GHA RFC MATCH 315: EDINBURGH ACADEMICALS FC 27 – 13 GHA RFC
2015/2016: Scottish National League One
EDINBURGH ACADEMICALS FC |
|
GHA RFC| S. Melvin-Farr | 15 | C. Binnie |
| M. Coupar | 14 | A. Gillman |
| N. Armstrong | 13 | Z. Abrantes |
| I. Berthinussen | 12 | A. Henderson (c) |
| F. Beltramino | 11 | A. Auld |
| S. Evans | 10 | A. Goudie |
| A. Glashan | 9 | P. Jericevich |
| J. Pearse | 1 | L. Archer |
| C. Black | 2 | E. Cavan |
| R. Mathieson | 3 | M. Fox |
| (c) G. Campbell | 4 | G. Neilson |
| R. Seydak | 5 | C. McGeough |
| T. Stuart | 6 | A. Grant-Suttie |
| J. Sole | 7 | J. Dunn |
| T. Drennan | 8 | G. MacDonald |
| M. Jack | 16 | S. Usuda |
| C. McGrath | 17 | M. Robertson |
| C. Gillespie | 18 | P. Harkins |
| J. Munro | 19 | J. Edgar |
| E. Campbell | 20 | R. Jerievich |
| Campbell (2), Melvin-Farr (2) | Try | Dunn |
| Beltramino (2) | Con | P. Jericevich |
| Beltramino | Pen | P. Jerievich (2) |
| DG | ||
| Referee | ||
| Mr A. Leal (RFU) | ||
It’s not often we get a game of rugby at Raeburn Place where the wind is not blowing one way or another, but last Saturday was one of those days.
We had a few changes to the team that had lost the last time we played. Saul Melvin-Farr came in at full back, with Facundo Beltramino moving to the wing; Iain Berthinussen took his regular inside centre place; and Stuart Evans returned at 10 after a couple of weeks away. At tight head, Ramin Mathieson made his first 1st XV start for a long time, and Alex Blair took a place on the bench – his first time with the 1st XV for getting on for 20 months.
GHA kicked off towards the pond and we made a lively start: GHA were penalised midfield within two minutes and, following a kick into their 22, we won the lineout and GHA were penalised again on their 22. Beltramino converted: 3-0, three minutes gone.
For the next few minutes play was around the middle of the pitch, until GHA were penalised on the halfway line. We kicked for touch and from the lineout we drove to the line, had a couple of attempts to go over and then moved the ball through the backs to Melvin-Farr, who beat the last man to score in the corner. Beltramino converted: 10-0 with nine minutes gone.
After ten minutes with both teams sizing each other up, we were penalised just inside our half. GHA ran the ball but we were not back 10 metres and a second penalty was given, which Peter Jericevich converted: 10-3. After a further 10 minutes he added another three points: 10-6 with 30 minutes gone.
From the restart we livened up and had after some good play but lost the ball 10 metres from the GHA line. GHA were penalised at the subsequent scrum and we kicked for touch rather than take the three points. A long throw to Jamie Sole, a drive for the line and, after three attempts, our captain, Greg Campbell, went over near the posts, Beltramino converted: 17-6 after 33 minutes.
From the restart GHA knocked on and then gave away a penalty at the scrum. We kicked to their 10 metre line, won the line out and drove to midfield through a good run by Sole. GHA then gave away a penalty on their 22. We opted for a scrum. Tom Drennan picked up, passed to Alex Glashan, who passed to Neil Armstrong, who threw out a long miss pass to Melvin-Farr, who beat a number of players to score a well worked try in the corner. The conversion was missed, leaving the score at 22-6 at half time.
The first 10 minutes of the second half saw lots of play between our 22 and the GHA line, but neither side could make headway to score. After 10 minutes we turned down a penalty 15 metres out in front of the posts in order to kick to the corner instead. Although we went over from the lineout we were pulled back for an offence and from the resulting scrum GHA cleared their line.
15 minutes into the half we let another scoring chance go begging: with the line at our mercy, after the pack drove GHA back, we were penalised for pulling a GHA player out round his neck.
There was no score until with nine minutes left we repeated an earlier score: kicked a penalty to touch, drove the maul towards the line and Campbell went over for his second try: 27-6.
With time running out we had all our replacements on the field and wasted another scoring chance when a penalty kick to touch went into touch in goal, giving GHA a 22.
With seconds left we were given a free kick against us for pushing early in a scrum on the GHA 10 metre line. They tapped quickly and we were all out of position. A couple of passes later, Jack Dunn scored under the posts and Jericevich drop kicked the conversion. The whistle went for the end of the game: a 27-13 win and a bonus point.
It was a good come back after our last outing: a bonus point; a brace of tries for both Melvin-Farr and Campbell; and a few chances that went begging. A competent win in a game that we never looked like losing after the first five minutes.
Source: Edinburgh Academicals FC, Wednesday 21st October 2015
