If you experience any technical difficulties with this site or broken links then please contact us here or email to webmistress@sprfcfan.com
2XV v West of Scotland 2A
27/09/08
Lochinch
0 - 27

How do you begin a report like this?   Is it a time for frivolity and themes, or should we get down to the
business of the game itself?

Your intrepid reporter found it difficult from the minute he left his house, considering his wife and son left the
house wearing West strips! He did say, "No, of course, that is your team, and of course you should support
them," but inside the blood had boiled off and evaporated. The end of the season will come and go, West
shall be promoted to the National 2nd XV Division 4 before today's treachery shall be forgotten!

But to the game.

Did we honestly expect to defeat the Mighty West of Scotland? Actually, yes we did, and why not? You can
only play the team that turns out against you, and if you don't believe you're good enough, there's no point in
playing the game.

The first half was played with a ferocity unheard of in Polis 2nd's history. Every player to a man hit everything
that came his way. A well drilled, focused, under 30's West team, most of which had been playing together
since the age of 8, though had the upper hand and managed to secure the bonus point (4 tries) by the end of
the first half.

Forward disruption was evident from the off, and after the West hooker had punched the oldest man on the
park (and probably the last person anyone on the Polis team would have chosen to hit) it was sweet to see
him try to apologise for his indiscretion for the rest of the game.... Polis readers will be pleased to hear, he
was on his own. His bed was made, and hell mend him!

With the visitors having all the pressure in the second half, and yet, only scoring 1 try, the positives have to be
the Police defensive play. Tackling was ferocious, support play was impressive..... so why did we lose?

The answer lay with the, and to quote the West pack, "wee boy" west number 15's father (Who has a mean
right hook on him, but should really learn where to throw it!) former Scotland Winger Matt Duncan.

(and in case he's reading, I am paraphrasing wildly!)

"Forwards win the game, the backs decide by how much." West of Scotland's back line were very much
working as a team. The ball that was being won by their forwards was being put to devastating use by their
back line, and only some outstanding and hard tackling from the Polis managed to stem the hemorrage of
scores.

No one expected the polis to win the game before the kick off, except the Polis, and if you ask any of the 2's
that played today, regardless of the score, we still would.

So, shall we take this as a defeat, or should we look on it as a learnig curve?

We have been trained today, and were up for the challenge. As for the other top 4 teams in this league,
Cambuslang and Allen Glen's, we have recorded the lowest score against of all the teams that west have
rolled over so far.

By the time we get to the return game, perhaps we will have learned more.

Dick of the Day went to last weeks Man of the Match, Sandy Ward, who, in a moment of Altruism sted, " no,
mate, I don't need the money you owe me, put it in the David ALZHEIMER'S appeal tin"

Our good mate David AZHAR, I'm sure, will see the funny side, and be grateful for the massive fine, on top of
the original well recieved donation!

*Editors note - MOM was Marcus Littlejohn (bless him - he didn't put it in his own match report!)


What They Said - Taken from the West of Scotland Website:

2A's Win but Whistle Dominates  Written by OB     

On a narrow and boggy pitch (which resembled the training pitch in Feb) the 2A’s played Strathclyde
Police 2nd team in their latest league match.

It was obvious from the start the SP team had a robust and mobile pack and did not put the ball past 12
who was fond of coming back to the sanctuary of his pack. However, the West pack were more than a
match in the loose with a high energy and aggressive defence causing several turnovers. The first score
came as a result of moving the ball left and then back to the right and clean rucking allowing Graham
Steel to score. The next score followed quickly where Taylor Deans found space out wide and ghosted in
to touch down between the posts with Colin Dawson converting. There followed a serious of attempts by SP
to score who were camped in the West 22 for 5 minutes but outstanding communication and defence
thwarted any score.
The first half was finished off by two quick scores by Stuart Morrison both from good use of the ball through
the backline and support play. However, there could and should have been more scores but unfortunately
many penalties were conceded which disrupted any flow West had.

Into the second half and the conditions were miserable with a good wind and pouring rain for the players to
contend with. West scored a further try by Chris Love but despite the whole half being played virtually
within the SP half the constant penalising of West for some baffling decisions resulted in both the players
and yours truly being frustrated in the extreme. West conceded in excess of 30 penalties (some of which I
am still confused with) and spoilt any chance of flowing rugby.

However, this was an excellent performance in the circumstances and a well deserved win. Final score
West 27 SP 0.