GHA RFC Match 24: ABERDEEN GRAMMAR RUGBY 35 – 32 GHA RFC

2003/2004: Scottish Premiership One

ABERDEEN GRAMMAR RUGBY 

 GHA RFC

R. Seib (c)15A. Scott
C. Phillips14R. Watson
M. Bebbington13N. Barrett
L. McCann12E. Baillie
S. Martin11R. Jericevich
K. Oddie10J. Noonan
M. McLean9S. O’Donnell
S. Corsar1C. Birchall
I. Stanger2G. Blackburn
A. Averell3C. Hastie
J. Officer4J. Beardshaw
C. McCaul5J. Eddie
A. Wilson6G. Ingles
J. McKenzie7J. Fitzpatrick
D.Teague8A. Plastow
T. Dinnen16R. Nolan
G. Strang17
A. Crichton18
Grant19
Martin (2), Seib (2), McCannTryBarrett, Fitzpatrick, Hastie, Watson
Bebbington (2)ConNoonan (3)
Bebbington (2)PenNoonan (2)
DG
Referee
Mr D. Changleng (Gala)

 

Two late tries from skipper and full-back Rod Seib cruelly denied GHA their first win of the season in an end-to-end extravaganza that left the Rubislaw crowd on its toes for the entire 80 minutes. The consolation for the devastated visitors was in gaining two bonus points for scoring four tries and keeping the defeat down to less than seven points.

In truth, GHA deserved better, but will according to coach David Wilson, learn from this. “We must stop giving away tries,” he warned, though. To date the Glasgow side have leaked 123 points after only three games in the Premiership.

Playing with a howling gale GHA took advantage after three minutes when flanker John Fitzpatrick crashed over after a scrum. The reliable stand-off James Noonan added the conversion. Grammar dominated for much of the opening spell but only had a penalty from Matt Bebbington to show for their efforts, and were further stunned in a four-minute spell just before the half hour when Noonan added a penalty followed immediately by a try from prop Calum Hastie that was converted by Noonan.

Unfortunately for the visitors, Grammar rallied just on the break, enabling debut winger Stuart Martin to run in the first of two tries to bring the game back to 8-17 at the interval. GHA then broke away and increased their lead through winger Rory Watson on 45 minutes. Trailing by 14 points, Grammar rallied through tries from Martin, centre Luke McCann and a conversion from Matt Bebbington, who pushed the home side into a one-point lead through another penalty. GHA quickly regained the lead through a Noonan penalty and when Nicky Barratt had his 69th-minute try converted by Noonan it looked all over at 32-23. At this stage Seib, who had been strangely subdued, entered the contest to make his mark.

Source: The Scotsman, Sunday 14th September 2003

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