Stew Mel vs Edinburgh Accies, 29/8/09

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Squad

The Stewart's Melville FP RFC team to play Edinburgh Accies at Inverleith on Saturday, kick off 3 pm, is:

There's probably not enough hours in the day - or brain cells left in your webmaster's baldy heid - to explain all the changes in the 1st XV to face Accies in our opening Prem 1 league game at Inverleith on Saturday.

But let's have a go, anyway - ach, it's still the Festival, folks!

So there are just five survivors from the the team that beat Accies at Invers in the corresponding fixture nearly three years ago: Borth, Brewster, Jedi, Big Clarky and Pip.

You will already know a few of the 'incomers' well - Marsh, Harry, Ruairi, Big C, Ben, Callum, Rob and Bambi.

The truly new recruits join us from Melrose (Alec Jessop), Edinburgh Uni (Liam Steele), 'Sonians (Wee Clarky), Heriot's Musselburgh (Ricky Simms), Preston Lodge (Paul Voy), Hawks (Sam Blackwood) and Forrester (Ross Merrilees).

It's a tribute to the closed season activities of Moff, Allan, Gordo and the entire coaching team that we have such an influx of young, local talent to the Club - they are our future, so please make them very, very welcome.

Profile forms will follow for all of the new recruits in the next few weeks. In the meantime, please get yourself - and a few friends - down to Invers on Saturday, and give the boys a shout.

The meeja may have written us off already, but they did that to Selkirk last year - dismiss the MYT (Moff's Young Team) at your peril!

Bill

Primmy's Points

Stew Mel did not get the result they were looking for as they got their Premier One campaign underway at Inverleith against old rivals Edinburgh Accies.

Although there was some promising play from the young home side, an intermittent lack of concentration - combined with some clinical finishing by Accies - resulted in the visitors notching 7 tries as Stew Mel went down 39-21.

It could all have been so different if Stew Mel had been able to perform for the full 80 minutes to the high standard that was shown in glimpses throughout the game. The opening exchanges saw both sides test each other out. The breakthrough came in the 11th minute when new recruit Liam showed some great vision to set up Harry for a try in the corner. Liam, playing stand off but acting as scrum half, spotted some space down the blindside and put in a lovely chip which Harry collected to race over in the corner. Liam then demonstrated his place kicking prowess as he stroked over the touchline conversion.

Accies responded 5 minutes later with a move straight out of coach Barney's play book. A penalty saw Accies kick to the corner and a well executed catch and drive from the ensuing lineout led to a try in the corner.

The men from Raeburn Place then started to dominate possession, and, midway through the first half, they took the lead. After several phases of play, the visitors worked an overlap and were clinical enough to take the chance and score out wide. They added another score shortly after when a line break through the middle saw their centre round the last man and score in the corner from the half way line.

Accies then dealt us a huge blow when they secured the bonus point just before the half time whistle to lead 22-7 at the break.

Stew Mel started the second half with a bang, and, after only a few minutes, reduced the deficit when Marsh dived over to score. After the pack exerted intense pressure on the visitors' line, quick ball went out to Marsh, who stepped his man for an easy try.

But, just as Stew Mel looked like they might get back into the game, they struggled to clear their lines on a number of occasions. After we lost a scrum against the head only 5 metres from our own line, Accies tossed the ball wide and their winger collected a loose ball before dancing through a couple of would-be tacklers to score beneath the posts.

Accies effectively secured the victory midway through the second half. Weak tackling from the home side let the Accies centre stroll through, almost untouched, to stretch the lead to 34-14.

Stew Mel refused to give up, however, and had the upper hand in the last quarter of the match. With little more than ten minutes left, substitute prop Ross, making his competitive debut for the 1st XV, scored from close range following several pick and goes.

Again, Liam coolly converted from wide out - but any hopes of a miraculous comeback were shattered when, only a couple of minutes later, Accies ran in another try from their own half. A loose kick down field from Stew Mel practically invited the dangerous Accies wide men to counter attack with interest, beating several would-be tacklers on the way to the line.

Stew Mel kept on battling for what would have been a bonus point try. Chances presented themselves, but, unfortunately, we couldn't convert them into scores. In the dying minutes, Stew Mel squandered the most clear cut opportunity to get the fourth, bonus point try when a huge overlap was wasted. Let's hope that point doesn't haunt us come the end of the season.

All in all, it was a disappointing start to life back in Premier One. We will, however, improve. With a few bodies sidelined through injury at the moment and several others impressing in the 2nd XV, there will be greater competition for places in the coming weeks. This can only be a good thing for the club, and we will hopefully see it being transferred into results on the pitch.

Primmy

Stew Mel Stats

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