Season 2006/7

Caledonia Division 1 Champions 2006/7

 

Back Row  (Left to Right): Simon Jones, David Hull, Donald Robertson, Aaron Dalgarno, Craig Sim, Graeme Merrie, Jamie Mclaren, Keith Robertson, Graeme Crozier, Stuart Gray, Colin Strachan, Kevin Mollison, Robin Young, George Strachan.

Front Row (Left to Right):  Colin Bell, Atholl Bowman, Kenny Christie, John Westwood, Gary Wood, Michael Bruce, Iain Fletcher, Scott Mckenzie.

24/03

Mackie Academy FP's 12 - Strathmore 15

Strathmore won Caledonia Division 1 at Stonehaven on an idyllic day for rugby in what turned out to be a pulsating, physical encounter that put the large away support through the wringer before victory was assured. The collective sigh of relief could be heard all the way down the A 90 as the referee ended the blacks season of seasons on an incredible high.

This was a title that was won on the first day of the season with the epic comeback against Aberdeenshire proving to be the catalyst for the weekends celebrations. On that dramatic day it was the introduction of Kiwi Jason Leslie that turned the tide, having the same destructive effect as a released bull at Pamplona. The South Islander has been unavailable for much of the league programme but the importance of his input in Aberdeen and Orkney is the stuff of legend.

Mackie were always going to be a tough assignment for Strathie and their defence has improved out of sight from twelve months ago when they were deemed a soft touch. The blacks maybe did not produce a vintage eighty minutes but for sheer effort and commitment they deserved the fruits of their labour.

At times of hardship during games it has been the fabulous support that has literally dragged the blacks over the finishing line. Those players that played against Selkirk will never forget the roar as James Kiely crossed for his try and Saturday was certainly no different as about one hundred Strathie fans made the pilgrimage to the Redcloak pitch, shouting themselves hoarse as they exhorted their players on to greater efforts.

One player that was thoroughly inspired throughout was Colin Bell. Open side flanker Bell epitomises the commitment these players have shown to the cause as once again the local bricklayer laid the foundations for victory with a superb all action display of ball pilfering and elusive running. His efforts in this campaign should never be under estimated.

The opening moments saw Strathie create several gilt edged opportunities as first Fletcher then McKenzie went agonisingly close to opening the scoring. Quick ball was at a premium and the forwards seemed sluggish and lacking in cohesion.

Strathmore's lineout was malfunctioning for much of the first forty but the tactical kicking from McLaren and Fletcher in particular, kept the home side penned in their twenty two for the majority of the half. This kept the pressure on Mackie and they started to concede penalties as they sought to keep their line intact.

In the absence of skipper Robin Young due to a pre match injury, the captaincy was handed to veteran scrum half Mike Bruce. His calm demeanour flowed through the side and when he slotted the opening penalty, confidence began to grow.

Just before the break Strathie increased their lead when a line out steal from Westwood was utilised brilliantly by the backs. Centre Graeme Crozier combined with full back Atholl Bowman to put teenage wing Colin Strachan into space on the left flank. The boldness of this young talent shone like a beacon throughout this match and he took his try brilliantly, leaving three bemused defenders in his wake before placing the ball in the left corner. Bruce then converted the touchline kick to a massive cheer as the first half finished.

With one hand on the trophy, Strathie upped their efforts and a delightful flick from David Hull almost resulted in another try for Strachan in the opening moments. Strathie's mobile front row of Dalgarno, Merrie and Sim started to put the blacks on the front foot, creating space out wide.

Another wonderful move between Crozier and Bowman almost resulted in the second try but the referee blew for a forward pass with the line beckoning. Mackie were starting to drift out of the contest as they attacked with little penetration.

It was the official who allowed them great field position when he wrongly awarded a five metre scrum when it should have been a drop out to the blacks. Concerted Mackie pressure eventually paid off when they smashed through the defence in the left corner.

Keith Robertson then delivered a thunderous performance for the next twenty minutes that blasted the men in red from the field. Ably assisted by second row partner Stuart Gray, Robertson carried the fight back to the homesters with renewed vigour.

Left winger Strachan was once again released into space and though stopped short of the line the ball was quickly recycled. The danger seemed to have been cleared until the colossal Robertson bounced off three would be tacklers before crashing over the whitewash, creating bedlam on the sidelines. Bruce narrowly missed the conversion attempt.

Inside centre Iain Fletcher then left the field because of injury to be replaced by the versatile Kevin Mollison. He made his mark immediately with a thumping tackle on his opposite number that once again drew a positive response from the travelling support.

Credit must go to Mackie as they never buckled and came back and scored their second try with just three minutes left on the clock to set up a tense finale. THe blacks held on to gain promotion to the national leagues for the first time in twenty years thoroughly justifying the celebrations back at Inchmacoble Park.

Strathmore should be proud of their Corinthian spirit that shines through all that they try and achieve as an amateur club in an increasingly professional sport. Regardless of the success next season there will always be a great atmosphere down by the Loch.

Strathmore : A Bowman, D Hull, G Crozier, I Fletcher, C Strachan, J McLaren, M Bruce, C Sim, G Merrie, A Dalgarno, S Gray, K Robertson, S McKenzie, C Bell, J Westwood. Subs : G Strachan, K Mollison, G Wood.

Other Results

Aberdeenshire 67 - Alloa 0
Crief & Strathearn 23 - Kinross 18
Orkney 18 - St. Andrews University 55

Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	Strathmore RFC	16	15	0	1	555	161	10	0	394	70
2	St Andrews University RFC	14	11	0	3	523	169	10	2	354	56
3	Aberdeenshire RFC	14	10	0	4	457	196	8	2	261	50
4	Mackie Academy FP RFC	15	9	0	6	389	223	8	3	166	47
5	Kinross RFC	16	8	0	8	253	412	3	1	-159	36
6	Orkney RFC	14	6	0	8	399	353	5	1	46	30
7	Crieff & Strathearn RFC	14	5	0	9	211	379	4	1	-168	25
8	Alloa RFC	16	3	0	13	198	446	2	3	-248	17
9	Panmure RFC	15	0	0	15	47	693	0	1	-646	-3
W	RAF Lossiemouth RFC	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

 

16/03

Strathmore 22 Blairgowrie 14

Blairgowrie visited Inchmacoble for a game under the floodlights on Friday night.  The small crowd were treated to some fine rugby with both teams fielding some youngsters and 2ndXV players due to the Paris Six Nations game.  The score line flattered the visitors as, during the second half they only got close to the tryline on one occasion and were awarded a penalty try.  A straight forward win which gives the team confidence for the last league game away to Mackie on March 24th.

03/03

Strathmore 36 Crieff & Strathearn 3

Another slow start - something of a speciality of ours recently, and the second successive game where the score was 3-3 approaching half time. A Mike Bruce penalty cancelled by a similar score for the visitors was all we had to show before two brilliant tries had the large home crowd breathing more easily.

First of all, a superb break from deep inside his own half by the rapidly improving Colin Strachan led to a perfectly timed offload to the supporting Scott McKenzie, who touched down under the posts giving Bruce a simple conversion.

Almost before the crowd had drawn breath, last season's top try scorer, Ian Fletcher, was racing over unopposed to finish with a characteristic dive, again giving Bruce a simple task to make the halftime score 14-3.

The much needed bonus point looked in doubt for much of the second half, for although the home side dominated possession, a series of handling errors prevented the scoreboard from ticking over.

Pressure was eventually converted into points, however, with tries in quick succession from Graeme Crozier, returning from injury, Jamie Wilson, after a fine bit of work from young flier Matt Marshall, and a first try for the Blacks from prop forward Arron Dalgarno. Bruce and McLaren added 2 conversions to make the final score 36-3.

The Blacks now have to secure one more point from their final league game at Mackie in 3 weeks' time to be certain of a second successive league title, with only St Andrews having a faint chance of spoiling the party. The students still have 3 games to play - Orkney home and away, and Mackie away, and must score maximum points in each game to be in with a chance.

Other Results

St. Andrews University 55 Kinross RFC 18
Panmure 3 Aberdeenshire 65
 

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	Strathmore RFC	15	14	0	1	540	149	10	0	391	66
2	St Andrews University RFC	13	10	0	3	473	151	9	2	322	51
3	Aberdeenshire RFC	13	9	0	4	390	196	7	2	194	45
4	Mackie Academy FP RFC	13	8	0	5	322	205	7	2	117	41
5	Kinross RFC	14	7	0	7	208	389	3	0	-181	31
6	Orkney RFC	13	6	0	7	381	303	5	1	78	30
7	Crieff & Strathearn RFC	13	4	0	9	188	361	3	1	-173	20
8	Alloa RFC	14	3	0	11	195	324	2	3	-129	17
9	Panmure RFC	14	0	0	14	47	666	0	1	-619	-3
W	RAF Lossiemouth RFC	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

17/02

Kinross 3 Strathmore 56

Strathmore managed to put recent disappointments behind them as they romped to an easy victory in an incident packed match. The emphatic scoreline seemed very unlikely at half time and indeed at that point of the contest any victory would have been greeted like a long lost friend.

The visitors performance in the first twenty minutes was insipid and sluggish but did markedly improve during the half until they had total control of the match at the interval.  This was partly down to the differing fitness levels of the two squads of players, though  Strathmore have proved to be the slowest of starters in most of their matches this season, an area that will have to be addressed for the next campaign.

Kinross had the lion's share of possession and territory in the opening minutes as they utilised the slope and a tactical kicking game to pin Strathie back into their twenty two.  Their lack of creativity was the main problem, that combined with the excellent defensive effort from the blacks, especially flanker Colin Bell, meant that one solitary penalty was all they had to show for their dominance.

Even when Strathie were reduced to fourteen players, Graeme Merry was sin binned for colourful use of the English language, they still looked comfortable against a side rapidly running out of ideas. Aaron Dalgarno slotted into hooker for the sin bin period and did well, especially with his throws to the line-out.

The homesters did have one back move that left Strathie struggling to cover the gaps in their defence, it took an outstanding tackle from stand off Jamie McLaren to extinguish the danger and engender confidence throughout the side.   Strathie began to fight back and stormed into their opponents half with more intent and purpose, keeping hold of the ball with more authority and forcing a penalty of their own which Michael Bruce converted to tie the score.

Seconds before the break and the blacks were awarded another penalty metres from the line. Showing great awareness Strathie's number ten McLaren tapped it quickly and circumvented the defence to dive into the right corner. Bruce narrowly missed the conversion attempt as the  whistle blew for half time.

Forwards coach David Wren was not entirely happy with his charges display, expressing displeasure at the fact that they had not played how they had trained, with little or no pace in attack and a desperate lack of continuity.  Within five minutes of the restart Strathie had crossed the whitewash twice, showing a greater desire to support the ball carrier and offload in the tackle. Blacks number eight Kenny Christie scored the first try after the break, benefitting from a bullocking run from stand in skipper Keith Robertson.

Moments later and a delicious kick from Jamie McLaren had the Kinross left winger in all sorts of bother. Jet heeled winger Matt Marshall reached the loose ball first and showed great vision to pop the ball inside to McLaren who crashed over for his second try. Bruce converted McLaren's try to extend the lead to seventeen points.

Sensing that their opponents were wilting Strathie increased the tempo with restored hooker Graeme Merry charging into the tackle like an enraged Rhino, creating gaps all over the park.  One wonderful move forced Kinross deep into their twenty two and in the ensuing ruck a Kinross player suffered a badly broken leg. For fifty minutes the injured player waited on an ambulance and the game was almost abandoned as a result but thankfully there was enough
light to continue.

 Colin Bell was substituted during the pause in play with veteran number eight John Westwood entering the fray with twenty minutes left. The break seemed to galvanise the blacks and disillusion Kinross as the home sides tackling seemed to disintegrate.  The bonus point try was secured by Kenny Christie from another quick penalty, though the
attempted defence was token to say the least.

Outstanding flanker Scott McKenzie carried the ball superbly throughout the match and was rewarded with two fine tries. The first was a dash for the line after a flowing back move and the second try was an opportunistic score after a hack through from Kenny Christie. Bruce managed to convert one of these scores on a difficult day for the kickers.
Bruce was replaced by Gary Wood for the final ten minutes and the diminutive scrum half  urged his teammates on to complete the rout. A fabulous individual effort from Mclaren completed his hat-trick in style with a run of pace and power that left four defenders lying in his wake. 

Full back Atholl Bowman was the catalyst for the next score with a devastating hand off opening up some space on the right. Centre of excellence Iain Fletcher off loaded in the tackle to fellow centre David Hull who was left with an easy stroll to the line.

The final try was the finest move of the match drawing a positive response from even the most partisan of home supporters.  Robertson fielded the kick off before looking to pop off to a teammate.  John Westwood then came out of the low Winter sun like a Spitfire, swooping down to collect the pass one handed before flying past the first line of defence. Slick handling put power prop Craig Sim into space as he charged on into the twenty two. With bravery deserving of a Victoria Cross the Kinross full back stood his ground but was left powerless to prevent
Kenny Christie scoring his second hat-trick this year.  McLaren slotted two conversions to finish with a deserved haul of nineteen points but more importantly he may have found his best position.

The final whistle blew on Guy de Boehmler's Strathmore career as he heads of to the Arabian Gulf, he and his family will be sorely missed and they leave with the best wishes of everyone at the club ringing in their ears.

Strathmore : A Bowman, C Strachan, I Fletcher, D Hull, M Marshall, J McLaren, M Bruce, C Sim, G Merry, G de Boehmler, K Robertson, S Gray, S McKenzie, C Bell, K Christie.   Reps : G Wood, A Dalgarno, J Westwood.

Read Kinross's Version Here

Other Results

Aberdeenshire 51 - Orkney 27
Mackie Academy FP 45 -  Panmure 0
Crieff & Strathearn 21 - Alloa 13

Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	Strathmore RFC	14	13	0	1	504	146	8	0	358	60
2	St Andrews University RFC	12	9	0	3	418	133	8	2	285	46
3	Mackie Academy FP RFC	13	8	0	5	322	205	7	2	117	41
4	Aberdeenshire RFC	12	8	0	4	325	193	6	2	132	40
5	Kinross RFC	13	7	0	6	190	334	3	0	-144	31
6	Orkney RFC	13	6	0	7	381	303	5	1	78	30
7	Crieff & Strathearn RFC	12	4	0	8	185	325	3	1	-140	20
8	Alloa RFC	14	3	0	11	195	324	2	3	-129	17
9	Panmure RFC	13	0	0	13	44	601	0	1	-557	-3
W	RAF Lossiemouth RFC	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

 

 

27/01

St. Andrews Uni 30 Strathmore 10

Strathmore finally lost their unbeaten league record in Fife on Saturday, ironically it was the students in the corresponding fixture one year past that last beat the blacks, nineteen games ago. In the last three years Strathie have only been beaten on four occasions in forty five league contests, three of these defeats have been inflicted by St Andrews.

This match could have seen the blacks crowned as champions but they were comprehensively beaten by a street wise, mobile, aggressive varsity side. The majority of the eighty minutes were evenly contested but in a mad ten minutes Strathie managed to concede four soft tries and proved that little was learned from the mistakes made last week against Selkirk. In fact the visitors found even more ways to shoot themselves in the foot as their title credentialsimploded before their very eyes.

Skipper Robin Young once again won the toss and decided to play down the slight slope in the first half. The opening moments certainly belonged to the blacks as their forwards dominated proceedings, smashing into the students with great alacrity. A penalty chance was earned in front of the posts and with the benefit of hindsight should have been kicked to get points on the board immediately.

This opportunity was spurned but the visitors remained camped in their opponents twenty two with only great defence keeping them out. Keith Robertson and Craig Sim were prominent in these early exchanges, bursting through tackles and putting their side on the front foot.

The students eventually broke free of the shackles and were awarded a penalty of their own which they converted to take the lead. Within ten minutes they would have the match sewn up.  Three missed tackles allowed the opposition winger a run to the line when there seemed little  danger, Young and Bell tackling each other a la McLeish and Miller in the World Cup of '82.

Moments later and another ill judged attempted tackle allowed the home right winger time and  space to chip over Young and dive in the corner.

Strathie couldn't get the ball back as the students poured on the pressure in search of the bonus point. They did not have to wait long as stand off Bruce was charged down for a third try and a loss of communication led to the softest of tries from a lineout as the much vaunted blacks defence turned into a shambolic mess.

Prop Grant Dickson was sent on and his calm assurance spread through the team as they tried to make it to the break before another error blotted their copybook. The scrum started to become dominant and the momentum began to shift almost imperceptibly towards the blacks as the half time whistle blew.

At Aberdeenshire the exact same scenario was facing the visitors and they managed to outdo Houdini to win that match and at certain points during the second half history looked like it might have been repeating itself.

For thirty minutes Strathie attacked the St Andrews line with a desperation that took their opponents by surprise. Substitute flanker Simon Jones was fantastic in the second forty minutes, adding a much needed injection of pace into the numerous assaults on the homesters defence.

Number eight John Westwood started to rule the roost at the lineout and the stranglehold began to pressure the students into mistakes. Scrum half Gary Wood pounced on a loose ball to open Strathie's account, a fine reward for his never say die attitude. Bruce narrowly missed the conversion.

Sensing that they had a chance, albeit a small, sliver of hope, Strathie upped their tempo as their opponents started to give away a raft of penalties. On two occasions the blacks were held up over the line and the second should have resulted in a penalty try but the official seemed reluctant to award one or even send any offender to the sin bin.

A blissful backline move reduced the deficit moments later with a rehearsed move slicing through the home defence putting full back Robin Young into a gap. Showing good pace Young timed his pass to perfection allowing Jamie McLaren to dive into the corner for a fantastic score. Bruce dragged the conversion attempt wide.

Powerful prop Craig Sim ran himself into the ground for the cause and certainly did not deserve to be on the losing side. He took the ball into contact with such aggression and speed that the collisions were of biblical proportions. In hooker Graeme Merry he found a kindred spirit as they both refused to buckle and continued to fight to the bitter end.

It was a defiant effort from the blacks and they kept going forward at every opportunity and finally forced the referee to yellow card a St Andrews flanker for persistant infringement. Colin Strachan made an immediate impact when he came on to the field with two storming runs that should have led to a score had the ball beeen moved wide.

The students played on the edge of legality and got away with it but in truth it was the ineptitude of the Strathie side that was the most frustrating facet of the match to deal with.

The varsity side used their limited possession wonderfully well, creating a fifth try in their first attack of the second half. For their belligerent defence and creativity they deserved the spoils in what was a high quality sporting contest, Strathie played their part but ultimately were the support cast and not the main star.

Strathmore : R Young, J Kiely, A Bowman, D Hull, M Bruce, G Wood, C Sim, G Merry, A Dalgarno, K Robertson, S Gray, J Wilson, C Bell, J Westwood. Reps : G Dickson, C Strachan, S Jones.

This Saturday sees Strathmore entertain Highland but the club will be open from 1.00pm as the
six nations kicks into life.

Other Results

Alloa 7 Kinross 23
Orkney 8 Mackie Academy FP 15
Panmure 0 Creiff & Strathearn 28

Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	Strathmore	14	13	0	1	496	150	9	0	346	61
2	St. Andrews University	13	10	0	3	461	147	9	2	314	51
3	Aberdeenshire	12	8	0	4	329	180	6	2	149	40
4	Mackie Academy FP	13	8	0	5	298	222	6	2	76	40
5	Kinross	13	8	0	5	215	298	3	0	-83	35
6	Orkney	13	6	0	7	364	266	4	2	98	30
7	Alloa	14	4	0	10	223	306	3	3	-83	22
8	Crieff & Strathearn	12	4	0	8	200	326	4	1	-126	21
9	Panmure	13	1	0	12	64	563	0	1	-499	1
W	RAF Lossiemouth	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

 

 

 

13/01

Strathmore 48 Alloa 5

Thirteen league matches played, thirteen league matches won, Strathmore continued their excellent form with a solid performance in dreadful conditions watched once again by a large, vocal support at Inchmacoble Park.

Though the wet and blustery weather should have prevented an open, attractive game, Strathie still played the fifteen man game that has served them well thus far. The two wingers McLaren  and Kiely thrived with the ball in hand and both produced stellar performances, especially McLaren who has never played better in a black shirt.

Skipper Robin Young won the toss and decided to play into the stiff breeze and rely on his mobile forwards to keep the ball rather than play a tactical kicking game. Strathie's pack rose to the challenge as one, dominating all facets of play and looked particularly impressive driving the ball from lineouts, where they made huge yardage throughout the eighty minutes.

Alloa were put under intense pressure and gave away a penalty thirty yards from the posts.  Stand off Mike Bruce has been in tremendous kicking form recently and he judged the wind perfectly, dissecting the posts and giving the blacks the lead.

Moments later and the home faithful were treated to the try of the season from left wing Jamie McLaren. The massive speedster brushed off one tackler before handing off another, with just the full back to beat he chipped the ball over his head and dived on the ball in the corner for a remarkable score. Not to be outdone Mike Bruce kicked over the conversion of the season
against a vicious crosswind.

The lead was extended shortly after with a flowing handling move releasing the black's captain Robin Young through a gap in the Alloa backline. Young then showed great strength to force his slight frame over in the corner despite the attention of two Alloa defenders. Bruce narrowly missed the conversion.

It was disappointing to concede a try before the break but it was down to a piece of bad luck as the bouncing ball turned into the Alloa players path when there seemed to be no danger at all.

The Strathmore coaching staff were unimpressed by the efforts of their charges in the first forty minutes, bemoaning the lack of quick ruck ball and the way players were being isolated on too many occasions. With the rebuke stinging in their ears the blacks set about their task with renewed vigour and were rewarded with a much improved second half display. Alloa's perceived danger was in the centres where former Scottish Thistles player Rab Truesdale was their in form player, he was marshalled superbly
by Bowman and Christie and was rarely allowed to threaten.


In attack Strathmore were winning quicker ball which created bigger holes in their opponents defensive line. Slick handling created a try for hooker Graeme Merry in the left corner as Strathie strived for the bonus point.

That was secured moments later when James Kiely capped a fine game with a try in the right corner as he benefitted from a dreadful clearance kick from the Alloa fly half.

The floodgates were threatening to open when Scott McKenzie and sub Keith Robertson crossed the whitewash with ease as Alloa's defence crumbled in the face of sustained, intense pressure from the homesters. The fact that it took until the dying few minutes to add to their lead was down to the belligerent nature of the opposition.

It was apt that Strathmore's captain Robin Young finished the try scoring because of his high level of play throughout the year and in particular the last few months. When he took possession twenty yards out there was no doubt that he would score, using his searing pace to outstrip the cover defence for a fantastic team five pointer. Bruce converted four of the five second half tries and ended up with a haul of thirteen points, a fine return in awful conditions.


As the referee blew the final whistle, thoughts immediately went forward to next Saturday's cup tie when Strathmore entertain Premier Two side Selkirk in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup.  It is hoped that a bumper crowd will turn out to cheer the Blacks on to a famous victory, one thing that is certain is that it will be another great occasion in the clubs history.

Strathmore : R Young, J McLaren, A Bowman, K Christie, J Kiely, M Bruce, G Wood, G Dickson, G Merry, C Sim, S Gray, J Wilson, S McKenzie, C Bell, J Westwood. Reps : I Fletcher, G de Boehmler, K Robertson.

Other Results

Aberdeenshire 29 St. Andrews Uni 15

Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	Strathmore	13	13	0	0	486	120	9	0	366	61
2	St Andrews University	12	9	0	3	431	137	8	2	294	46
3	Aberdeenshire	12	8	0	4	329	180	6	2	149	40
4	Mackie Academy FP	12	7	0	5	283	214	6	2	69	36
5	Kinross	12	7	0	5	192	291	2	0	-99	30
6	Orkney	12	6	0	6	356	251	4	1	105	29
7	Alloa	13	4	0	9	216	283	3	3	-67	22
8	Crieff & Strathearn	11	3	0	8	172	326	3	1	-154	16
9	Panmure	12	1	0	11	64	535	0	1	-471	1
10	RAF Lossiemouth	9	1	0	8	110	302	0	1	-192	-7

 

 

 

6/01

Panmure 5 Strathmore 52

Strathmore returned to league business with a mediocre display against the weakest team in the division. Panmure have a limited game plan that relies on the tight driving of their overweight, ponderous pack.  Life must be very lonely for their wingers as they received little or no ball throughout the eighty minutes. It was ironic then that their only try came from an awful pass from Strathie's Mike Bruce, a fact that wasn't lost on the large travelling support.

The result was the pleasing aspect of this match as the performance was a typical post Christmas affair, numerous passes were misplaced and the urgency of previous encounters was desperately missing.

There were individual performances of note, especially from the recast back row of Christie, Bell and Wilson who as a unit turned over ball and provided a much needed injection of pace into many of the attacks. Bell was superb once again, proving to be a thorn in the flesh of yet another opposite number this season. Strathie number eight Jamie Wilson covered a remarkable acreage during the match and fully deserved his try moments before half time.

It was blind side Kenny Christie that reaped the full reward for his efforts, crossing for a well merited hat-trick as he supported the ball carrier all match and defended the gain line with numerous thumping tackles.

The conditions in Broughty Ferry were favourable for open rugby and it was no surprise that the visitors had secured the bonus point before the break. The first try was the finest as slick handling left centre David Hull with an easy run in to the line. Scrum half Gary Wood barged over from close range after a number of drives from the forwards, quickly followed by an opportunistic try from captain Robin Young. Wilson's battering run ended the first half try scoring, stand off Mike Bruce converted three of the four tries with unerring accuracy. Strathie tried to play to much rugby in their own half at the start of the second period and put an enormous amount of pressure on their defence. Once play had been settled down and the forwards began to run straight and hard the gaps began to appear on this surprisingly narrow pitch.

Highlight of the second half was a caveman like hand off from prop Grant Dickson who treated a Panmure defender with utter disdain before discarding him on the soft turf. The front row were once again in the ascendancy throughout the one sided contest, looking more and more mobile as the weeks pass and fitness is regained.

Man of the match Atholl Bowman began to exert his influence at outside centre with some strong running and excellent handling, his experience of the Premiership obviously proving an advantage.  Two of his breaks led to tries for the ever present Christie, though every time he received the ball he threatened the gain line and broke the first tackle.

Left Wing Jamie McLaren was prominent in Christie's third try, selling a delicious dummy before releasing the rampaging blind side metres from the line.  Captain Robin Young crossed for the last try, though he would be the first to admit that his display was a mixture of the sublime and ridiculous. One thing Young does do in abundance is provide entertainment and lead from the front, with a brace on Saturday he did just that.

Once more Bruce slotted over three conversions out of four for an excellent day with the left boot. The game will probably be remembered for an unsavoury incident involving an apparent stamp on Black's centre David Hull. A nasty ear injury required treatment and the Strathie players were incensed with the deliberate intent to hurt a fellow rugby player.

Strathmore : R Young, J McLaren, A Bowman, D Hull, J Brodie, M Bruce, G Wood, G Dickson, G Merry, C Sim, K Mollison, S Gray, K Christie, C Bell, J Wilson.
Reps : G Strachan, S Jones, J Kiely.

 

Other Results:
Orkney 34 Kinross 3
Aberdeenshire19 Mackie Academy FP 3
RAF Lossiemouth Vs Crieff & Strathearn Postponed
St. Andrews Uni 45 Alloa 15

Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	Strathmore	12	12	0	0	440	115	8	0	325	56
2	St Andrews University	11	9	0	2	416	108	8	2	308	46
3	Aberdeenshire	11	7	0	4	300	165	6	2	135	36
4	Mackie Academy FP	12	7	0	5	283	214	6	2	69	36
5	Kinross	12	7	0	5	192	291	2	0	-99	30
6	Orkney	12	6	0	6	356	251	4	1	105	29
7	Alloa	12	4	0	8	211	237	3	3	-26	22
8	Crieff & Strathearn	11	3	0	8	172	326	3	1	-154	16
9	RAF Lossiemouth	9	1	0	8	110	302	0	1	-192	5
10	Panmure	12	1	0	11	64	535	0	1	-471	5

 

 

16/12

Strathmore 83 Orkney 13

There was no repeat of last years horror journey, although the Orcadians may wish that the match had fallen foul of the frozen pitch at Inchmacoble Park.  Moving the game to the surprisingly spongy Academy turf proved to be an inspired choice, as did the selection of the black's fifteen which was the strongest to take the field this season.

There were seven changes from the awful debacle in the cup last week but the main difference was the intensity and pace that Strathie injected into their game. That was allied to a weakened Orkney team, yet in the cup last week they managed to knock out Hillfoots who are three leagues above them.

THe biggest disparity in the contest was the sheer physical size of the Strathmore team, next to the blacks the islanders looked like waifs from a Dickensian workhouse.  Tackles were easily broken and pressure was applied for the entire eighty minutes which has been an Achilles heel of this side recently. 

In all thirteen tries were scored by the home side in a performance of ruthless efficiency that would have had the coaches purring with delight. The home supporters were treated to some fantastic tries, with the slick handling more in keeping with a varsity side than a team noted for its power.  Recent recruit Scott McKenzie shone in this environment scoring four cracking tries, a rare feat for a blind side flanker but if anything it was his work in tandem with the fabulous Colin Bell that would have given Strathie the most satisfaction. They dominated the breakdown and that in turn gave lightning quick ball to the pacy Strathie backs. The Strathmore half backs then used this possession to run riot, using the full width of a narrow pitch to circumvent their opponents almost at will. When Orkney did receive the ball they kicked most of it away, a tactic that backfired badly as the blacks back three ran the ball at  the Orcadians at every occasion, affording the visitors no respite.

Captain Robin Young was in majesterial form, his footwork sublime as he led the islanders cover defence a merry dance every time he touched the ball. Right wing Iain Fletcher followed his skippers lead with a belligerent display of power running that brought the reward of
two tries but could have been three or four. On the left wing the powerful presence of Jamie Mclaren meant that missing touch just wasn't an option for Orkney, the touchline should have been their friend but the punting was just too wayward.  Strathie's centre partnership showed some great touches and Hull and Crozier looked menacing
in defence , though in truth they were never stretched by the under strength Orcadians. The hard yards up front were provided by Robertson, Gray and Westwood who drove the ball well and never fell into the trap of playing the match too loosely, the structure of the side  never wavered throughout, another pleasing aspect for the coaching team.
The set scrum was solid throughout, the front row of Sim, Dickson and Merry dominating that area of the match and still they supported the ball carrier like auxiliary flankers.   With McKenzie scoring four and Fletcher two there were seven other try scorers on the day, Young, Robertson, Merry, Bell, Soppett, Hull and McLaren joining their teammates on the scoresheet. Scrum half Michael Bruce kicked nine conversions to add to his overall dynamic display to complete the rout.

The spotlight as always fell upon Kelvin Soppett who was making his last appearance for Strathmore before returning to the land of the long white cloud. His try was greeted with the biggest cheer of the day as he slid under the posts with a large grin on his face. Not only will the mercurial fly half be missed on the Inchmacoble paddock but more, much more as a friend of all those that met him. The club wishes him well.

Strathmore : R Young, J Mclaren, G Crozier, D Hull, I Fletcher, K Soppett, M Bruce, C Sim, G Merry, G Dickson, S Gray, K Robertson, S McKenzie, C Bell, J Westwood.
Reps: G Strachan, R Fotheringham, K Mollison.
This Saturday could see either Strathclyde Uni or RAF Lossiemouth visit Inchmacoble Park.
KO 2.00pm.

Other Results

Alloa 17 Panmure 0
 

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	Strathmore	11	11	0	0	388	110	7	0	278	51
2	St Andrews University	10	8	0	2	371	93	7	2	278	41
3	Mackie Academy FP	11	7	0	4	280	195	6	2	85	36
4	Aberdeenshire	10	6	0	4	281	162	6	2	119	32
5	Kinross	11	7	0	4	189	257	2	0	-68	30
6	Orkney	11	5	0	6	322	248	3	1	74	24
7	Alloa	11	4	0	7	196	192	3	3	4	22
8	Crieff & Strathearn	11	3	0	8	172	326	3	1	-154	16
9	RAF Lossiemouth	9	1	0	8	110	302	0	1	-192	5
10	Panmure	11	1	0	10	59	483	0	1	-424	5

 

2/12

RAF Lossiemouth 7 Strathmore 48

Match Report To Follow

Other Results

Aberdeenshire 50 - Kinross 14
St. Andrews Uni 112 - Panmure 0
Mackie Academy FP 22 - Crieff & Strathearn 7
Orkney 22 - Alloa 8

Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	Strathmore	10	10	0	0	305	97	6	0	208	46
2	St Andrews University	10	8	0	2	371	93	7	2	278	41
3	Mackie Academy FP	11	7	0	4	280	195	6	2	85	36
4	Aberdeenshire	10	6	0	4	281	162	6	2	119	32
5	Kinross	11	7	0	4	189	257	2	0	-68	30
6	Orkney	10	5	0	5	309	165	3	1	144	24
7	Alloa	10	3	0	7	179	192	3	3	-13	18
8	Crieff & Strathearn	11	3	0	8	172	326	3	1	-154	16
9	RAF Lossiemouth	9	1	0	8	110	302	0	1	-192	5
10	Panmure	10	1	0	9	59	466	0	1	-407	5

 

 

18/11

Strathmore 14  - Aberdeenshire 5

Strathmore stretched their unbeaten league run to fourteen games but once again failed to play within a set gameplan that would surely have brought more reward against a physical Aberdeenshire fifteen.  Injured scrum half Michael Bruce took over the pre match duties from unavailable coach Jason Leslie and was disappointed to see such a disjointed performance from
his teammates.  That said, the blacks have proved themselves adept at winning games without ever engaging top gear, which is a marvellous habit to possess. The supporters may not have been totally enamoured with the quality of rugby but were appreciative of the effort expended through the eighty minutes.  New winger Rob Fotheringham made his league debut, making an impact in attack and defence showing excellent appetite for the fray.

Strathmore were further boosted by the return of skipper Robin Young to the blacks ranks, Young has been so solid at full back this season and looks more comfortable with the captaincy as every game passes. The skipper won the coin toss and elected to play with a slight breeze on an almost perfect autumnal afternoon.  The home side attacked from the off and were rewarded in the opening moments with a try from inspirational stand off Kelvin Soppett. This score came from the same move that pierced Mackie's defence last week, Crozier's offload in the tackle created a massive hole in the midfield that Soppett sprinted through to go under the posts.  Scrum half Gary Wood surprisingly missed the conversion but luckily it wasn't to prove crucial.

At times this was an ill tempered clash and the Strathie team were enraged by some of the foul play perpetrated by the granite city side.   Strathie extended their lead moments later when the Aberdeenshire stand off was lucky to stay on the field after a malicious stamp on Soppett. The Kiwi composed himself before rifling the ball through the sticks.  The home side obviously had the edge in the backs and the forwards battled for quick ball but a combination of poor decision making and the away side killing possession meant that the advantage was rarely utilised.  Just before the break Aberdeenshire used their bulky forwards to drive over from a lineout much to the embaressment of the Strathie eight. It wasn't difficult to see why the blacks were out muscled as their body positions were atrocious for stopping a driving maul.

The second half was more of an arm wrestle as both sides tried to gain an advantage without ever really threatening their opponents try line. One player who did shine in the gathering gloom was second row Stuart Gray.  Dismissed by many as one dimensional, Gray has worked hard at his game to become indispensable to the blacks cause as his work rate and confidence rise. One soaring lineout take proved his burgeoning reputation as a player that is appreciated more and more by his teammates.  Strathmore continued to put width on their game while 'Shire persevered with their driving mauls, though the blacks coped with their threat with more confidence in the second half.  A disappointing forty minutes was made worthwhile after two more Soppett penalties meant that the visitors left Inchmacoble empty handed once more. The blacks have a week off and hopefully the injury list will decrease to give Jason Leslie more options for the trip to Lossiemouth.

Strathmore : R Young, J McLaren, G Crozier, I Fletcher, R Fotheringham, K Soppett, G Wood, G de Boehmler, D Robertson, G Strachan, K Robertson, S Gray, J Wilson, C Bell, J Westwood. Reps : K Mollison, J Edwards, A Bowman.

This Saturday Strathmore have a break but the Scotland v Australia will be shown at the club.  Kick off is 2.30pm.

Other Results

Panmure 5 - Orkney 31
Kinross 35 - Mackie Academy FP 30
Alloa - RAF Lossiemouth (Postponed)
Crieff & Strathearn 0 - St. Andrews Uni 34

Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	Strathmore	9	9	0	0	257	90	5	0	167	41
2	St Andrews University	9	7	0	2	259	93	6	2	166	36
3	Mackie Academy FP	10	6	0	4	258	188	5	2	70	31
4	Aberdeenshire	9	5	0	4	226	148	4	2	78	26
5	Kinross	9	6	0	3	167	200	2	0	-33	26
6	Orkney	9	4	0	5	287	157	3	1	130	20
7	Alloa	9	3	0	6	171	165	3	3	6	18
8	Crieff & Strathearn	10	3	0	7	165	304	3	1	-139	16
9	RAF Lossiemouth	8	1	0	7	103	254	0	1	-151	5
10	Panmure	8	1	0	7	52	346	0	0	-294	4

11/11

Strathmore 10 - Mackie Academy FP 0

Strathmore stretched their unbeaten start to the season as they racked up win number eight in the league against an improving Mackie fifteen.  The visitors had also been on a winning run and were deemed in many quarters to be good enough to derail Strathie's serene progress.  This match was also notable for a father and son playing in tandem for the first time in a league match as George and Colin Strachan took the field for the blacks, Colin's game would end prematurely with a shoulder injury. Substitute Kevin Mollison came on for the luckless Strachan and impressed in his time on the paddock.  Although the scoreline hints at a close game in reality there was a big difference between the teams, most notably up front where the visitors looked undernourished compared to the bigger, more aggressive Strathie pack.  It was ironic that the best player afield was the blacks smallest forward Colin Bell, who once again proved how adept he is at breaking tackles and pilfering opposition ball. In Jones and Westwood he had support from his back row colleagues and Strathmore dominated the contact area for the majority of the game.  The forwards consistently made yards with Stuart Gray and captain for the day Keith Robertson prominent and the front row could have dismantled the Mackie scrum with great ease if only the new laws allowed it, yet Strathie contrived to lose two
put ins against the feed an issue surely to be addressed in training this week.  Club Captain Robin Young, sidelined with a hamstring injury, must have been delighted with the performance of his side in the first half as they played great continuity rugby into a strong, buffeting wind.  Mackie on the other hand seemed content to kick the lions share of their ball away in the hope that the homesters would make elementary mistakes. The fact that they kicked badly did not help their cause and Strathie looked comfortable in defence even when pressured briefly in the opening moments.  With Kiwi playmaker Kelvin Soppett pulling the strings behind the scrum Strathie always looked sharp and dangerous, chances were created most notably from set piece moves but in the main these broke down with the final pass going astray.   The visitors defended stoutly, conceding just one well struck penalty from Gary Wood in the opening forty minutes but knew they would have to raise their game to have any chance of victory in the second half.

Strathmore coach Jason Leslie stressed the importance of playing rugby in the Mackie half and this is exactly what they did for the vast majority of a frustrating second period.  Poor decision making and a lack of structure meant that overlaps were missed and momentum lost though the visitors must be credited with some marvellous last ditch defence. When the defence was stretched and penalties conceded it was unfortunate that Gary Wood could not take advantage, missing three penalties including one in front of the posts. Though Wood had patchy form with the boot Strathie should have scored the tries to take the pressure off their kicker.   On too many occasions players went for glory when a team mate was in a better position to use the ball that Strathie had started to treat as their own personal property. As the game wore on the anxiety levels increased and reached a peak when centre Iain Fletcher was held up over the line.  The move from the following set scrum finally eased the tension around the ground and was definately worth the wait. Soppett started the move with a deft flick to Graeme Crozier who hit a great angle and attracted two defenders into the tackle. Amazingly Crozier passed out of the contact situation to the supporting Soppett,
eyeing the options immediately Soppett released Stewart Caddel with a lightning, long spin pass to the left winger. The cover defence had no chance to reel in the turbo charged winger and Caddel duly sprinted into the corner for a wonderfully
worked score. Wood then showed his true form with a wonderful conversion from the touchline.  The visitors tried thereafter to run the ball at the blacks defence but found the tackles solid, especially from Soppett who smashed a Mackie player into a crumpled
heap to end one attack.  Strathmore then had sub Donald Robertson harshly sin binned for a supposed illegal hand off but the Strathie forwards still exerted control on proceedings, one lineout drive particularly demoralising for their opponents as they were driven back towards their own line.  The final whistle blew seconds later with the main positive that Mackie had created no scoring opportunities in the whole match but the blacks will have to improve for
the challenges ahead.

Strathmore : J McLaren, C Strachan, G Crozier, I Fletcher, S Caddel, K Soppett, G Wood, G Dickson, G Merry, G Strachan, S Gray, K Robertson, S Jones, C Bell, J Westwood.
Reps : B Morrice, K Mollison, D Robertson.

This Saturday (18/11) Strathmore entertain Aberdeenshire KO 2.00pm.

Other Results

Panmuir 20 - RAF Lossiemouth 7
St. Andrews Uni - Orkney Postponed
Alloa 0 - Aberdeenshire 22
Kinross 21 - Creiff & Strathearn 5

Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	Strathmore	8	8	0	0	243	85	5	0	158	37
2	St Andrews University	8	6	0	2	225	93	5	2	132	31
3	Mackie Academy FP	9	6	0	3	228	153	5	1	75	30
4	Aberdeenshire	8	5	0	3	221	134	4	2	87	26
5	Kinross	8	5	0	3	132	170	1	0	-38	21
6	Alloa	9	3	0	6	171	165	3	3	6	18
7	Crieff & Strathearn	9	3	0	6	165	270	3	1	-105	16
8	Orkney	8	3	0	5	256	152	2	1	104	15
9	RAF Lossiemouth	8	1	0	7	103	254	0	1	-151	5
10	Panmure	7	1	0	6	47	315	0	0	-268	4

 

 

4/11

Creiff & Strathearn 7 - Strathmore 52

Strathmore continued their unbeaten with an impressive dismantling of a very poor and surprisingly lacklustre home side. This match was viewed by many as a potential banana skin for the blacks as it was in 2001, when an 11-3 defeat cost Strathie the title.  In truth Crieff put up a token resistance, totally out of character with their performances so far this season. Captain Robin Young has been in scintillating form recently and he must have been delighted to see a clear sky and light breeze, conditions conducive to the blacks all action style.  Another reason for optimism was the return to the starting line up of veteran centre Iain Fletcher who has become a try scoring machine of late.  It was the forwards that set down a marker with the opening try, a huge
lineout drive that left hooker Graeme Merrie with the easiest of scores.  Scrum half Gary Wood drilled the ball through the uprights for a full seven pointer.

With the elements and slope against them, Crieff could barely get any territory or possession and wave after wave of Strathmore attacks threatened to swamp the home side.  A delightfully weighted chip by Young found acres of space in the dead ball area and centre Graeme Crozier gleefully pounced on the loose ball for the second try.  The Strathie back row of Jones, Bell and Westwood gave the backs quick from the rucks and with the set piece looking solid, another overlap was made and squandered
with through poor handling.  Moments later and outstanding Kiwi stand off Kelvin Soppett stretched the lead even further with a sublime chip and gather that ended up with the New Zealander sprinting under the posts.  Crieff had a mountain to climb but did have a brief period of pressure on the blacks line, rib crunching tackles from Crozier on two occasions stop their attacks dead and eventually the ball was moved down the field with Robertson prominent.  Strathie's giant lock had several barn storming runs where opponents seemed to be reluctant to put themselves in the firing line.  Once back in Crieff territory, Strathmore wasted no time in re-applying the stranglehold that they had for much of the eighty minutes. Fletcher made sure of the bonus point with a storming run that showed the glaring deficiencies in the Crieff defence but then Fletcher does break tackles in even the highest company.  Just before half time Strathie breached the whitewash once more with Robin Young going over after a searing break from Soppett. Wood had found his kicking boots and converted all five first half tries.
 

The first twenty minutes of the second half was instantly forgettable from the blacks as they rested on their laurels and were punished for doing so. A break from the Crieff stand off ended up in a converted try and Strathmore's discipline appeared to be crumbling in the face of some petty foul play from the home side.  The blacks response was the score a fantastic try from their own line just to emphasise how dominant they were. Two long passes found Young in space as he chipped the ball upfield, Soppett reached the ball first and two long hoofs left it bobbling, tantalisingly close to the line. Like an Osprey swooping on a salmon, Soppett scooped up the ball before diving over the line.  Momentum was building and a flowing move started by teenager Colin Strachan found omnipresent flanker Colin Bell in space, the turbo charged number seven needs no
second bidding when he sniffs the line and the try was duly scored.  To their credit Crieff replied with vigour that was lacking in the first half but two huge hits from Strachan left his opponents bruised and dazed, definately one for the future. It was fitting that Soppett and Young combined for the eighth try as they used the possession they received with skill and devilment, confidently attacking from any area of the park. The skipper crossed over to bring up the fifty points and Wood applied the coup de grace with his sixth conversion. 

In the next match (11/11) Strathmore take on title rivals Mackie FP at Inchmacoble Park KO 2.00pm.

Strathmore : R Young, J McLaren, G Crozier, I Fletcher, D Hull, K Soppett, G Wood,
G Dickson, G Merrie, J Edwards, K Robertson, S Gray, S Jones, C Bell, J Westwood.
Reps : G Black, C Strachan, D Robertson.

Other Results

RAF Lossiemouth 14 - Orkney 10
Aberdeenshire Vs Panmure postponed
Kinross 3 - St. Andrews Uni 41
Mackie Academy FP 37 - Alloa 13

Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	Strathmore	7	7	0	0	233	85	4	0	148	32
2	St Andrews University	8	6	0	2	225	93	5	2	132	31
3	Mackie Academy FP	8	6	0	2	228	143	5	1	85	30
4	Aberdeenshire	7	4	0	3	199	134	4	2	65	22
5	Alloa	8	3	0	5	171	143	3	3	28	18
6	Kinross	7	4	0	3	111	165	1	0	-54	17
7	Crieff & Strathearn	8	3	0	5	160	249	3	1	-89	16
8	Orkney	8	3	0	5	256	152	2	1	104	15
9	RAF Lossiemouth	7	1	0	6	96	234	0	1	-138	5
10	Panmure	6	0	0	6	27	308	0	0	-281	0

Match Photo's to follow

 

 

22/10

Strathmore 27 - Kinross 0

Strathmore continued their impressive unbeaten record at home against Kinross to maintain their lead at the top of the league and still have a game in hand. Take into consideration the players that were unavailable like Mike Bruce and Kiwi Kelvin
Soppett and the bonus point win looks mightily impressive.  Bruce's poisoned knee could keep him out for several months and the players wish him a speedy recovery and hope he can come down to the Hallow'een party to scare the kids with his scar.  

The visitors were expected to severely test the blacks title credentials but in truth it was a far more comfortable victory than the scoreline suggests. Kinross had only lost once in the league so far and had dished out a hiding to Orkney at home.  At the heart of the Strathie effort was Colin Bell, the flanker whose prodigious ball-pilfering and hard-hitting defence made him the stand out player of the day. Not only did Bell attend to his defensive duties superbly but he looked razor sharp with the ball in hand.   Unfortunately his example was not followed by the collective forward unit as too often they tried to bludgeon their way across the whitewash when there were overlaps to be exploited wider out. It was frustrating viewing for the blacks supporters as they watched excellent possession close to the line wasted, this lack of vision has been the Achilles heel of this forward pack during the past few matches.  That said some of the driving runs from power prop Craig Sim and number eight John  Westwood, on as a substitute, punched huge swathes into the visitors defence and when the quick ball was recycled and given some width it was no surprise that the points began to flow.  Giant lock Keith Robertson has many positive attributes to his game and one is the
uncanny knack of scoring tries. Second rows tend to score sparingly but Robertson once again used his massive frame to bulldoze through two tacklers from five yards out. Gary Wood took over the kicking duties in the enforced absence of Mike Bruce but narrowly failed with his conversion attempt.  Wood made amends moments later as the diminutive scrum half darted over from close range before firing over the conversion to extend the lead to twelve points at the break.  Strathie coach Jason Leslie brought on veteran centre Iain Fletcher to add dynamism to the backline. This was Fletcher's first match of the season having just recovered from several cracked ribs suffered in a friendly in August.  Leslie also introduced new hooker Graeme Merrie into the fray and he showed great tenacity in the tackle and a fair amount of skill, especially with his laser guided lineout throwing.  Strathmore, with Jamie Wilson prominent, began to dominate proceedings and the game was effectively killed off when Westwood dotted the ball down after a forced turnover from centre Kenny Christie.

The momentum was now totally with the homesters as they started to play with a little more freedom and intensity. Fletcher secured the bonus point with a classic outside centre break that showed he has lost none of his electrifying pace during his injury lay off.  On three other occasions Strathie were held up over the line with Mike Fotheringham particularly unlucky not to score as he looked to have clearly grounded the ball, the SRU have yet to allow Bob Baldie's match video to be used as the third match official.  It was fittng that the blacks should have the final say and they emphasised their grip on the match with a fantastic fifth try. Full back Gary Black swept into a gap before releasing left wing Jamie Mclaren. The big winger popped back inside to Black
just as he was tackled leaving two defenders to beat for Strathie's last line of defence.  A wonderful shimmy left one would be tackler for dead, scorching pace did for the second as Black glided in under the posts for a memorable finale. Wood's comical conversion attempt summed up his afternoon with the boot as all second half kicks were missed.  Strathie captain Robin Young was a satisfied man on Saturday afternoon, not only with his side but with his own performance at stand off, which becomes critical when Soppett returns down under in December. On this showing, at least, the blacks have little to worry about.

This Saturday sees no action scheduled yet for Inchmacoble but information can be accessed about games on the website or by simply phoning the club.

Strathmore : G Black, M Fotheringham, G Crozier, K Christie, J McLaren, R Young, G de Boehmler, D Robertson, C Sim, S Gray, K Robertson, S Jones, C Bell, J Wilson. Reps : J Westwood, I Fletcher, G Merrie.

Other Results

St. Andrews University 43 - Raf Lossiemouth 14
Punmure 12 - Mackie Academy FP 51
Orkney 9 - Aberdeenshire 20
Alloa 37 - Creiff & Strathearn 3

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	Strathmore	6	6	0	0	181	78	4	0	103	28
2	St Andrews University	7	5	0	2	184	90	4	2	94	26
3	Mackie Academy FP	7	5	0	2	191	130	4	1	61	25
4	Aberdeenshire	7	4	0	3	199	134	4	2	65	22
5	Alloa	7	3	0	4	158	106	3	3	52	18
6	Kinross	6	4	0	2	108	124	1	0	-16	17
7	Crieff & Strathearn	7	3	0	4	153	197	3	1	-44	16
8	Orkney	7	3	0	4	246	138	2	0	108	14
9	RAF Lossiemouth	6	0	0	6	82	224	0	1	-142	1
10	Panmure	6	0	0	6	27	308	0	0	-281	0

 

14/10

Strathmore 21 - St. Andrews University 17
 

This game was billed as a possible title decider even at this early stage of the season and as a spectacle it certainly did not disappoint.

The students were top of the league before the match though they had played once more than the men from Inchmacoble Park.  Home advantage is always important in these fixtures and Friday nights game was no exception as yet another bumper crowd turned up to be entertained under the lights.  Strathie's last foray under the floodlights was the championship winning performance against Orkney last year, so the omens certainly looked good.  After five minutes one began to wonder as the students took the lead with a try from underneath the shadows of their own posts, to mark their intentions from the start.  It was to be their only highlight of the first forty that was completely dominated by the black forwards, who were quite simply a class apart from the under powered varsity eight.   The students defended resolutely but were forced to give away penalties that should have allowed Strathie to cut the deficit but though Mike Bruce was striking the ball well his radar was slightly off as he missed all but one attempt at goal.  If that wasn't bad enough Strathmore captain Robin Young had to leave the field with a cut that required hospital treatment, Kenny Christie joined the fray for his league debut.  It was a rehearsed training move that led to Strathie's first points, the forwards punching huge holes in the varsity defence allowing centre David Hull space to slice under the uprights for a well conceived score.  Bruce narrowly missed the extra's as the conversion ballooned off the right hand post.  The blacks were in complete control as Sim, Gray, Dickson and Robertson continually made big metres through the heart of the students pack.  The back row of Bell, Wilson and Jones has a classy look about it and these three were immense in the first half as they turned over the students possession and made the hard yards. 

Inevitably pressure leads to points and Bruce managed to guide a penalty over after the Saints flanker was caught offside.  Poor handling cost Strathmore several other chances but giant lock Keith Robertson barged over from close range to give the scoreline a more realistic feel at half time.  The homesters pressed from the restart but once again a lack of composure close to the line cost them any chance they may have had to extend their lead.  Moments later and the students showed how clinical they could be, putting together a flowing move that ended up with their captain crashing over from five yards.  The conversion closed the gap to one point and for all their dominance Strathmore were back in a dogfight.  Veteran forward John Westwood looked to have restored Strathie's advantage when he plucked a Jamie McLaren pass out of the air before diving over in the left corner.  Inexplicably the referee disallowed the try but Strathmore kept on the attack and were finally rewarded with a fine solo try.  Left wing Jamie McLaren hoisted a high kick and then plucked it out of the air under severe pressure before bursting through two tacklers for a deserved score.  Bruce narrowly missed the conversion attempt.  Kiwi playmaker Kelvin Soppett's tactical kicking laid the foundation for much of Strathie's success in this match, however it was his commitment to the cause that was most striking as he turned in another virtuoso performance, although struck down with a heavy cold.  It was Soppett that took over the kicking duties and he managed one penalty from two  attempts to give Strathmore a nine point advantage going into the final ten minutes.  The students replied with another long range effort as their quicksilver backs kept them in a match where they were totally outplayed.  Nerves were shredded in the final few minutes as the students finally gained control  of possession, it was a missed tackle from Westwood that allowed them their best chance but great cover defence snuffed out the chance and the game was won.   Although the result looked tight this was a match that should have been won comfortably but credit must go to the varsity defence.  Skipper Robin Young now has a league record  as captain of played twenty, won nineteen which is amazing by any standards.

 

This Saturday Strathmore host Kinross KO 3.00pm. 

Strathmore : R Young, G Black, G Crozier, D Hull, J McLaren, K Soppett, M Bruce, G Dickson, D Robertson, C Sim, S Gray, K Robertson, S Jones, C Bell, J Wilson.
Reps : J Edwards, K Christie, J Westwood. 

Other Results

Mackie Academy FP 41 - Orkney 17
Kinross 11 - Alloa 10
Creiff & Strathearn 44 - Panmuir  0
Aberdeenshire 55 - RAF Lossiemouth  14

Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	Strathmore	5	5	0	0	154	78	3	0	76	23
2	St Andrews University	6	4	0	2	141	76	3	2	65	21
3	Mackie Academy FP	6	4	0	2	140	118	3	1	22	20
4	Aberdeenshire	6	3	0	3	179	125	4	2	54	18
5	Kinross	5	4	0	1	108	97	1	0	11	17
6	Crieff & Strathearn	6	3	0	3	150	160	3	1	-10	16
7	Orkney	6	3	0	3	237	118	2	0	119	14
8	Alloa	6	2	0	4	121	103	2	3	18	13
9	RAF Lossiemouth	5	0	0	5	68	181	0	1	-113	1
10	Panmure	5	0	0	5	15	257	0	0	-242	0

 

 

 

30/09

Alloa 24 Strathmore 31

Match Report To Follow

Other Results

Panmuir Vs Kinross - Postponed
St. Andrews Uni 34 Aberdeenshire 19
Orkney 75 Creiff & Strathearn 7
FAR Lossiemouth 17 Mackie Academy FP 21

Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	St Andrews University	5	4	0	1	124	57	3	1	67	20
2	Strathmore	4	4	0	0	133	61	3	0	72	19
3	Mackie Academy FP	5	3	0	2	99	101	2	1	-2	15
4	Orkney	5	3	0	2	220	77	2	0	143	14
5	Aberdeenshire	5	2	0	3	124	111	3	2	13	13
6	Kinross	4	3	0	1	97	87	1	0	10	13
7	Alloa	5	2	0	3	111	92	2	2	19	12
8	Crieff & Strathearn	5	2	0	3	106	158	2	1	-52	11
9	RAF Lossiemouth	4	0	0	4	54	126	0	1	-72	1
10	Panmure	4	0	0	4	15	213	0	0	-198	0

 

The New Charles Butler Engineering Training Tops

Match Gallery

 

23/09

Strathmore 55 Panmure 0
 

Although the scoreline may be emphatic enough, there were few individual performances of any note in a rather lacklustre display. One may think that this is harsh criticism given the result but the players realise that their opponents were very poor and numerous chances were missed. 

Up front only power prop Craig Sim and superb flanker Colin Bell lived up to their reputations as they tackled ferociously and played with the correct intensity. Bell has shone throughout the past three seasons but this could be the campaign that truly showcases his talent. Too many forwards lacked aggression when rucking and this meant that the ball scrum half Gary Wood
received was at times too slow to give the backs any momentum or space to run into.  When the Strathmore backs did get quick ball they looked slick and caused havoc in the Panmure defence. Seven of Strathie's tries were scored by a new look backline that possesses real physical presence and a fair bit of pace.  Former Melrose man Jamie McLaren made his debut for the blacks in the centre and strolled through the match, showing great strength in the tackle as he crossed for a brace of scores either side of half time.  Another centre of excellence was Atholl Bowman who has never played a bad game in a black shirt, his try was just reward for an eighty minutes of total quality throughout.  The catalyst for the backs to thrive was Kiwi playmaker Kelvin Soppet. The floppy haired North Islander is so relaxed before a match that he is almost horizontal, yet when he crosses the whitewash he is solely focused on running the show as he did once again on Saturday. When he returns down under in December he will be sorely missed both on and off the pitch.

Strathmore's wingers Gary Black and Stuart Caddel have both been in fine fettle, scoring tries for fun and Saturday was no exception. Black was the hero of Kirkwall and could have had a hat trick but for a wild tackle that resulted in a penalty try.  On the other wing Caddel scored the best five pointer of the day as he outstripped the defence down the right flank, again benefiting from a darting break from Soppet.  Two back row forwards crossed the line for great support tries. One was Simon Jones who is still trying to regain his land legs after four months at sea, the other was the incomperable Colin Bell who to be fair deserved more for his efforts.  The kicking duties fell to Gary Wood and he landed six conversions out of nine attempts to finish off a slightly disappointing match, though to be fair the injury and unavailability list negates the possibility of consistency in selection.

Strathmore : A Bowman, S Caddel, J McLaren, G Crozier, G Black, K Soppet, G Wood, C Sim, D Robertson, J Edwards, S Gray, K Mollison, S Jones, C Bell, K Robertson.
Reps : G Dickson, G Strachan, R Low

This Saturday Strathmore travel to play Alloa KO 3.00pm.

Other results

Alloa 6 St. Andrews Uni 38
Kinross 39 Orkney 21
Mackie Academy FP 22 Aberdeenshire 19
Crieff 36 RAF Lossiemouth 14

Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	St Andrews University	4	3	0	1	90	38	2	1	52	15
2	Strathmore	3	3	0	0	102	37	2	0	65	14
3	Aberdeenshire	4	2	0	2	105	77	3	2	28	13
4	Kinross	4	3	0	1	97	87	1	0	10	13
5	Alloa	4	2	0	2	87	61	2	1	26	11
6	Crieff & Strathearn	4	2	0	2	99	83	2	1	16	11
7	Mackie Academy FP	4	2	0	2	78	84	2	1	-6	11
8	Orkney	4	2	0	2	145	70	1	0	75	9
9	RAF Lossiemouth	3	0	0	3	37	105	0	0	-68	0
10	Panmure	4	0	0	4	15	213	0	0	-198	0

 

16/09

Orkney 10 Strathmore 18

Strathmore continued their unbeaten run of wins on the island but once again they were made to work very hard for the win by a committed home side.  It was a weekend where the socialising almost eclipsed the rugby, if one could imagine the six nations being crossed with the entertainment of the Kirrie folk festival then maybe that would give an outsider a flavour of the revelry. 

The players enjoyed a pleasant journey up to Thurso on Friday and arrived off the ferry in Kirkwall slightly jaded but the bracing wind soon swept away any fatigue as the squad meandered through the island's historic capital prior to kick off.   If anything the buffeting wing strengthened for the start of the match with Strathie enjoying the advantage in the first half.    Kiwi stand off Kelvin Soppet returned to the starting fifteen which was a massive boost to the blacks, his tactical kicking pinned the Orcadians back at every opportunity giving the home side little respite.   Strathie tried to bludgeon their way over the line in the early stages when perhaps a little more rapier thrust might have brought more reward.  The line out started well but steadily the possession began to dry up although the territorial domination was maintained, frustration began to mount in the Strathie ranks.   One feature of the first half was the tackling of omnipresent flanker Colin Bell.  On a number of occasions it was his hits that stopped the Orcadians from gaining any footholds in the Strathie half.  The deadline was finally broken when Orkney were penalised for handling in a ruck.  Strathmore kicker Mike Bruce drilled the attempt straight through the uprights with amazing aplomb considering the conditions.   Moments later and the lead was extended when Westwood turned over possession which the backs utilised immediately.  Soppet broke to the blind side and a slick series of passes left wing king Gary Black in space forty yards out.  Black switched on the afterburners, leaving the cover defence in tatters before he sidestepped the full back so comprehensively one wondered if he had been nailed to the turf.
 The conversion attempt from Bruce was well struck but drifted narrowly wide.  Strathie pressed from the restart and once again a home player transgressed at another ruck presenting Bruce with his easiest three points of the season.  Just before half time disaster struck when the Orkney winger broke no fewer than six tackles on his way to the line.  Strathmore's lead was cut to four when the conversion was added on the half time whistle.
 

Player coach Jason Leslie was livid at the slack defence, yet stressed  that there were positives to be taken from the opening forty minutes.   The blacks started brightly with Westwood taking a quick penalty, as he was tackled the ball was popped to Soppet.  The popular Kiwi has more twists and turns than an Agatha Christie thriller and it was only a last ditch tackle that saved a try after four players were beaten.  Second row Stuart Gray was having a fine match as he rampaged about the paddock like a starved cougar, putting in a power of work for his teammates as they sought to wrest control from the home side.  Orkney fought back and reduced the gap to one point when
Strathie were penalised for killing the ball at a ruck.  The match was in the balance as Strathmore tried to break upfield.  Two number eight pick ups relieved the pressure but it was aggressive defence that turned the tide in the blacks favour.  Strathmore began to batter the home line, running penalties and keeping the pressure on the home side.  Eventually the cracks appeared with Jason Leslie smashing through three tackles for a vital score in the right corner.  Somehow mercurial centre Bruce dissected the posts with another pure strike.  The match should have been over as a contest moments later, Grant Dickson was held up a yard short and then the referee penalised the blacks with the line wide open in front of them.  Regardless of the situation these Orcadians never relent and only a special tackle from Soppet and a similar effort from David Hull kept them out.  With three minutes left teenage wing James Kiely came on for his league debut, just reward for his performances this season.  It was fitting that the half backs Wood and Soppet had the last touches of a match they controlled for long periods.  As the referee blew for no side, the victory was assured as was the mutual respect that these sides have for each other. 

The returnleg in December should be another one to savour.

 

Strathmore : R Young, S Caddel, D Hull, M Bruce, G Black, K Soppet, G Wood, C Sim, D Robertson, G Dickson, K Robertson, S Gray, S Jones, C Bell, J Westwood.  Reps : J Leslie, J Edwards, J Kiely.

 

 

Other Results

Aberdeenshire 28 Crieff 12
Panmure 8 Alloa 32
RAF Lossiemouth 20 Kinross 28
St Andrews Univ 13 Mackie Acad FP 17

Caledonia League Division 1 2006/2007
Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	TB	LB	PD	Pts
1	Aberdeenshire	3	2	0	1	86	55	3	1	31	12
2	Alloa	3	2	0	1	81	23	2	1	58	11
3	St Andrews University	3	2	0	1	52	32	1	1	20	10
4	Orkney	3	2	0	1	124	31	1	0	93	9
5	Strathmore	2	2	0	0	47	37	1	0	10	9
6	Kinross	3	2	0	1	58	66	0	0	-8	8
7	Crieff & Strathearn	3	1	0	2	63	69	1	1	-6	6
8	Mackie Academy FP	3	1	0	2	56	65	1	1	-9	6
9	RAF Lossiemouth	2	0	0	2	23	69	0	0	-46	0
10	Panmure	3	0	0	3	15	158	0	0	-143	0

9/09  - This weeks game was postponed due to the large number of RAF Lossiemouth's personnel being 'overseas'

Other results in the league were as follows:

Alloa 8 Orkney 10
Crieff  36 Mackie FP 24
Kinross 14 Aberdeenshire 31
Panmuir 0 St. Andrews 22
Strathmore P RAF Lossiemouth P

 

02/09 League Opener

Aberdeenshire 27 - Strathmore 29

Strathmore produced a magical moment of history as they stormed back from seemingly insurmountable odds to stun fellow title hopefuls Aberdeenshire.  Four tries down at half time Robin Young's side showed remarkable resilience to deflate their opponents.   Two victories against the Granite City men last season went a long way to deciding the title and this meeting was to be no different in its level of importance.

    The blacks were without twelve players for this fixture, but have such strength and depth now that they still travelled north with a fair degree of confidence.  There were league debuts for Stewart Caddel, Jason Edwards and Kiwi Sebastian Wishart and all three enhanced their reputations with solid displays.  Conditions in Aberdeen were set fair for an open game of rugby and that is what the vociferous but sparse crowd witnessed.

    The homesters totally dominated the scoring in the first half with four tries, two conversions and a drop goal leaving Strathmore facing the abyss at 27 - 0 at half time.

    Strathie were frustrated by the number of times the home side handled in the rucks killing any chance they had of quick ball.  The score line definitely flattered Aberdeenshire but they took their chances clinically benefiting from the charity of the blacks.

    Complacency and tactical naivety played their parts in this stuttering forty minutes that had little comfort for the small band of visiting supporters.  On too many occasions the back three passed on bad ball and put the side under pressure when a relieving touch finder would have been a better option.

    The forwards should not escape criticism either for a lacklustre display, totally out of character for an abrasive eight that have so much more to come than they showed in the first half . 

    Stern words at half time from coach Jason Leslie had a galvanising effect but the players knew the performance fell short of any targets that they had set for the coming season.  With a steely determination they took the field looking for an improvement although most thought that victory was beyond them.

    It was the younger players that started the fight back with Keith Robertson and Jason Edwards prominent in a number of assaults on the Aberdeenshire line.  After ten minutes without reward it looked all over bar the shouting, even then the blacks refused to succumb to their fate.

    Giant lock Keith Robertson lit the blue touch paper as he barged over from close range after a raft of penalties were conceded by the home side.  Stand in stand off Michael Bruce drilled the conversion through the uprights to continue the roller coaster ride.

    Man of the match Colin Bell was next on the scoresheet moments later as he showed great awareness to pounce on a loose ball close to the try line.  Bruce once again added the extra points to increase the anxiety of the Woodside team.

    The momentum had shifted completely and gaps appeared everywhere for the blacks to exploit.  Strathie's backs capitalised on these spaces to put Stewart Caddel into the corner as the excitement and tension began to mount.  Bruce's luck deserted him as his conversion attempt smacked off the right post.

    Two minutes later and Bruce was on target again with a penalty attempt, awarded because Aberdeenshire once again couldn't keep their hands out of the cookie jar. This penalty reduced the deficit to five points and spurred the blacks onto greater efforts.

    Coach Leslie was now in the thick of the fray and his steadying influence definitely aided the forwards domination of the second half.  However it was to be Keith Robertson that would have the biggest part to play.

    A break by Hull was continued by Robertson who galloped on before releasing skipper Robin Young into space.  Time seemed to slow down as Young drew the last defender before passing to Caddel for the tying score.  Strathie's number ten showed great composure to stroke the ball directly between the sticks to give his side the lead for the first time.

    Remarkably, Strathie still had eight minutes left to defend, and but for one missed penalty they did so comfortably, though it was fitting that Robertson had the last touch as he kicked the ball over the whitewash. 

 

   

Strathmore : G Black, S Caddel, R Young, D Hull, S Gray, M Bruce, R Low, C Sim, D Robertson, G Dickson, K Robertson, S Gray, S Wishart, C Bell, J Westwood.  Reps : J Edwards, J Leslie, B Morris.

.

Other results from the afternoon included a harsh welcome to newcomers Panmure - going down 104-5 at Orkney, a narrow 17-15 win for St Andrews over Crieff, an even narrower 16-15 victory for Kinross at Mackie, and a comprehensive 41-3 romp for Alloa at RAF Lossiemouth.

 

Match Photos to follow

Rogues Gallery

 

 

Pre-Season
Stratyhmore Vs Arbroath

 

Strathmore 19 - 19 Caithness (Div 2)

Blairgowrie 10's

A good afternoon at Blairgowrie on Saturday, with the Strathie 10, including a number of younger players, posting an excellent win over Perthshire in their opening game, and following this up with a win over Carnoustie.

The third match produced a much tougher challenge against Falkirk, complete with the McKenzie brothers, and resulted in Strathie exiting into the Plate competition, which they ultimately managed to win with a victory over the hosts, Blairgowrie.