|
|
 |
| CAITHNESS SECONDS 5 - ROSS SUTHERLAND 24 by Iain Grant |
| Mon 5th Dec 2005 |
On an atrocious afternoon at Millbank, the Yellows succumbed to a Ross side who better adapted their game to suit the gluepot conditions.
The home cause was not helped by the late promotion of flanker Ryan MacKintosh to the first team squad and the absence of the versatile
Ian Boyd, who took a knock at training.
Despite starting well enough and winning an early penalty, Caithness squandered a decent scoring opportunity.
They were increasingly pinned back deep in their own half, thanks largely to the prodigious boot of the visiting full-back.
Despite periods of robust defence, Caithness conceded two converted tries in the first 30 minutes.
The hard -running Ross forwards twice breached the home line to add to an early penalty.
Some fairly straight talking behind the posts generated an improvement in the home effort and directly from the restart Caithness pressure caused a knock-on in the visiting twenty two.
From the resulting scrummage, number eight Donald Macintosh picked and fed scrum- half Stewart Borthwick whose clever grubber kick through was gathered well by winger Brett Morris, who dived over at the corner.
The conversion was missed.
Just on the half time whistle, Caithness squandered a gilt-edged scoring chance when a searing break by centre Blair McIntosh foundered through lack of support.
The half-time team talk from the near-apoplectic Caithness player coach Donald Macintosh was not for the weak-kneed.
It certainly prompted a resolute resumption by the home side as the pack started to work for each other and good ground was made from pick-ups and drives from setpieces.
Caithness won a lineout on the Ross twenty two and set up a text-book driving maul.
Captain John Malcolm was carried over but referee Kenny Pottinger was unsighted and so unable to award what would have been a deserved touchdown.
Macintosh left the field at this point with a hand injury to be replaced by Graham Gunn with Phil Green - another more familiar with the associated version of football - also entering the fray.
Caithness allowed Ross back into the game in the final quarter and the visitors added a late converted score.
It gave a look to the scoreline which Ross just deserved for no other reason than they worked harder over the 80 minutes and adapted to the conditions more quickly than the home side.
The final minutes of the game saw young home flanker Alistair Findlay head for the sin bin along with his sparring partner for a pointless dust-up in front of Mr Pottinger.
A shocking day for a game of rugby but one where the forwards had to front up and take the game to the opposition.
The Caithness eight were too inconsistent.
In the periods they did get it together they did well but unfortunately a lack of fitness and possibly some Friday night excesses rendered too many of them little more than spectators for long periods.
Macintosh and Donald Buchanan made ground and carried the game to the opposition but to often found themselves outnumbered at the contact point.
A frustrating day for the three-quarters, with the ball like a bar of soap and the quality of ball less than pleasing.
Too often, the midfield players were getting man and ball and subsequently knocked on or were turned over.
Once again, Borthwick and Blair McIntosh were the stand outs.
Caithness: J. Mill (P. Green 60); D. Gunn, R. Mill, B. McIntosh, B. Morris, S. Johnson, S. Borthwick, D. Lewis-Saunders, S. Dunnett, J. Miller, D. Buchanan, D. Nicolson, J. Malcolm (cpt.), D. Macintosh (G. Gunn 60), A. Findlay. Ref - Mr K. Pottinger.
|
| Back to News |
|
 |
|
|
|
| Stewartry |
1 |
5 |
| Berwick |
1 |
5 |
| Newton Stewart |
1 |
5 |
| Caithness |
1 |
5 |
| Waysiders Drumpellier |
1 |
4 |
| Highland |
1 |
4 |
| Alan Glens |
1 |
1 |
| Aberdeenshire |
1 |
1 |
| Hawick YM |
1 |
1 |
| Glasgow Accies |
1 |
0 |
| Kilmarnock |
1 |
0 |
| Annan |
1 |
0 |
|
 |
| 1st XV Season (2009/10) |
| Kilmarnock 81 - 5 Caithness |
| 17th Apr 10 - KO: 12:00 |
| Venue: Bellsland |
| :: Match Report |
 |
| 1st XV Season (2010/11) |
| Caithness vs Kilmarnock |
| 4th Sep 10 - KO: 15:00 |
| Venue: Millbank |
| :: More Fixtures |
|
