You are here: Match Reports/2007-08/1st XV/HAddington 13th October 2007
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Click here for the Haddington view
| “HILLS” LOSE AT HADDINGTON Haddington 40pts Hillhead Jordanhill 7pts While the score and try count give the impression this was a one sided game – the margin of defeat was five goals and one try to one goal - the “Hills” at last, gave indications that they were coming together as a team and trying to match the playing objectives of their Coach. The game, itself, was fast and free flowing with both sides revelling in the ideal playing conditions of a dry pitch and fine overhead, windless conditions. “Hills”, for once, took the initiative at the start and pressed, and only the width of an upright denied debut stand off, Kern Boyd, an opening drop goal in the first sixty seconds of play. But Haddington were not slow in showing their hand by running the ball from deep on every occasion and stretching the “Hills” defence on both flanks. It was a dynamic approach from Haddington, requiring sure, first time tackling from “Hills” in which centre, Will Marshall, and open side flanker, Stuart Ross excelled . The breakthrough when it occurred coincided with the “Hills” having been reduced temporarily to 14 players with captain, Cammy Kerr, off the field, the result of an intervention by the touch judge. The reduction in numbers was exploited ruthlessly by Haddington who added fourteen points in the period “Hills” were short. Despite the numbers being normalised, “Hills” continued to be subjected to thrusts from anywhere in the field from Haddington, yet they should have scored when scrum half, Andrew Gilman, and left winger, David Mitchell, got in a fankle with a clear 2 on 1 overlap available, and then when Nick McAuley was through but was tackled just short of the line. The power, pace and interchanging Haddington attacks continued to cause problems, and by half-time the home team had scored their fourth converted try. The second half continued in the same vein with both sides anxious to maintain their running game, but “Hills” stuck manfully to their task and kept up their high work rate. The difference in finishing prowess between the teams was exposed, however, when, even though Haddington lost a man to the “sin bin” for a trip on David Mitchell when he had evaded the defence, “Hills” could make nothing of their numerical advantage. Yet, “Hills” battled on with Andrew Eggleton, Ewen Weir and Jamie Howarth, all being denied on the goal line in separate attacks. The score when it did come was due to Joe Stafford’s persistence in running at the opposition midfield, when he strode in from 25 metres with Kern Boyd quickly adding the goal points to bring the score to 33pts to 7. Haddington had the final play and score of the game in a fine try involving Rodrhi Thomas, coming off the “wrong wing” to score beside the posts. “ Despite the six tries we conceded, this was a much better performance,” noted “Hills” head Coach, Keith Robertson. “We are going to have to train hard, however, to build on this as we have Stewarts Melville at Hughenden next Saturday and they have come onto a game as well with their recent results.” Hills 1st XV – Andrew Eggleton, Donald Robertson ( Andrew Leslie), David Paterson , Will Marshall, David Mitchell, Kern Boyd, Andrew Gilman, Gavin Blackburn , Ewen Weir , Nick McAuley ( Joe Stafford ) , Stuart Todd ( Douglas Crichton ) , James Howarth , Stuart Ross, Cammy Kerr ( C ) ( Duncan McCartney ) and Stuart Rose . Subs. All used |
