NATIONAL LEAGUE 1
SATURDAY 28th SEPTEMBER 2024
GHA 57 JED-FOREST 7
By CHRIS NAIRN
The club standard was lowered to half-mast from the mast head at Braidholm on Saturday as a mark of respect, along with a pre match minute of applause, to record the very recent passing of Primary 7 Coach Russell Whittington. Russell personified the total commitment and dedication of so many of the coaching staff at GHA. He had nurtured and coached his young charges from their entry into the game at Primary 1 right up to Primary 7. His passing is a huge loss to GHA. All our condolences go to his family and friends.
Jed arrived at Braidholm determined to move up the table from their present position. The Royals have a deserved reputation for playing open, expansive rugby and previous matches against GHA have always been full of attacking rugby. The home side were equally determined to build on their excellent start to the season and had no intention of slipping back from the high standard they have established so far this season. The home side are having to cope with a number of injuries which would test the quality of the squad against battle hardened opponents. The pitch was in fine condition with a little rain during the week providing a very slight but helpful give in the surface. The weather moved from overcast to sunny with several showers thrown in and a slight wind blowing across the pitch. The clubhouse was busy with a good attendance at the lunch and some interesting comments from Head Coach Calum, with club members keen to discover what lies behind the huge improvement in 1XV performances this season. By way of a footnote, I briefly explore this matter at the end of the report.
Both teams went through a variety of individual, small group and whole squad scenarios before taking the field through a guard of honour provided as always by our super Junior section and coaches. The home side kicked off with a short and low kick which surprised the visitors but allowed them to gather and begin to move forward towards the GHA half. Instantly the Jed players were met by Messrs Hodge and Barron and the force of their engagement forced Jed to attempt to kick the ball into the GHA ten metre area. This allowed Andrew Goudie (whose passing and set ups would launch damaging moves all afternoon against the visitors) and Dario Ewing to set up a running drive into the heart of the Jed defence, quickly supported by Messrs MacFarlane, Little, McCutcheon and Drummond. Forced onto the backfoot this early, Jed struggled to halt the momentum building up from GHA and in some clever close passing Lochlan Hodge burst through to score after a great break had totally wrongfooted the Jed cover defence. Gregor Drummond kicked the conversion to make the score after two minutes: GHA 7 JED-FOREST 0.
From the restart, the home side were quick to close down any attempts by Jed to build a platform of control. Andrew Goudie put in a lovely searching kick to force Jed behind their own posts to drop out. GHA gathered the ball and found themselves almost on the Jed try line as the visitors defended desperately. GHA were awarded a penalty, and the home side elected to go for a scrum adding to the pressure on Jed. In a concentrated and controlled drive the home side drove over to score. The try was converted, and the score after a whirlwind nine minutes was: GHA 14 JED-FOREST 0.
Clearly even this early the home side had established a momentum, and it is to the credit of the visitors that they refused to buckle under the pressure and worked very hard to attempt to stem the pressure coming at them from every angle. As we passed the eleventh minute Jed made some yardage towards the GHA half before thundering tackles from Messrs Fox and McCutcheon abruptly stopped Jed progress. However the visitors were awarded a penalty for offside and a relieved Jed full back, Lewis Young moved play into the GHA half. Encouraged by this progress, Jed players Duff, Briggs and Scott looked to drive at the home defence to cheers from the visiting support. Although quick to engage, the home side were penalised and again Lewis Young kicked to the corner. GHA found themselves defending in their five metre area as the pick and drive from the lineout by Jed took them almost to the GHA try line. At the critical moment the ferocious and well executed home defence tackling knocked the ball out of Jed hands and indeed the ball went forward and allowed the home side- to great encouragement from the stand- to take play away from the danger area. A huge kick by Gregor Drummond hammered the ball deep into the Jed half and the visitors, from being on the GHA try line, were now scrambling back to deal with the GHA attack. The home side won the loose ball and lovely work by Messrs Kerr and McCutcheon, McKenzie and Little drove the visitors back in disarray to allow clever interplay between Goudie and MacFarlane to pierce the last line of Jed defenders and allow Max MacFarlane to go over to score. Another excellent kick from Gregor Drummond from distance made the score after seventeen minutes: GHA 21 JED-FOREST 0.
The home side were settling into a rhythm now and Jed were struggling to contain a team who were attacking from many angles, with close support and super inter-passing skills. However, the visitors fought bravely to thwart this barrage of pressure from the home side. A penalty to GHA for a high tackle allowed Gregor “the hammer” Drummond to put in a lovely kick from inside his own half to the Jed twenty-two metre area. With practised precision Messrs Barron and Kerr combined with elan at the lineout, allowed Andrew Kerr to drive at the heart of the Jed defence, pulling in support from GHA and equally importantly tying in the Jed forwards. As the drive moved forward the ball was released and Andrew Goudie, with vision and skill, fired a long pass to Ross Nolan totally taking out the beleaguered Jed cover to allow him to score. In another example of kicking prowess Greg Drummond- from a long way out- converted the try to huge cheers from the home support. The ability to add conversions to tries especially from difficult angles is a truly valuable gift. It piles more pressure on the side who concede the try and adds to a possible buffer between the teams. The score after twenty-three minutes was now: GHA 28 JED-FOREST 0.
As we moved towards the half hour Jed, on limited quality ball, were trying hard to break the GHA momentum but were finding the tenacity of the GHA engagement was blunting their progress, leading to mistakes and some frustration in the Jed ranks. The home side built on a lineout take at halfway to allow Messrs Fox, McKenzie and Ewing to drive forward into the Jed half again, forcing the visitors on to the back foot and forcing them to split their cover to attempt to negate any breaks from GHA pack or backs. As the home side carefully moved the ball forward clever interplay between Messrs Hodge and Goudie created a gap in the despairing Jed defence allowing excellent inter-passing between Messrs Ewing and MacFarlane to allow Dario Ewing to blast though to score. Once again Gregor Drummond added the conversion, and the score after twenty-eight minutes was: GHA 35 JED-FOREST 0.
To add to the visitors’ problems Benjamin Fotheringham was yellow carded. The minutes after the half hour were quite scrappy and lacking direction which was a huge contrast to the controlled rugby that had been on display before. Several niggles crept into the match and the referee spent considerable time explaining decisions and possible consequences of recurring misbehaviour to both sides. This break in play was also a feature of the second half and tended to nullify any momentum that both sides were trying to build. Despite some uneven play with knock-ons and untidy spilt passes balanced by some very good tackling from both sides, half time arrived with the score: GHA 35 JED-FOREST 0.
It had been an explosive start from the home side. Jed had found themselves forced on to the backfoot almost from the kick off. They had refused to buckle but apart from a few forays into the GHA half but had not been allowed to build a platform for advancement by a GHA team who were comfortable in possession and confident in attack. Primary 5 members of the Junior Section provided an enjoyable rugby cameo at the interval.
Jed started the second half with a rather wobbly low kick into the GHA half. The home side gathered the ball and Gregor Drummond wasted no time in dispatching the ball up to the Jed ten metre area.
As we entered the early minutes of the half, GHA used Gregor Drummond’s kick to ensure possession from the set piece and begin to build an attacking move. Lovely close ordered work by Sean Callaghan kept possession and took play deep into Jed territory. A cleverly worked snipe by Messrs Nolan and Drummond was stopped just short of the Jed five metre line. A penalty was awarded to the home side and excellent and brave defending by the visitors held the ball up over the line. Jed managed to clear the ball to just about their ten metre line, only to see a very assured Gregor Drummond put in a superb drop kick to loud acclaim from the home support. The score after forty-four minutes was: GHA 38 JED-FOREST 0.
The quality of this kick seemed to inspire the home side into attempting to reestablish their first half dominance and Jed found themselves again forced on to tiring defensive duties as GHA backs and forwards ran combined channels to heap pressure on the visitors. A further stoppage threatened to break the flow of the match, but a penalty to GHA for a high tackle allowed the home side to craft a lovely move after securing the ball from a lineout to score a super try, as Max MacFarlane ran at a very clever angle to slice through the opposition to score after forty-eight minutes. For once Gregor Drummond- from a difficult angle- just failed to convert the try and the score was now: GHA 43 JED-FOREST 0.
Despite these continual setbacks, Jed refused to fold and indeed tried valiantly to set up moves to break down the GHA game.
Such was their persistence that the home side conceded a penalty which took play up to the GHA twenty-two area. From the resulting take and drive from the lineout by Jed their attempts to move forward were met by aggressive defence by GHA. Mark Glen and Gary Young were forced to crab across the pitch in face of stout GHA defence. To the frustration of the visitors possession was lost, and the home side immediately moved the ball with precision and speed deep into the scrambling ranks of Jed. Again, assured close order passing allowed the ball to be used to bypass opponents and gave Gregor Drummond the opportunity to run through and score and indeed to convert his try. The score after fifty minutes was: GHA 50 JED-FOREST 0.
This was another heavy blow to the visitors, attempting to build a platform had led to possession being lost and the home side ruthlessly punishing the situation. As we reached the hour mark following several more stoppages and captains being spoken to by the referee as niggles began to surface in the match, Jed finally forced their way on to the scoreboard after a penalty to the visitors had taken play up to the GHA five metre line. From the resulting lineout a clever move by the visitors wrongfooted the GHA forwards and allowed Clark Skeldon to score. A huge kick from deep from Finlay Scott was successful and the score was after sixty-seven minutes: GHA 50 JED-FOREST 7.
As we reached the last ten minutes play became untidy and again, we had a stoppage which this time resulted in Andrew Goudie being yellow carded. In a last controlled attack, Lochlan Hodge scored and the try was converted to make the final score: GHA 57 JED-FOREST 7.
Once again GHA had shown consistent application of the basics, consummate skill with ball in hand and a controlled determination to maintain the game plan. Jed had tried all afternoon to get their running game into place but were overwhelmed by the home squad who continually forced Jed onto the backfoot.
FOOTNOTE
Club members are clearly delighted with the progress and quality of the rugby the senior squad are consistently providing. There is no cheap boasting from players or supporters. Speaking at the luncheon, Senior Head Coach Calum explained what he believed were some of the reasons for the improvement in performances this season. He emphasised that there is a togetherness of all the players at training irrespective of which team a player appears in. A consistent approach to hard work and fitness. A determination and desire to improve together. He cited the fact that the players have introduced an extra session on a monthly basis where skills and talents can be honed by the introduction of other techniques. The most recent session whereby Pilates featured was very successful. Calum also stressed that there is a quality of depth to the squad so that when a player is injured there is a quality replacement from the club squads to fit in with the same mindset.
I also had the opportunity to speak to our matchday captain Dario in the inner sanctum of the GHA 1XV changing area. As he put the finishing touches to the positioning of motivational posters and phrases on the walls, Dario emphasised that the maintenance of a winning mindset and consistent application of hard work are key elements in the squad’s desire for success. The squad are embarking on a monthly “soccer card” to help raise funds to improve the facilities and resources. Clearly this attitude and mindset presented by the coaching staff and players are key indicators to the success of the squad.
JED-FOREST: L.YOUNG L.ELDER O.CRANSTON R.MARSHALL R.SHIRRA-GIBB A.WEATHERHEAD M.GLEN R.BRIGGS R.DUFF J.TAYLOR C.SKELDON B.FOTHERINGHAM B.HOWE F.SCOTT G.YOUNG D.CAMPBELL H.STENHOUSE K.GRIEVE M.BEATON K.PALMER
GHA: G.DRUMMOND R.NOLAN G.LITTLE M.MACFARLANE S.DERRICK A.GOUDIE B.CURTIS L.HODGE L.BARRON M.FOX A.KERR S.CALLAGHAN H.McKENZIE D.EWING L.McCUTCHEON A.BYRNE C.MacGREGOR O.LONERGAN-BLACK F. McCOSS R.TONG
REFEREE: Mr C LAZENBY
