On a glorious day for rugby at Park Farm Dumfries Saints hosted Stewartry in the rearranged cup match. Both sides managing to gather together squads of 20 plus players meant it was well & truely game on!!
Saints fielded a very youthful side with 20 of the 22 named youth graduates 7 of which played in last years colts u18 side!
Ferocious early exchanges saw saints Hooker Tom Martin sinbinned & Stewartry reaped rewards with a penalty slotting it through the uprights 0-3 to the Greenlaw side. A clear out on Saints youth graduate Matthew Hind to the head saw the big Stewartry number 8 given a straight red card. Dumfries kicked to the corner rumbled the line out & on the second phase of play Saints captain Ryan Cruickshank drove over opening the scoring. Stand off Keir Patterson knocking over the extras. 7-3.
With the score staying tight & huge hits coming in from both sides Saints head coach Paddy Coupar gave the nod to the bench & what can only be described as Saints version of the ‘bomb squad’ came on the pitch with Craig Goldie, Liam Grierson & Rory Cockburn & Nathan Brown coming on in the forwards & 17 year old Fergus Mcewen coming on for his second senior match after impressing last week off the bench.
A high tackle from one of the Stewartry props saw him sent for a 10 minute rest putting Stewartry down to 13. Unable to contain the dynamo pocket rocket that is Saints Baby Rhino Rory Cockburn he crashed over the line. 12-3 to the home side.
Stewartry kicked the restart deep into saints half David Sharp returned the hard yards as he continued to do all game. Break out wide from Rob Neill set saints up in stewartrys 22 a typical ‘Goldie’ crash ball put saints within touching distance. Baby Rhino Rory scooped the ball up & dived over to get his second of the match. Keir sent the conversion over the posts 19-3.
Half time.
The introduction of 18 year old speedster Callum Howat injecting more raw pace to the side. Full back Bobbie Douglas was next to score going so fast it looked like he glided in from 25 yards Keir conversion 26-3.
Calls from the sideline asking for saints to be more clinical saw a great interchange of play between back rows Ian Carlisle & Ryan Cruickshank opened up the pitch & in support was that man again Rory Cockburn to complete his hat trick of tries!! Keir conversion 33-3.
Some experimental changes in the back line saw Fergus Mcewen move to stand off & Keir Patterson into 9. Ed Martin brought on to the wing.
As if Paddy ‘the Magician’ Coupar had waved a wand this instantly reaped rewards Saints forwards setting up a great platform Graduates Hindy & Robbie Johnston picking & driving forward around the rucks. Fergus spun a miss pass out wide for Ed Martin to put on the afterburners out pacing his opposite number & scoring under the posts. Keir with the extras 38-3.
From the restart Captain Ryan crashed up the pitch with Nathan Brown close in support. A lovely offload out the back saw Fergus Clanachan thunder down the pitch. Quick one two with winger Callum Howat & a pop up out of the tackle saw Saints 1st team Debutant Oliver Clanachan run over from all of 10 yards out in what can only be described as champagne ‘total’ rugby!! Keir with the nudge over 45-3.
Another marauding hard yards run from Captain Ryan set up the Saints forwards to extend their dominance. Jack Austin & Harry Houldey stomping down the pitch leaving trails of bodies in their wake! A couple of lovely offloads in contact keeping the ball alive allowed Ed Martin to snipe off his wing & go hunting for the ball. A great support line saw Ed be the grateful recipient of a beautiful offload from Saints young prop Matthew Hind. Keir this time with a tricky conversion out wide to the right but our mr.dependable when we need it slotted the conversion 52-3.
Next try came from the Martin brothers. Tom found himself out wide in a huge mismatch vs the stewartry winger. Very unselfishly giving his brother an early Xmas present & becoming Tom ‘Try Santa’ Martin sending his brother Ed tight into the corner for his hat trick try. 57-3.
Stewartry spoke to the ref to request the game finish early & the ref agreed to cut 10 minutes off the game. With seconds left in the match David Sharp broke the line & off loaded to Bobbie Douglas who boshed the stewartry cover tackle & ran in for his second of the day & saints final try of the day under the posts giving Keir the simplest of kicks to finish the match 64-3.
Back to league action next week for both sides after a great hard fought local derby. Saints at park farm again vs Garnock the side that held them to a draw in the first league match of the season.
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