Stew Mel vs Berwick, 15/9/01

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Squad

The team for Saturday is:

There are two enforced changes from the team that won last Saturday, with both Struan Samson and Brian McDougall picking up leg knocks that hopefully will only keep them out for one week. This allows the club captain, Fraser Pollock, to return to the team at inside centre and also the introduction of Ben Searancke at tight head prop. The other change sees the return of Steven Reed at the expense of the unlucky Scott Stewart, who played very well last week but drops down to the bench.

The team seem focused on making up to our home support for the dreadful performance that greeted the new season against Haddington two weeks ago. Last week against H/J was better, but there still needs to be a lot of improvement in performances if we are to challenge for promotion.

Hopefully the Stew Mel heads will be left in the changing room this time and a creditable victory will be achieved against a team that always provide us with stiff opposition.

Riggers

Match Report

Well, what can I say? After that nightmare start against Haddington, then last week's heartening victory on the road against Hillhead/Jordanhill, the guys came out with all guns blazing on Saturday and demolished Berwick with as good a display of running rugby as I've ever seen at Inverleith. From us, anyway!

The website would probably crash if I went into each of our scores in depth, so, instead, here's the summary:

3.04
Berwick stand off McCreath drops a goal after good work from his pack: 0-3

3.05
Fraser Pollock is stopped just short of the Berwick line, but, from the resulting scrum 5, Kiwi prop Ben Searancke rumbles over. Chris Bissett misses the conversion: 5-3

3.10
We kick a penalty to the corner and the pack rumble over from the resulting lineout, with Ben getting the touchdown. Chris lands the conversion from wide out: 12-3

3.12
Steven Reed, on the left wing today, runs in from the half way line after some great handling under pressure from our backs: 17-3

3.15
Grant Smith dives over after a scrum 5, Chris converts: 24-3

3.20
After a scrappy scrum on half way, the ball is shipped left and Steven Reed runs in his second try, converted by Chris: 31-3

3.20
Steven Reed gets his hat trick after more great handling by the backs and some incisive driving from Si Capaldi: 36-3

3.32
Two minutes after Berwick lock Sanderson was yellow carded, Mark Welch touches down after a great break from Kenny Milligan: 41-3

3.45
Steven Reed scores his 4th try near the posts after a great break from number 8 John Healy. Chris converts: 48-3

Second Half

3.55
Steven Reed makes the most of a great break from Fraser Deeming to score under the posts, Chris converting again: 55-3

4.03
Spike scores his only try of the day after another class break from Fraser Deeming splits the Berwick backline: 60-3

4.15
Willie Laidlaw, showing great pace to keep up with an Andy Kelly break towards the Berwick posts, accepts the pop pass and touches down. Scott Stewart, on for Chris Bissett, converts: 67-3

4.20
Fraser Deeming caps off a great performance by scoring after a great solo run, Scott converting: 74-3

4.30
Berwick number 20, Paul Pringle, scores after a good break from Berwick centre Reay, McCreath converting: 74-10

4.30
Fraser Deeming scores again after a Si Rowan break: 79-10

Without wishing to go OTT this early in the season, there were so many plus points to take from the StewMel performance. While neither of our Kiwis (lock Lee Crafer being the other one) is fully fit, they certainly helped to beef up the pack and prevented Berwick from shoving us around as they have done in recent years. The back row, including Skye after he came on for Benzo in the second half, put in a power of work all afternoon, closing down the Berwick centres and repeatedly turning the ball over in the loose. Both locks had a fine game, too, providing a sturdy lineout base for our backs to exploit.

Behind the scrum, Grant Smith had another great game, passing the ball crisply from the ground and using his sturdy physique to give his opposite number a torrid time.

The other backs, as you'll have gathered, had a fine game, with only Mark Welch failing to catch the eye - and that was only because he had so little to do. Fraser Deeming played an absolute blinder, and would have got my vote for Man of The Match - while he's always seemed like a good, solid squad player up till now, he really seems to have gained in pace and confidence, repeatedly breaking Berwick tackles to unleash the supporting runners. Reedy, actual winner of the Man of The Match award, obviously revelled in his wing role, possibly because it allows him to dispense altogether with any notions of passing the ball. While Jaffa's place kicking was patchy, his positional kicking was spot on, and he seems to be settling into the number 10 jersey a bit more.

Bill McNie

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