Match Report
Match Report - 03 Mar 2012, Ross High Rugby Football Club 1ST XV lost to Duns
DUNS 14
ROSS HIGH 6
As the last game of the season for both sides each team were eager to finish on a high note. The game started off sporadically, at first Duns managed to get to within five yards of the High line as the away side struggled to settle into the game. However this was quickly followed by Ross High centre Steven Ashurst making a run and then kicking through to near the Duns try line. However he narrowly failed to regain the ball back from his kick for what would have been a tremendous score. This shifted the momentum of the game for a period of time where Ross High exerted pressure gaining a penalty on the ten metre line for their efforts. Stand-off Ryan Hook struck a beautiful kick which had the power and more, putting the first three points of the day on the board for the away team. Despite this good play some decent attacking efforts from Duns assisted by some dubious refereeing forced the Tranent men back on the defensive. Duns ran in two converted tries mostly as a result of mistakes from the High team rather than Dun’s attacking prowess leaving the score at 14-3 at the half.
The second half was almost completely dominated by the away team. The heart and determination that had turned Ross High’s season around was on show once again with many players putting their bodies on the line for the team, epitomized by Ryan McDonald and Kevin Brogan putting in big hits. Attacking with purpose once again numerous penalties were awarded as Duns tried their best to disrupt the play. Ryan Hook comfortably slotted one of these away to make the score 14-6. At this point a moment of madness from the Duns team saw two of their players deliberately slam flanker Gary Hepburn into the pitch side barrier. This caused a brawl between both teams, where even some of the Duns spectators shamefully got involved. When the situation was eventually brought under control the referee in a questionable move only sin binned one of the Duns players as well as the victim in all this Ross High’s Gary Hepburn. Arguably Duns did not conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner at certain points during the game as many incidents of foul play were sighted. None the less Ross High was not deterred and meeting fire with fire relentlessly attacked the Duns line. The Ross pack dominated the scrums allowing No.8 Ryan Strachan to pick at will being held up over the line twice. Although their efforts fell short of at the very least a try, this was not helped by the referee’s stop start approach however credit must go to the solid Duns defence at this point.
After surviving Ross Highs attacking efforts, Duns who were unable to get out of their own half nearly managed to score right at the very end of the game but were denied. The final whistle went, sounding the end of the season for both teams. Credit must go to the team effort of Ross High this week who despite the loss never gave up. The performance capped off a season that could be billed as an underachieving season finishing in 7th position in the league, had close results earlier in the season went their way it could have been much higher. However, it has been a positive season in terms of turning around what could have been a 2nd bottom finish potentially. What has been a mediocre season for the firsts however has been quite the contrary for the Ross High Reserves who coming off the back of a 85-0 hammering of league leaders Lismore are in a great position to challenge for their league title with many games in hand still to play. It has also been a very good season for the Ross High colts. Overall wins have not been hard to come by for the young men, with many players showing a lot of potential and talent many of whom have been training with the seniors.
Duns 14 - 6 Ross High Rugby Football Club 1ST XV
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Ryan Hook(2) |
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