Stew Mel vs Kirkcaldy, 26/3/05

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Squad

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

A few changes to the team from the last outing at Selkirk, due to injury and unavailability.

Shaun McMurchy and Ben Leathes both miss the game due to injury, and, with Alex Clarke leaving for the FIRA U19 tournament in Durban on Monday and therefore unavailable, Nick Penny's reward for his fiftieth 1st XV game since returning to the club from Watsonians is a berth in the second row.

Nick's 'promotion' to the second row means Gareth Flockhart comes into the starting team at No.8. Dougie Rycroft also returns in place of Ross Rennie, who is also FIRA bound. Kevin Stuart comes into the team at hooker for Shaun.

The backs are pretty settled, with the only change involving available again Gavin Sharp. Gavin displaces Stephan Burger from the starting fifteen to the bench, where he replaces David Warwick, who is also off to FIRA.

With second place in the league tied up for Stewart's Melville and Kirkcaldy already relegated, hopefully both teams will go out and enjoy themselves on Saturday. In the crowd will be the Scottish Cup winning Lions from S1 and S2, with the S2s also showing off the Tesco S2 Sevens trophy they won on Wednesday night. The School 1st XV will also be represented in the crowd, after a season which has seen them lift the Bell Lawrie White Plate and the Merchiston, Glasgow High School, Heriot's and George Watson's Sevens trophies.

Graham Shiel will be taking a skills session with the Mini section from 1 pm, with a bouncy castle and BBQ also available. If you're not heading away over the long weekend, please make your way down to Inverleith for the end of season finale.

Riggers' Review

So that's that over with, then. After 24 games this season, we have reached our goal of Premier 1, and the hard work now begins.

Despite being encouraged, beforehand, to go out and play like a Premier 1 team, the squad never hit the heights they are capable of against Kirkcaldy, and, for the second time this season, struggled throughout against the Fife team. It was close to being the ultimate quiz question: 'What have champions Stirling County and relegated Kirkcaldy got in common?' The answer was about three feet short of being: 'The only teams Stewart's Melville couldn't beat this season'. The three feet in question is how close the Kirkcaldy full back was to snatching victory with the last penalty kick of the game ...

Four tries were scored on the day, but numerous opportunities to add to the tally were spurned. Some great lead up play was marred by poor decisions or bad errors, the number of dropped balls testimony to the damp and horrid conditions. When, however, Jed Gordon went over for his 14th try of the season, it was also the 50th try by the backs this season, which goes to show the kind of rugby we aspire to. The forwards have chipped in with 40 tries, Graham Lind leading the way with 10 of them. 90 tries, then, in 24 games, which is 3.75 per game - not a bad return, and, if we are anywhere close to that next season, we'll be more than happy.

The goalkicking has improved this season, with Borth slotting 59% of his attempts and Sam 61% of his. Another 10% to 15% on these totals will be essential for next season if we are to aspire to the top half of the league. Both kickers are more than capable of this increase.

There's not really much else to say about Saturday. It was a win, and that was as much as we can take from it.

The great news for the club has been the 2nd XV retaining their place in the 1st Division of the 2nd XV leagues. Also, four players plus David McCall from the school being in the FIRA Squad is great for the Club, and, hopefully, represents the nucleus on which we can build over the Summer and into next season.

After 116 games as Team Manager, my time has come to an end, and I move upstairs into a 'blazerati' role, hopefully to consume copious amounts of gin over the next couple of seasons. Thanks to everyone who has been involved during that time, including Al Christie, Roxy, Dougie Wyllie, Benzo, Macca, Graham Ellis and Sheesh. Without doubt the club has been served very well by its coaches. Without the first two names in that list keeping us in Premier 3 a few years back, we would certainly not be celebrating a return to Premier 1 now, so, hopefully, they share in the pride of the club like the rest of us. To over 100 players who have pulled on the 1st XV jersey in my time, thank you for your effort in the games. I hope Malky MacColl enjoys his time in charge as much as I have.

To Black Al, thanks for the call asking me to be Team Manager all those years ago. Similar to the 'come and sit on the bench at the Jed Sevens and I promise you'll not get on' phone call I took from him in 1993, it was a bit more work than he described, but it's been great all the same. I have a feeling he's done me for the third time with the Presidency line, but only time will tell!

Finally, I turn to the catalyst of all the good things that have happened at the club, Allan Munro. It seems a long time since Fraser Pollock and I met with you at Edinburgh Sports Club to try and convince you to get involved. Both Fraser and I are still very proud that we somehow managed to convince you to come on board, and a big thanks for all that you have done - long may it continue.

Riggers

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