club and Sebastian played with real style to help the team record two wins and a draw. A very creditable return on investment for coach Ken (supported by Gary); they crafted a team performance that was more All Blacks than Argentina.
The P4/5 team had the worst fixture list to contend with, waiting hours between games and would have needed the floodlights on if things hadn’t been brought to an "early" end. Three games in all and three great results. Shay is turning into a very strong player and will shine in any conditions. He did today. Drew put in some great tackles, a real step up. Robbie was the usual hither, zither darting firecracker, targeted by the opposition and felled with a blow to the neck - it was the only way to stop the dynamo. When Jude goes forward he is a great runner and so long as he can fine tune his compass he’ll grow into a great all rounder. Rory and Callum have turned into a great partnership, like relay runners handing the ball back and forth and first over the line on at least four occasions between then. Adam was rock solid in defense and imaginative going forward. Aaron has stepped up into the big time like a natural. Between them, coaches Bruce, Joey and Paul have turned out a team that is more Australia than South Africa.
The P6s are the Wales of the youngsters. What a team spirit. No superstars, all superstars. Handling skills, in the mud that made the ball more slippery than a pig covered in butter, were simply outstanding. Tackling, that made the opposition exactly the same as pigs covered in butter, was even better. Credit to coach Colin who had the team fine tuned. More important than the technical skills of the team was the attitude. One for all and all for one.
Ruriadh made a series of telling runs, New Nathan lent a hand. Fergus had the game of his life against Allan Glens, tackling and running like Sam Warburton the Welsh captain. Angus steamrollered through the mud and teh conditions brought out the best in Jack who really focused on the task in hand; Craig showed fine courage tackling. Cameron, or at least the person underneath a ton of mud who last looked like Cameron, made every ball his own and off loaded well. Josh is a real jinking, jiving handful and no opposition knew what to do when he had the ball. The same goes for Zigger Zagger Zane.
Jamie is a rugby player of the highest calibre, a real talent and team player (which he showed off-loading to Fergus to touch down at one point, helping to beat Allan Glens). Gabriel is a try scoring machine, running in three, covering half the pitch each time. His tackles always bring down the man, too.
Although not winning their second game, the draw against the high class team that had Wandered over from Murrayfield was the highlight. The opposition had three P7s, one who looked like he was good enough to play on the “Big Pitch” of his home club and the boys from Hills fell behind three times. But even against a very strong team and against strength sapping mud, they raised themselves and leveled again and again. The may well have been “oxter deep in glaur”, but heads can be held very high.
The final quarter revealed the French foreign legion playing with the P7s - a composite team of globetrotters from Cambuslang and beyond. Stuart, Tom, and Nathan worked the ball well and Alastair put in thumping tackles to make the teeth rattle. Jack and Connel take a lot of stopping. Coach Brian and Gregor, his glamorous assistant, are helping the lads find the best in themselves.
What a spectacle - and that was just the clarty state of the cars for the journey home. If any of the lads that played aren’t mentioned above, its only because they became unrecognizable in the mud. It was often a case of “dirty kits and faces” against “dirty kits and faces”. Mums and dads on the touchline bring a home away from home for the lads, lifting the spirit with the sort of positive encouragement you'd expect from Glasgow's friendliest club.
Finally, spare a thought for the unrest in one household this weekend as on Saturday dad Jules had played for Garnock Seconds as they beat the Hillhead Jordanhill team. Gabriel and Jude were NOT impressed! However, the real quality rugby playing dad, Paul, helped the HJRFC Firsts to an important victory and son Drew should be proud. With that pedigree, the youngsters have a goal to set their sights on.
Jules Taylor
Marr vs Hillhead Jordanhill vs Uddingston
An early start and a long journey to the coast today. With the sun shinning and last week’s waterlogged swimathon behind us, it was almost as if the youngsters were heading for a day at the seaside. A last minute turn off into the countryside, however, took us to the Marr playing fields and nearly three hours of rugby.
The P4/5 elite squad was slightly depleted this week, but stuck to their task well, with three very tough games against Marr A, Marr B and Uddingston. Highlights included Shay scoring such a great try that the mums on the touchline cheered so loudly they could be heard on Troon beach. Jude notched one up too and Arron was always working hard in support.
Callum looks like he is developing a great rugby ‘brain’ (no, not rugby ball shaped, but able to hold the line and put in strong tackles). Matthew jinked and jived, as wriggly as a snake, and Seb supported his team mates all day long. “New” Rory tacked left and right, helped by his nautical skills developed in his dad’s boat. Drew and Adam were their fathers’ sons, as coaches Paul and Joey enabled the boys to put their training into practice.
Spare a thought for “Wee Rory” - still too young for the match, but more than willing to train with the Big ‘Uns. The results might not have gone the way the boys would have liked, but judging by the smiles, fun was had by all (...not that the post match sweets had anything to do with that).
The P6/7 combo is turning into a really neat outfit. The opening game against Marr “B” was a masterclass in tackling and running and Hills turned out comfortable winners. It was impressive to see some scrum rookies take on new responsibilities. And talking of new starts, Josh (one try) and Jack have established themselves into the community of the team with style.
The second game against Marr “A” was a different story altogether. The opposition were one of the best passing teams that the boys have come across, regularly stringing 3, 4 and even 5 passes together, with some smart off-loads to keep the ball moving. Not only that, they had some pretty big boys, nearly sending the coaches looking for birth certificates. Nathan, in particular, remained undaunted and put in hit after hit to show that the bigger they are, the harder they fall.....
Craig too, who has been gaining confidence, showed he has been listening to coach / dad Ken and hung on in the tackles as if his team depended on him: they did. Zane had been working on his tackling too and was now starting to hit hard and low.
With the second game narrowly lost, the last match left the day with all to play for against a highly impressive Uddingston. Two pieces of insightful coaching gave the boys from “Hills” the ability to climb mountains. “Director of Rugby Excellence” (Nathan’s dad) spotted a chance to help Gabriel improve his evasion skills. The result? Two tries for the darting leopard. And, during the interval between games, “First Team Coach” Colin taught the boys how to ruck (ably helped by Angus’s dad, Tom, who felt the full force of a tidal wave of trainees piling on top of him).
The game was an open affair. Sandy created opportunity after opportunity, with Cameron and Fergus, along with Angus and Jack, putting that rucking practice into action: they were “Monster Trucks” at their awesome best. This meant that the ball was recycled for the rest of the team.
“New Nathan” looked like he was starting to enjoy things and nearly-new Ruriadh picked up where he left off last week, adding bravery in the tackle to his wing’d feet. Oscar gave a similarly impressive performance.
Last mention is saved for Stuart. With the game in the balance and the ball in open play, Stuart took full responsibility. He charged through three solid tackles, covered 40 meters to touchdown and sealed a fine win. And not just any win, but one at the end of a long, tiring day against a team that was nearly all P7s (Hills mostly P6s). The shape of things to come.
