Burgh victorious in basement battle
Published 11 Nov 2010 09:30
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Helensburgh.............29 Ross High.................24
Helensburgh racked up their highest points tally of the season against the league's bottom club but were made to work hard for their victory.
On a dreary day, with the ball akin to a bar of soap for the players, that both sides scored four tries was quite astonishing given the conditions. And what's more, the Grizzlies had to come from behind to claim their five points.
With the pitch heavy, but in excellent condition thanks to the club's venerable ground-keeping volunteers, Burgh survived an early scare when Ross High took play into the home 22 but they knocked on and Stuart Holmes, playing at 10, cleared from a five-metre scrum.
Johnny Drake then threatened from the halfway line, but the diminutive but dynamite winger, who had scooped up a loose ball in the clear, was caught from behind, and his pass to Ally Cairns went to ground. However, after 12 minutes, the Greens got the score their early play deserved. An aimless kick from Ross High's full-back was fielded by that man Drake.
He shimmied his way through several tackles and found James Musset, who stormed through a gap and into the visitor's 22. Hooker Owen McInroy was first there and he spread the ball wide where Phil Rogers - back at centre after his sojourn at number eight - was on hand to score under the posts.
Drake converted and Burgh had their noses in front by 7-0. Burgh then won a penalty on the Ross High 22. Harris tapped quickly and fed Stuart Holmes.
His intelligent pop-pass to Cairns was spilled though Burgh were awarded a straightforward penalty in front of the posts. Though the wee fella can run in two directions at once, Drake couldn't kick straight on this occasion and the easy three points went a-begging.
Ross High rallied after 20 minutes and had they taken advantage of a three-man overlap on the right wing, would have scored. However, this was the prelude to a series of driving mauls from which the Tranent side's hooker burrowed over for a converted try.
Winger Drake in yards of space, Holmes called for quick ruck ball with the intention of firing in a long cross-kick.
However, Callum Harris' pass was poor and the Ross High flanker pounced on the fumble, fly-hacking the ball deep into Burgh territory.
Only a super bit of back-tracking from pacy flanker Duncan Watt averted the danger on this occasion. But on the half-hour, Ross High mauled the ball towards the Burgh line, where a neat scissors movement in the centres led to a try, with the conversion leaving Burgh trailing 14-7.
Musset then single-handedly took the game to the opposition with several lung-bursting, thigh-pumping, tackle-breaking runs, one taking him deep into Ross High's 22. Unfortunately, as he hit the last man, he was unable to get his pass away to the supporting Johnny Gibson.
With five minutes to half-time, a groundhog moment saw Ross repeat the feat that led to their first try, close mauling allowing a slightly soft score in the corner and at the oranges it was 19-10 to the visitors. Burgh had it all to do in the second half. And what a half it was - the longer it went on, the more desperate Burgh became. Never in this scribe's 20-odd years of writing about the Greens' exploits, has he seen so many dropped balls, whether it be knock-ons, fumbled passes, poor handling or just wayward flings.
On such a dreich day, the ball was as slippery as one of Stevie Walker's excuses, but with every passing opportunity, the groans in the stand grew louder. Not that the Greens didn't try their hearts out.
Urged on by substitute scrum-half Terry Smith – who went on to play a blinder – every ounce of effort gradually paid off as Ross High visibly tired, and soon it was all one-way traffic. Yet that killer kick, the awesome offload, that perfect pass eluded Burgh every time.
That is, until two moments of breath-taking brilliance midway through the half from stand-off Stuart Holmes!
From a Ross High put-in at a scrum on halfway, Smith nobbled possession and fed Holmes. Faced with a wall of defenders, a greasy ball and little time to act, what did he do? Elementary, my dear Watson. He sold a delicious dummy and scorched 50 metres to score under the posts. Drake's conversion brought Burgh to within two points.
Blair Somerville and Musset then manufactured another offensive foray into Ross territory. Though thwarted, at the next scrum the ball was passed wide where Cairns punched a hole through the midfield defence. Though his pass went to ground, Holmes was on it in a flash and he darted through despairing tackles to slide in for the go-ahead score at 22-19.
Musset's next bulldozing run took play into the Ross High half as the Grizzlies scented blood. After a series of attacks involving Jon Hamill, Jason Feltham and Gibson, Musset was on hand to crash over for the bonus-point try. Drake converted and Burgh were on top 29-19.
Unfortunately, Ross High had the last laugh of an exhilarating game, claiming a fourth try with just minutes to go until full-time.
Burgh are to be applauded for their fighting spirit – heads might have gone down on another day and it just goes to show that it's never over until it's over.
This article appeared in Helensburgh Advertiser 11 Nov 10
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