Season 2007/8

This years 2nd XV Captain has been announced as Grant Dickson (Veg)

25th August

Strathmore 33 Aberdeenshire 17

Strathmore 55 - 5 Aberdeen Wanderers

A good turn out and some well rehearsed moves saw the 2's in fine form on what could be the last pre-season game before the league opens in two weeks time.  Graeme Crozier captained the side as Grant Dickson was best man at his brothers wedding, the Wanderers were a big pack and the decisions was to run the ball wide and avoid the rucking and mauling which would have favoured the visitors.  This was where the Wanderers succeeded in working a good try from in the second half after being out run in the first.  More to follow...

Strathmore 110 - 7 Ellon

Strathmore's second string continued their unbeaten start to the season with a record humbling of an under strength Ellon fifteen.  The second's contained no fewer than thirteen players with first team experience and probably five years ago the majority of this side would have been inthe capital representing the club's senior fifteen.

In total the Ellon line was breached eighteen times as Strathie dominated every phase of the game, looking sharper in every department and turning the ball over at will.  Two forwards that enhanced their chances of promotion to the senior side were Jamie Wilson and Stuart Gray.  Between them every blade of grass was covered and every break was snuffed out with a fine covering tackle.

Gray was particularly impressive in his ball carrying role but it was Wilson that had the bigger
influence on the outcome with his experience and presence at the breakdown key in turning over
opposition possession.  It was fitting that both managed hat-tricks.

Edging out in front of the try scoring stakes was veteran centre Iain Fletcher who managed to cross the whitewash four tries in an impressive display of power running.  If Fletcher had managed to engage top gear throughout the rout he could have had another three or four scores such was the difference in class.

Two former players Fergus Easson and Finlay Doig donned the black once more, proving they had lost none of their competitive spirit as they destroyed the Ellon set piece with monotonous regularity.  

There were no failures in the side as all players contributed with Robertson,Bowman and Kiely adding braces to the tally and Mollison and Wood getting a try apiece.  Woods tactical kicking game was integral in keeping Ellon pinned in their own half and meant that the territorial advantage was hammered home by the skilful scrum half.

Eleven conversions were stroked through the posts to finish the scoring and though the match was halted ten minutes early it was obvious to all that the senior side has an adequate reserve of players to help through any injury crisis during the campaign. 

Strathmore : G Robb, J Kiely, I Fletcher, G McGregor, D Baldie, A Bowman, G Wood, F Easson, D Robertson, F Doig, S Connolly, K Mollison, F Cameron, S Gray, J Wilson. 

Reps : S Kelly, G Fleming, M Ilky, R McAfferty, S Andrews.

Howe of Fife 32 - 20 Strathmore

Continued....

Four tries were conceded in the opening twenty minutes and a cricket score looked on the cards.  The home side did not even have to work hard for their points such was the token resistance offered by the blacks.

Fortunately the older heads began to take control of proceedings with captain Grant Dickson and number eight Keith Robertson prominant in the comeback attempt.  Teenage sensation Scott Andrews showed his mettle in the centre with tigrish tackling and aggressive running that kick started the blacks in this game.

Concerted pressure was maintained on the Howe line with a number of penalties being conceded.  Eventually the defence cracked and power prop Aaron Dalgarno barged over from five yards to open Strathmore's account.  Gary Robb narrowly missed the conversion in difficult, blustery conditions.

This try gave the visitors heart and towards the end of the half it was obvious that the tide was turning and that the lightweight Strathie pack was beginning to exert its control on proceedings.

Within ten minutes of the second half and Strathmore had reduced the arrears to seven points, tries from veterans Mike Bruce and Norrie Milton just reward for some lovely rugby played by the blacks.  Full back Robb continued to strike the ball well but found the wind difficult to gauge and both conversion attempts drifted wide.

The game was now on a knife edge but it was the home side that struck next taking advantage of woeful blacks tackling to add two more tries to effectively end the contest.  That Strathie refused to throw in the towel is encouraging, Aaron Dalgarno once again bursting over from close range to secure a try bonus and end the scoring, though further chances were squandered before the end.

This game could have been won but for the tactical naivety shown by the Strathie back three.  Their failure to cope with Howe's kicking game gave the home side an easy escape route whenever  the blacks tried to apply any pressure.  As the game went on though, one could see the marked improvement in the players attitude giving hope for the coming season.

Strathmore 0 - 82 Ellon

Ellon produced a completely different team from the one which had been comprehensively defeated by Strathie in a friendly two weeks ago.  Ellon's display of clean running rugby left the blacks with two defeats out of two.  It is not going to get any easier as the next match is against Perthshire.  More to follow.....

 

 Strathmore 10 -  34 Perthshire

Strathmore's second string slumped to their third defeat in a row against a powerful fifteen from the fair city.  In truth this was probably the most talented side that the blacks had faced this season so positives must be taken from a battling display by the home side.

The first half actually saw the blacks dominate the opening twenty minutes and they must have been disappointed to only score one unconverted try through Tom Greenhill.  Strathie's right winger touched down in the corner after a classic fly half break from Graeme Crozier left the defence in tatters.  There were other scoring opportunities but unfortunately a lack of composure at key times meant the blacks had to be content with their solitary score.

Perthshire then began to put phases of play together and stretch the home defence.  A missed tackle in the twenty two gifted the visitors their first try and then just on half time another was conceded when a quick tap was taken and not dealt with by the home defence.

Undaunted by their task Strathie continued to take the game to their more illustrious opponents but were made to pay for basic mistakes, two more soft tries making the game safe for the Premier Three outfit.

Number eight Keith Robertson was in no mood for giving up, his performance of bludgeoning belligerence should have resulted in a few more scores but the cutting edge was lacking from the less experienced members of the team.  Indeed when the second try did come it was from the unlikeliest of sources.

Full back Iain Fletcher fielded a high kick before turning on the afterburners to motor past three defenders and career deep into the Perthshire twenty two.  Fletcher then showed great awareness to find Dick Noble in space on the left wing.  The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion as Noble stripped the opposition winger of any shred of dignity, selling an outrageous dummy that will surely leave mental scars that may never heal.  Concrete could have set in the time that Strathie's veteran flanker covered the three yards to the try line but the cheer that greeted him when he collapsed over the whitewash will live long in the memory.

Though the blacks pressed for more tries in the hope of salvaging the game it was rendered futile by more schoolboy errors and shabby tackling from the younger players in the team.  If the second string are to win matches against this type of opposition then the defence must become less porous and a lot more aggressive.

Although the scoreline did flatter the visitors it was a victory they thoroughly deserved and that was harsh on Lucas, Crozier and Robertson who did not merit being on the losing side. 

Strathmore : I Fletcher, T Greenhill, A Ivory, S Gray, R McAfferty, G Crozier, G McGregor, F Doig, G Dickson, G Strachan, F Cameron, J Westwood, M Ilky, S Connolly, R Lucas. Reps : K Robertson, R Welsh, S Kelly.

Aberdeenshire 48 - 5 Strathmore