LOMOND-HELENSBURGH'S under-16s have booked a date at the national stadium for a chance to claim silverware.
The youth rugby team defeated Cumnock on November 29 in the semi final of the National Schools Bowl to set up a final showdown against Morrison's Academy in Edinburgh.
The tie, on Wednesday, December 10, will kick off at 11.30am at Murrayfield in the capital.
On a bitterly cold Saturday morning in Helensburgh, the under-16s took to a pitch sprinkled with glittering frost and scattered frozen puddles.
It was a fittingly dramatic setting for a match steeped in last season’s frustrations - Cumnock had twice undone Helensburgh’s ambitions.
But from the moment the boys ran out to strong home support, it was clear this team was determined to write a different chapter.
Helensburgh burst from the blocks. William claimed the opening kick on the run and sliced through the Cumnock defence to score in just 14 seconds, an electric start that lifted the home support to full voice.
Jackson followed soon after, before Struan delivered a brace. In the engine room, the forwards grafted relentlessly - Rory, Shuggy, Noah, and Cai all putting in powerful performances to repel Cumnock’s heaviest carriers and secure fast ball.
Cumnock, shorn of a full-strength squad arriving with only 14 players, showed real courage and mounted a sustained spell of pressure.
A series of penalties against Helensburgh made that passage more difficult than it needed to be, the referee’s firmness on tackle height and rolling away served as a timely reminder that they must tighten their tackle discipline.
As the squad now looks ahead to a final against Morrison's they know that stronger opponents will punish any lapses, and they cannot afford to concede so many penalties.
Helensburgh weathered that storm - even with a man in the sin bin - and they rediscovered their rhythm to close out the game in style with a flurry of late tries, securing a comprehensive 67–14 victory.
The boys now look forward to the schoolboy final at The Hive Murrayfield on December 10, where they will face Morrison’s of Crieff.
A supporters’ bus will leave the club, and the team would be thrilled to see the Helensburgh community behind them for their biggest day yet.
Tickets are available for the bus from Andy behind the bar, at a cost of £10 for members or £15 for non-members.
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