GHA RFC MATCH 228: GHA RFC 11- 13 DUMFRIES SAINTS RFC

2011/2012: West District Cup 1st Round

GHA RFC 

 DUMFRIES SAINTS RFC

R. McClymont15G. Gemmell
R. Jericevich14A. Whelan
H. O’Hare13M. Yates
J. Brogan12S. Hiddleston (c)
B. Farrell11J. Sloan
T. Jericevich10J. Kerr
M. Houston9A. Ainslie
M. Kidd1S. Graham
I. Nelson2R. Henderson
S. Fisher3B. Kennedy
A. Barnett4S. Kennedy
M. Anderson5A. Mather
J. Auld6C. Hogg
A. Auld7F. Miller
P. MacLeod8D. Henderson
C. Landsburgh16V. Satala
S. Spowart17P. Smith
D. Dunn18A. McGaw
G. Mollison19
R. JericevichTryKerr, Whelan
Con
T. Jericevich (2)PenKerr
DG
Referee
Mr D. Shaw

 

There are occasions when it feels like a team have done everything they can to lose a game – this was one of those occasions for GHA. Dumfries Saints were for the second time this season the visitors to Braidholm, having frustrated the home side on the opening day of the season.

GHA did not win a single line out on their own ball in the second half yet despite this, they dominated territorially and created numerous scoring opportunites. None were taken.

The opening exchanges were evenly balanced with both teams testing each other out. Saints were not dominating the scrum the same way they had in previous encounters. The best chance came from a break by stand-off Jordan Kerr offloading to Finlay Miller but his supporting forwards were slow to reach him when he was stopped short of the line allowing GHA a penalty to clear.

Saints early lineouts were over complicated which did not give hooker Ross Henderson a chance to settle into his role and saw GHA stealing possession. A penalty on Saints 10 metre line for hands in the ruck gave GHA a chance to open the score but stand-off Tane Jericevich missed the posts.

This was closely followed by a robust line break from Captain Sam Hiddleston, with only GHA full back Ross McClymont to beat Sam chipped ahead and an unusually flat footed McClymont chose not to turn and chase but instead dipped his shoulder and stopped Sam in his tracks. The referee chose not to award the penalty try but the GHA full back did go to the sin bin for 10 minutes. Saints kicked to touch for 5 metre line out which GHA stole but made hard work of clearing and after some scrambling gave away a penalty for killing the ball on the 22 allowing Jordan Kerr to put 3 points on the board for Saints with 15 minutes played.

GHA put together a series of pick and go keeping the ball in the forwards and taking it to the Saints 22 where they got a penalty for hands in the ruck, this time Jericevich levelled the scores.When the sin bin was up Saints were no better off from having the extra man. Another robust line break this time by outside centre Michael Yates who shrugged off three tackles to take the ball into the GHA 22 put Saints back into a scoring position. From the lineout Saints pushed the ball across the pitch, full back Graeme Gemmell came into the line at speed and took on former Warriors and Scotland Sevens player Hefin O’Hare staying up in the tackle before off-loading to Adam Whelan who scored in the corner. Jordan Kerr missed the conversion but Saints were 8 : 3 up.

Saints knocked on the restart, from the scrum the GHA full back Ross McClymont came into the line, chipped ahead and put winger Rangi Jericevich in for a try in the corner, his brother Tane Jericevich missed the conversion but within minutes it was all even at 8 : 8. With 5 minutes to go till half time GHA once again put together a series of pick and go from mini rucks and again were rewarded with a kickable penalty but this time Saints prop Sean Graham was sent to the bin. Jericevich put them 11: 8 ahead.

Saints kicked the second half restart and GHA secured it but Ali Mather stole the ball in a maul and made a 5 metre break, Daniel Henderson carried on the same and fed Jordan Kerr who chipped ahead and collected after a rare fumble by McClymont to score in the corner to put Saints ahead 11 : 13.

GHA pushed hard to get back ahead, Saints were stealing more of their lineouts than they were stealing off Saints, but they were pushing Saints scrum and forcing the number 8 to tidy up. Jericevich missed a penalty from 10 metre line. They took the ball to the 5 metre line and knocked on, the scrum was reset a few times and then they pushed it over forcing Cammy Hogg to touch down giving them the put in. From this scrum they sucked in the Saints defence and spun it wide producing a try saving tackle from Adam Whelan who took man and ball, saved the game and got a bloody nose and chipped tooth for his trouble.

More hands in the ruck gave GHA scrum half Murray Houston a kicking chance which he pushed wide. GHA resorted to the pick and go again and just when they started to look dangerous Polly Smith turned them over. And with that the contest was over, unfortunately also for GHA’s cup run this season.

GHA now have 3 weeks off before returning to action at home to Greenock Wanderers on Saturday the 14th January. Kick Off 2pm.

Source: Bill McMurtrie & Dumfries Saints, Monday 12th December 2011

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