Wanderers find the way at Burgh

0 - 0 • Published 26 Feb 2009 10:00

Helensburgh 8 Murrayfield Wanderers 14

HELENSBURGH left it too little too late as they were sent tumbling out of the Bowl competition by Murrayfield Wanderers.

The visitors, who play on the back pitches at Murrayfield and hail from National Division 1, kicked off and dominated play for the first 10 minutes in the belief that an easy try would come from their confident, expansive play.

Helensburgh had other ideas and strong tackling by the Burgh back row and their centres snuffed out these opposition attacks.

The dictionary definition of the verb "to wander" is "to travel without purpose and destination", and this was the style of rugby now adopted by the opposition.

Burgh were not slow in taking advantage, with excellent discipline at the breakdown between David Calderwood and Owen MacInroy leading the pick and drive attacks as a well-drilled home eight were retaining ball through the phases.

Wanderers turned up the pace as the first half drew to a close, with forwards and backs linking well and stretching the Burgh defence.

In response, the Burgh forwards turned ball over at the breakdown in their own half and Blair Sommerville gained initial ground before releasing Josh Rettie to sprint down the touchline.

An energetic Stevie Walker at scrum half then took ball on and popped it to Chris Black, who with a well-taken drop kick opened the scoring.

David Riding returned for the second half after a three-month injury lay off, and the Burgh opened with ambition as Rettie took on the opposition fielding a high kick and running some 50 metres to Murrayfield"s 22 before being stopped.

The opposition stopped "wandering" and, following a strong running attack, their outside centre ran in under the posts.

This was immediately followed with a sucker punch from the restart, as the same player outstripped a dazed Burgh defence to touch down under the posts.

Both tries were converted and with only 10 minutes of the second period played a vastly different scoresheet now read 14-3 to Murrayfield.

Helensburgh quickly regained their composure and applied themselves in ensuring that the opposition would find it difficult to again breach their defence but Rettie was forced to leave the field with a head knock to be replaced by Johnny Drake.

Burgh were going for a grandstand finish and made great ground from a lineout with an uncompromising forward attack.

Ball was then slickly recycled to Black who put up a speculative cross-kick out wide and a determined Drake wrestled the ball from his opposite number to touch down for a well-deserved team try. The conversion drifted wide for a final score of Helensburgh 8 Murrayfield Wanderers 14.

Though the loss was disappointing, this incident on 80 minutes was typical of the alert style of play from the home side who, when playing opposition from more senior leagues, are allowed to play attractive open rugby.

Helensburgh: A Rogers, Rettie, P Rogers, Cairns, Campbell, Black, Walker, MacInroy, Flloyd, A Drake, Inglis, Calderwood, R Gibson, MacCrimmon, Sommerville. Subs: Riding, Hammond, Brown, J Drake.

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This article appeared in Helensburgh Advertiser 26 Feb 09

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