ARNOLD CLARK PREMIERSHIP
SATURDAY 25th OCTOBER 2025
GHA 14 WATSONIANS 19
By CHRIS NAIRN
A beautiful Autumnal day greeted all to Braidholm this Saturday. Recent reversals have reminded the Braidholm faithful that this is a very demanding league where only total commitment and consistent execution of quality rugby will lead to success and indeed survival. A very large turnout at the Old Aloysian lunch took place in the splendid setting of the Marquee on the adjacent pitch. A huge vote of thanks to our superb bar and catering staff who coped admirably with the logistics of furnishing the repast in these surroundings. The club is rightly proud that in this very same marquee the tremendous hard work of club members and the generosity of our members, guests and sponsors raised the huge sum of twenty-five thousand pounds for Cash for Kids. Our match was sponsored by The Park Practice Dental Clinic and we are delighted to have their support in our endeavours. We are blessed with the photographic skill and expertise of Colin and Joyce Robinson who record such events pictorially and garner our match reports and team news with superb action photographs every week.
The pitch was again in very good condition and a very sunny day with the sun striking the pitch at an angle would make fielding the ball difficult for defensive players. There was a cold wind which blew across the pitch and would possibly affect the handling of the ball at times. Both teams prepared carefully going through a programme of unit and whole squad drills. By kick off a good crowd had assembled and a guard of honour by the Junior Section met the players as they entered the arena.
GHA kicked off with a long and searching kick with the home side quickly following up on the kick which forced Watsonians to hurriedly clear to halfway. It was to become a feature of the match how effectively the visitors were able to clear their lines when under some duress. Andrew Goudie made a huge breakthrough the Watsonian rearguard and was only stopped at the five metre line. The ball went forward and following a scrum the visitors were awarded a penalty which allowed Dom Coetzer to clear the immediate danger. This promising early pressure from the home side cheered the Braidholm faithful. After five minutes GHA continued to attempt to make inroads in the Watsonians back line with Messrs McCutcheon, Ewing and Goudie driving at their opponents. Watsonians however, demonstrated a calmness under pressure and effective front line tackling quickly snubbed repeated GHA incursions. The home side continued to enjoy some dominance in the early stages but after ten minutes were finding it difficult to get over the gain line to trouble the Watsonian defence. Repeated efforts to make critical incursions by Messrs Drummond, Thomson, Callaghan, Ewing and McCutcheon were stymied and the home side were beginning to crab across the pitch seeking a way to break down the Watsonian defence. The visitors were proving adept at moving quickly into contact, isolating the ball carrier and creating a turnover. Much of this early play took place around the Watsonian ten metre line and increasingly the visitors looked comfortable in repelling the early efforts of the home side. As we reached the quarter hour mark, Watsonians began to press the GHA defence with a combination of forward power, some lovely hand to hand pass coordination and swift movement. The visitors now seemed to be taking control of the match. As we reached the twentieth minute the visitors were awarded a penalty inside the GHA half which was quickly dispatched to the corner. A textbook catch and drive from Watsonians allowed the visitors to score with the plaudits going to Fin Stewart. Barry Clark added the conversion, and the score was GHA 0 WATSONIANS 7.
There had been a perceptible change in the demeanour of the two sides. Watsonians were growing into the task whereas GHA- after an initial flurry of activity- seemed to find it difficult to go through the gears and match the promising play of the visitors.
As we moved past the twenty fifth minute of the half the home side found themselves unable to escape from their own half, being forced on to the backfoot by an enterprising Watsonian side who seemed surprised that the home side appeared to have lost much of their initial zest. Some smashing close interplay by Messrs Coetzer, Garry, Allison and Ronnie drove the home side deep into their own half. Watsonians were making yardage and retaining possession and varying their approach to test and stretch the home defence. In a culmination of a lovely passing movement Ronan Kerr cut through a confused home rearguard to score to loud cheer from the visiting support. The conversion was missed and the score after half an hour was GHA 0 WATSONIANS 12. For the next few minutes GHA managed to stem the forward thrusts of the Watsonian attack but were still locked inside their own half and on the back foot. There was a competence and confidence about Watsonians which allowed them to control the match at this stage. Once again, as we reached the thirty fifth minute, Watsonians moved up a gear and put some lovely accurate and quick passing moves together which shipped the ball through despairing defensive tackles. A super movement by Messrs Cooper, Ronnie and Bell allowed the visitors to put Dom Coetzer through for a score to the delight of the travelling support from Auld Reekie. An excellent conversion by Harry Clark made the score after around thirty-five minutes GHA 0 WATSONIANS 19.
The home side suddenly seemed to realise this match was getting away from them and they worked hard to shake off a strange lethargy in the remaining minutes of the half. There was a noted increase in the pace of the GHA play and far more commitment and accurate work from the home side than had been evident in the whole half. This was much more like the GHA side of this and last season. Huge work by Messrs Campbell, Kerr, Callaghan, Lonergan-Black, Goudie and Nicky Thompson began to ask questions of the Watsonian defence and force them back into their own twenty-two metre area. These efforts were appreciated by the home support who urged their team on to greater efforts. The home side forced the visitors through sheer will power and no little skill and effort to defend inside their five metre area. Marvellous quick hands allowed Caleb Thomson to squeeze in at the corner and an outstanding conversion from far out by Gregor Drummond made the score at the interval GHA 7 WATSONIANS 19.
It had been a strange performance from the home side. After that initial flurry the team seemed to lose belief in themselves and became clearly second best to a persistent opponent. The home side seemed to lose their usual attitude to an effective defence wherein they would vary the tactics and increase the tempo and effort. This allowed the visitors to settle into the match and lay down their game plan with success. The Braidholm faithful hoped for a return to the quality of rugby we all know they are capable of producing in the second half.
The second half began with Watsonians seemingly intent on reestablishing the control they had enjoyed through much of the first half. However, from the outset there was a very clear increase in the pace of engagement from the home side who began to move with far greater confidence than they had exhibited in the previous forty minutes. In the first minutes of the half Watsonians had to adjust to a determined GHA approach. As we passed the seventh minute of the half, the renewed efforts of the home side- having been repulsed a searing break by the Watsonian midfield- was only stopped by tenacious tackles deep inside the GHA half. This renewed vigour demonstrated by the home side was beginning to win some yardage and was forcing Watsonians into a more defensive posture. Lovely work by Messrs Ewing, Kerr, McCutcheon, Drummond and McKenzie produced yardage and positive pressure on the visitors. Contested lineout work robbed Watsonians of smooth ball and seemed to increase the confidence of the home side. By the midpoint of the half- after a deal of play around the respective ten metre areas- GHA forced Watsonians to concede a penalty in their half. A smashing kick took play up to the Watsonians five metre line as the home crowd willed the team to keep the pressure on the visitors. A take and drive allowed GHA to move the ball through hands to look for a way through the visitors’ defence. Again, the Edinburgh side were hustled into conceding a penalty for which Van Niekerk was yellow carded and the home side kicked to the corner well inside the Watsonians five metre area. A perfect catch and drive allowed GHA to go over in the corner to huge cheers from the home support. Once again from a very difficult angle Gregor Drummond secured the two extra points, and the score was now, as we moved into the last quarter of the match: GHA 14 WATSONIANS 19.
The home side tried hard to breakdown the Watsonians rearguard in the last twenty minutes however the Watsonian side recovered from the loss of points to regain something of their earlier composure and stymied the attacks of the home side. Despite great effort, there was still a tendency of the home side to avoid varying the approach and to consistently drive at the visiting defence which allowed Watsonians to soak up pressure and blunt the home attacks. In the hectic last ten minutes the home side were awarded a number of penalties and tried to move deep into Watsonian territory. However, that final yard into blue water or decisive break with support failed to be manufactured and Watsonians were able to see out the match. The final score was GHA 14 WATSONIANS 19.
This was a hugely disappointing performance by the home side. An improved second half performance could not overcome the lethargy and insipid approach which had been the hallmark of most of the first half performance. Whilst the second half showing suggested greater application and effort from the home side there still seemed to be a lack of confidence in execution of the GHA approaches. This is an unforgiving level of rugby which is mentally and physically demanding. Our squad have worked so hard to be at this level but are perhaps now realising that there needs to be consistent confident and committed application of all facets of the game for the whole match. Coach Calum was very unhappy with the performance and will not allow the squad to seemingly accept being second best at any stage of a match. Our lads have put in huge efforts to achieve this stage, and we need to stand shoulder to shoulder with them and the coaching team as they work to return to the smashing rugby of just a few weeks ago.
WATSONIANS : D.COETZER M.GARRY R.KERR H.CLARK L.MacPHERSON A.McLEAN M.SCOTT D.VOAS B.COOPER C.LAMBERTON L.BALL F.RONNIE K.VAN NIEKERK F.STEWART S.ALLISON B.ROBERTSON C.MURPHY A.MacINNES D.JAKEMAN S.CECIL B.YOUNG C.BELL
GHA: G.DRUMMOND C.THOMSON N.THOMPSON J.HENDERSON E.MCKIRDY A.GOUDIE B.CURTIS S.COLLINS R.CAMPBELL C.MacGREGOR A.KERR S.CALLAGHAN O.LONERGAN-BLACK D.EWING L.McCUTCHEON E.McGOVERN M.CONROY H.McKENZIE L.MONCRIEFF G.BAIRD A.COBB F.JACKSON
REFEREE: MR C STARK
ASSISTANT REFEREES : Mr C McCANN MR S.MALLON
Thanks to Jamie McEntaggart for clarifying GHA number changes and to our own AR Mr Ian Robin for provision of match official details (and the late changes to same!)
