P4
Fixture
List
PRIMARY
FOUR MATCH REPORTS
MUSSELLBURGH MINI RUGBY TOURNAMENT
Ellon had long been looking
forward to last fixture of the season as the North-east team has had a
good relationship with this southern club for some time and always
enjoyed both the hospitality and the level of competition this
tournament has provided. This occasion was to prove no different with
Ellon placed in the hardest draw against some very stiff opposition
which was taken as a compliment. Once again Ellon was joined by its
travelling band of supporters who as ever were noticed by all for their
vocal support of the teams. As ever I would like to extend the thanks of
both players and coaches for their continued help in away games.
Ellon 2 Portobello 0
Ellon’s P4 team arrived at Musselburgh ready for their last tournament of the season and between rain showers put on a gutsy display and played a good game.
The two teams had not met this season so there were no clues as to how the game would shape up. Ellon took the tap and were making good use of the forwards and wings to try and penetrate the oppositions defences. Eventually Matthew Dalton was let loose down the right wing with a ball collected from a ruck by David Millar and scored a fine try right in the corner. The second half saw Ellon with slightly more possession but there was a lot of infringements on both sides , this in turn led to Ellon’s second score. Hooker Ben Stubbs got it spot on , the ball was collected and good use was made of the attacking line, David Millar again showed his determination by doubling back from deep inside his own half and sprinting through a gap and onward to a second score. The final few minutes saw Ellon pushing on but could not break through before full time.
Ellon 0 North Berwick 3
Ellon’s second game of the day was against a different class of team. These guys play for their school so are training and playing through the week as well as weekends, and it showed ! They played some impressive stuff and were obviously well drilled and disciplined. Two changes were made, Scott Tennant came in for Ben Stubbs and Fraser Rodman came in for Callum Cruickshank and the Ellon boys played out of their socks; holding out well and putting their opponents under pressure. Eventually Berwick forced their hand and scored a try before half time.
The second half began with the same relentless pressure but Ellon put on a brave fight spurred on by their travelling supporters. Berwick however showed their strength and discipline and scored twice more. Ellon made one last Herculean effort and some nifty work by Alistair Addy , Alec Ross and Fraser Rodman saw Fraser get so close the crowd thought he’d touched down, but the referee adjudged it was knocked on and called a scrum five metres out, this was enough to allow Berwick to regroup and frustrate Ellon’s brave attempts.
P4 Coach , Colin Tennant said “The boys put up a tremendous fight and the score doesn’t do them justice. I’m delighted with the overall performance, they have all done very well and I’d like to thank them for their efforts and work this year.”
Team : Alistair Addy, Callum
Cruickshank, David Millar, Hamish Dalgarno, Matthew Dalton, Blair
Fraser, Fraser Rodman, Alec Ross, Ben Stubbs, Scott Tennant.
Ellon’s
youngest rugby team returned triumphant from their first fixture of the new
season in Glasgow on Sunday.
The
Primary Four squad notched up three consecutive wins against their Central Belt
opponents, while the three other teams in the Ellon mini rugby section returned
with mixed results.
A
good crowd of parents and supporters followed the squad coach to Whitecraigs RFC
in the first of a season of journeys down south to take on the best in Scottish
rugby.
Mini
section convener Jim Millar said the youngsters were determined to emulate the
senior players in constantly improving their skills and the reputation of ERFC.
“To
do this, we have no choice but to play 95 Per cent of the season in the southern
half of the country,” added Mr Millar. “We can only thank the growing number of supporters who are
willing to undertake these journeys to support the young players.”
Ellon
7 Whitecraigs 2
Ellon
RFC's youngest team stormed into their first game of the season with an attack
which took the home team by surprise. Swift
passing and probing runs by Scott Tennant and Keith Esson on the wings opened
the way for Fraser Rodman to score the first try with a run up the middle.
Tennant's perseverance paid off when he snatched a loose ball and ran it
home up the right flank. David
Millar put in the third a after good driving play by Hamish Dalgarno, Jamie
Cochrane and Blair Fraser. However
Whitecraigs rallied briefly and managed their first reply despite excellent
tackling by Rodman and Alick Ross. Just
before half-time, more driving play helped Millar over for Ellon's fourth.
Ellon
managed to push the ball wide in the second half, giving Tennant the room to use
his pace for two successful runs up the right wing.
The home team managed their second reply shortly after, but a strong
defence by Ross, Matthew Findlay and Rodman contained them before Rodman made
another scoring run up the middle.
Ellon
12 Helensburgh 1
Ellon's
disciplined play in their second match soon left the opposition in disarray
after Esson scored down the left wing within seconds of the opening tap.
Tennant scored two on the right flank, while Rodman put on home up the
centre. Esson followed with his
second before Millar made a quick dash up the middle before passing to Esson for
his third.
Dalgarno,
Ross, Fraser and Cochrane maintained the pressure in the second half with good
support play and strong defending. The
seventh score came from Millar, before a superb interception by Rodman allowed
him to take the eighth. Cochrane,
Tennant, Esson and Rodman completed Ellon's scoring, but the team dropped their
guard just before the final whistle, letting Helensburgh take their only point.
Ellon
8 Helensburgh 4
Ellon met Helensburgh for a rematch in the final game of
the day, but fatigue and lapses of
concentration in Ellon combined with a new determination in Helensburgh narrowed
the winning margin considerably. Millar
found the first opening with a run up the left before passing to Esson for the
score. However the opposition
quickly equalised and Ellon had to work hard for the next two, first from Fraser
and then Millar. Helensburgh
replied with a second before strong driving by Ross, Findlay and Cochrane put
Fraser over again.
Helensburgh
took advantage of sloppy Ellon defending in the second half to equalise with two
more tries. This galvanised Ellon
into tightening their play and solid teamwork allowed Rodman, Esson and Tennant
took the next three scores. Helensburgh
replied with one more before teamwork paid off again as Rodman took the final
score of the match. P4 coach John
Macdonald said the opening fixture of the season had exposed weaknesses in the
team despite their success. "On
the whole, they put in a good effort, but we must hope to improve on this before
the big tournaments come round," he said.
Team:
Jamie Cochrane, Hamish Dalgarno, Keith Esson, Matthew Findlay, Blair Fraser,
David Millar, Alick Ross, Fraser Rodman, Scott Tennant.
Two
of Ellon’s mini rugby teams managed a clean sweep against of victories over
two of their toughest rivals on Sunday.
The
four mini rugby teams were playing at their home ground, The Meadows, against
the highly-rated Aberdeen Grammar and Stirling County in their second fixture of
the season.
Spectators
witnessed some of the best games seen at Ellon at this level outside of the
annual tournament, said ERFC mini section convener Jim Millar.
Ellon was able to thrill many of their supporters without whom the
atmosphere would not have been as tense and dramatic.
Primary
Four
Ellon
4 Aberdeen Grammar 3
The
P4 team got off to a slow start, letting the Grammar team run through two tries
in quick succession in the first half. Only
determined tackling by Hamish Dalgarno, Fraser Rodman and David Millar prevented
further scores by Grammar. The
second half started off as a repeat of the first with another quick Grammar try,
but Ellon quickly picked their game up and closed the opposition down.
Rodman was the first to lead the comeback, driving through the Grammar
defences to score. This raised the
spirits of the rest of the team and the driving force of Dalgarno, Blair Fraser,
Jamie Cochrane and Alick Ross put Millar over for the next three, turning the
final score around to Ellon’s favour.
Ellon
2 Stirling County 5
The
second match started as badly as the first, with Stirling running through three
quick tries in a row. Ellon
struggled to reply, with Scott Tennant on the right wing and Keith Esson on the
left making probing runs down the flanks. Eventually,
with the support of Ross and Calum Cruickshank, Tennant managed to score just
before half-time. The same tactics
paid off in the second half with Tennant putting another ball over the line
within minutes. However, Ellon’s
defences came under sustained pressure form the bigger Stirling squad who scored
twice more before the final whistle.
Ellon
2 Aberdeen Grammar 5
Grammar
returned to the field determined to hit back at Ellon after the first round
defeat and quickly ran in their first two tries. A midfield tackling battle ensued with Dalgarno, Millar,
Rodman, Ross and Fraser throwing themselves in the defence before the ball went
wide to Tennant who made a successful dash for the tryline. Tennant repeated his feat again with some superb passing from
Ross and support from Cochrane to even the score before the half-time whistle.
The second half started badly for Ellon with two quick tries from
Grammar. Cruickshank managed to
push the ball forward twice and Millar madea desparate dash almost the length of
the pitch, but to no avail. Grammar
followed up with their fifth score just on the final whistle.
Ellon
1 Stirling County 2
Stirling
had a tougher battle on their hands in the second round thanks to some excellent
tackling from Dalgarno, Millar, Rodman and Ross.
The Ellon defences struggled to drive the opposition back and darting
runs from Tennant and Esson took the game forward for Ellon.
However the Stirling players piled on the pressure to come out of the
first half one try up. Millar took
the game forward in the second half, snatching a loose ball and driving and
driving his way up the pitch to even the score.
Stirling redoubled their efforts and, despite the determination of the
Ellon players, managed to put in one more try in the final minute.
Coach John Macdonald said the team had played well in parts, but had
failed to be consistent. “These
matches against two very reputable teams really tested the mettle of the P4 team
and exposed weaknesses we will have to work on before the next confrontation,”
he said.
Team:
Jamie Cochrane, Calum Cruickshank, Hamish Dalgarno, Keith Esson,
Blair Fraser, David Millar, Fraser Rodman, Alick Ross, Scott Tennant.
Ellon’s
mini rugby players travelled to the heartland of Scottish rugby on Sunday to
given a lesson in the game to some of the country’s best teams.
The squad
returned from the Stewart’s Melville grounds in Edinburgh with enough wins to
prove that they were in the premier league for their age group.
After the
series of friendly matches against the cream of the Central Belt, ERFC mini
section convener Jim Millar said, “Once again a little town in the North-east
has proved that we can take on the best that Scotland has to offer.”
He added:
“As always we owe a debt of gratitude to the away supporters who make a vital
difference to the game. Their
cheering stiffens the players’ resolve and shows the coaches that they are not
alone.” Ellon’s mini rugby players travelled to the heartland of Scottish
rugby on Sunday to given a lesson in the game to some of the country’s best
teams.
The squad
returned from the Stewart’s Melville grounds in Edinburgh with enough wins to
prove that they were in the premier league for their age group.
After the
series of friendly matches against the cream of the Central Belt, ERFC mini
section convener Jim Millar said, “Once again a little town in the North-east
has proved that we can take on the best that Scotland has to offer.”
He added: “As
always we owe a debt of gratitude to the away supporters who make a vital
difference to the game. Their
cheering stiffens the players’ resolve and shows the coaches that they are not
alone.”
Ellon
0 Stewart's Melville 6
Ellon
went into their first match in a state of disarray after the long coach journey
and some last minute position changes. Stewart's
Melville were quick to take advantage and ran in the first try within a minute.
Ellon failed to regroup properly, although the tackling improved slightly
and the home team managed only another try before half-time.
The secnd half saw Ellon playing better as a team, but Stewart's Melville
were determined to drive home their advantage.
Despite brave tackling from Hamish Dalgarno, David Millar, Alick Ross and
Fraser Rodman, Ellon conceded another four tries.
Ellon
2 Currie A 3
After
waiting almost an hour for their second match,
Ellon took to the pitch in a determined mood. Forwards Blair Fraser, Jamie Cochrane and Dalgarno drove the
play most of the way up the pitch, while new scrum half Scott Tennant kept
feeding the ball wide. Ellon came
within inches of the tryline, before a lucky Currie player snatched the ball a
looped around behind his own team to score down the right flank. Ellon came back however when Rodman snatched a loose ball and
battered his way through the defences before finding space and scoring.
The
second half opened with a tackling battle in the midfield with Dalgarno, Ross
and Millar in superb form. Right
wing Callum Cruickshank and Tennant made probing runs to no avail, before Currie
made their second break of the game. Ellon
returned with hard driving play with the forwards pushing up the field.
In the end it was Rodman who made the ground and Millar who finally put
the ball over the line. However
another try on the full-time whistle swung the match in Currie's favour.
Ellon
0 Stewart's Melville 3
Ellon
came back on to the pitch after waiting more than an hour for a return match
against their first opponents. Play
moved more smoothly than the first round, but Ellon were slow to take advantage
of balls won by the forwards in rucks and mauls. Once again tackling by Dalgarno, Millar, Rodman and Ross was
good, but Stewart's Melville found enough chinks in the defences to run in three
tries. Coach John Macdonald said
there had been some spirited performance from the Ellon boys, but the play
lacked consistency. "The boys
know what they must do to win ground, but they must learn to take these moves
from the training field to the playing field," he added.
Team:
Jamie Cochrane, Callum Cruickshank, Hamish Dalgarno, Matthew Dalton, Blair
Fraser, David Millar, Fraser Rodman, Alick Ross, Scott Tennant.
ELLON'S
mini rugby squad are celebrating their first trophies of the season after
lifting two winners' shields at a major tournament in Aberdeen at the weekend.
The
primary five and six teams swept the field at Aberdeen Grammar's Rubislaw
grounds to take their first silverware of the season, while the primary four and
seven squads came runners up in their groups.
The
victories marked one of the most successful weekends in the history of the ERFC
mini section, with every player taking home a medal.
Stunned
Aberdeen Grammar hosts were left dumbfounded as half of their gleaming trophies
were loaded on to the Ellon coach to make their way to their new home for at
least the next year.
Mini
section convener Jim Millar said the wins cemented Ellon's reputation as the
leading force in rugby across the North-east of Scotland and as one of the
country's top mini rugby sections.
"Hopefully
this will be the first of many such triumphs," said Mr Millar.
"The big task now is making sure the boys keep a level head and
maintain the superb standard of rugby we saw on Sunday.
"As
usual, the travelling support made the day.
Our supporters were given a feast of sporting skills in return for
letting our boys know their efforts were being cheered on from the
sidelines."
Ellon
1 Madras 1
Ellon
got off to an unsteady start with some sloppy passing and a lack of
coordination. Both teams clashed in
sea of bodies in midfield to start an extended rucking duel.
Scrum half Scott Tennant opened the scoring when he snatched a loose ball
and made a dash up the centre field, sidestepping three opponents before making
it over the line. However the Fife team came back quickly off the tap, having
one try disallowed for failing to make the required two passes from the tap.
They made up for the mistake driving the ball through the uncoordinated
Ellon defence for the equaliser. The
second half continued much as the first, but with neither team make it close to
the try line.
Ellon
3 Perthshire 1
Ellon
returned to the pitch against a tournament favourite after quickly revising
their play. This match saw forwards
Keith Esson, Hamish Dalgarno and Callum Cruickshank following up the backs in
determined support. Again it was
Tennant who opened the scoring with another breakaway dash for the try line.
Perthshire failed to take advantage of the tap, being quickly hammered
down by Matthew Dalton and David Millar on the wings, and Alick Ross and Fraser
Rodman in the centre. It was Dalton
who scored the second after swift passing saw him sprinting up the flank.
Perthshire managed a comeback just before the first half whistle after
bursting through the Ellon defences. The
second period proved a tougher battle, but the forwards again managed to drive
through the ball, putting Ross over for the final score.
Ellon
1 Aberdeen Grammar 2
Ellon
started well in this game, continually probing the Grammar defences for gaps and
quickly closing down counterattacks. Once
again support from the forwards was decisive and their driving finally put Ross
over the line for the first score. The team came on for the second half 1-0 up, but seemed to
slip into complacency. Only
excellent tackling from Dalgarno, Rodman, Ross, Millar and Dalton stopped
Grammar from scoring more than two in reply.
Ellon
9 Mackie 0
Ellon
had learned the lesson of taking their game for granted.
The team applied all their training skills to taking apart the Stonehaven
squad in a demonstration of textbook rugby.
Matthew Findlay came on in the forwards and quickly stamped his mark on
the match with superb passing and running.
Tries in the first half came from Dalton, Millar (2) and Rodman (2).
The second half saw no relief for Mackie with Esson, Dalton, Findlay and
Millar completing the scoring. The
final result saw Ellon coming runners-up in their round robin league.
Coach John Macdonald said the team was showing improvement weak by weak.
"We still have a problem in marshalling our forwards and moving the
ball among the backs, but the future looks promising," he added.
Team:
Jamie Cochrane, Callum Cruickshank, Hamish Dalgarno, Matthew Dalton, Keith Esson,
Matthew Findlay, Fraser Rodman, Alick Ross, Scott Tennant.
Ellon’s
youngest rugby team brought home silver medals at the weekend after taking on
some of the best teams in Scotland at a major tournament in Glasgow on Sunday.
Television
presenter and comedian Fred Macauley presented the medals to Ellon’s primary
four team after they made it to the final of the Glasgow Academicals tournament.
Ellon’s
P5 were knocked out in the semi-finals after playing through their pool group
one man down, while the primary six and seven teams performed with distinction.
ERFC
mini section convener Jim Millar said the teams had again showed they were
competing in the top league of Scottish mini rugby.
“Ellon
is now a major force in Scottish rugby thanks to the efforts of these kids who
turn out to play week after week and the parents and supporters who cheer them
on,” said Mr Millar
Primary
Four
Ellon
5 Lenzie 0
Ellon
got off to a slow start after the long coach trip and short warm-up time.
However they were lucky to come up against a team which was slightly more
disorganised. Little Hayden Millar
was seconded to the opposition to make up their numbers and put in a rousing
performance for Lenzie. However Ellon’s better discipline quickly took hold and the
team was able to move the ball beyond Lenzie’s reach. Alick Ross made the score after a breakaway run, followed
quickly by a stunning dash across the tryline by Matthew Dalton.
The second half was a repeat of the first with scrumhalf Scott Tennant
marshalling the forwards against the bigger Lenzie team.
Ross scored quickly again, followed by Dalton on the right wing.
Strong driving by forwards Hamish Dalgarno, Callum Cruickshank and Keith
Esson put Ross over again just before full time.
Ellon
3 Glasgow Academicals 0
The
home team’s status as tournament favourites failed to daunt the the now
buzzing Ellon team, although they proved to be no walkover. The Accies team were adept at passing the ball around, but
some moves quickly became predictable. Left
wing David Millar and fly half Fraser Rodman quickly took advantage with some
superb tackling, driving Accies into the Ellon forwards.
Tennant and Ross fed the ball wide to Dalton who dashed and weaved at
lightning pace through the Accies defence.
Dalton’s score was followed up by Rodman, who snatched a loose ball and
took it the length of the pitch leaving Accies defenders floundering.
The home side tightened their play in the second half, but were hounded
by Dalgarno, Tennant, Rodman and Ross. A
combined attack by Rodman and Millar, driven on by Esson, Cruickshank and
Dalgarno, saw Rodman make the final try.
Ellon
8 Whitecraigs 0
A
lack of organisation saw the Glasgow team rapidly taken apart by the disciplined
Ellon squad. Bunching by
Whitecraigs left huge gaps in the defences.
Esson was the first Ellon player to break away, making a superb running
tackle to Millar as he was brought down yards from the try line.
Millar followed up his score with another, this time with Rodman in a
double passing act. Rodman followed
up with two more, able driven over the line by Tennant, Esson, Dalgarno and
Cruickshank. The second half saw
the ball moving to Ellon’s right flank, with Dalton zipping up the touchline
to score. He followed with another
trademark dash before passing to Ross who drove his way over.
Tennant broke free after snatching a ball and made the seventh score.
Rodman put the last ball over the line with some excellent driving from
the forward pack.
Ellon
4 Dumfries 2 (Semi final)
After
a long wait, Ellon came up against a different level of opposition in the
semi-final. After conceding no
points in their group play-offs, they were quickly 1-0 down after a sloppy
start. However strong forward play
saw Dumfries driven back and Ross was soon put over the line for the equaliser.
Dumfries responded quickly from the tap, running through their second
try, but Ellon again hit back with Tennant and Ross feeding the ball to Dalton,
who weaved up the flank to equalise again.
The half-time team talk hardened Ellon’s resolve with Rodman, Ross,
Millar and Dalton battling their way up the pitch.
Ross made it almost to the tryline before going into touch, but Dumfries
fumbled the tap, allowing Millar to take the ball over.
Good teamwork by Tennant, Dalgarno, Cruickshank and Esson put Rodman over
for the final score. As ever,
superb tackling by Dalgarno, Ross, Rodman, Millar and Dalton saved the day on
Ellon’s defences.
Ellon
0 North Berwick 9 (Final)
Ellon moved quickly into the final, but fatigue was now evident. Despite brave attacks by Millar, Rodman, Ross and Dalton, Ellon’s small forward pack were unable to press home the advantage against the bigger Berwick boys. The team put up a stout-hearted defence, but conceded three scores in the first half. Constant hammering by Berwick in the second half finished off the tired Ellon team with another six tries, although Ellon never gave up attacking wherever possible. Coach John Macdonald said he was extremely proud of the team and their silver medal-winning performance. “These boys drew a lot of praise from the other clubs and rightly so. They played superbly right to the end and they can hold their heads high,” he added.
Musselburgh
After
a three-week rest, Ellon RFC Mini section once again headed south in
search of competition, this time to Musselburgh a club that we forged
links with last season.
This
particular friendly was always going to be tough with teams such as
Stewart Melville, Selkirk and Musselburgh all looking to show Ellon how
rugby is played south of the Highland line. But as always, Ellon enjoys
a challenge - an attitude that has often in the recent past brought
victory out of defeat.
Yet again we must thank our long suffering supporters who continue to find themselves having to make that long drive south to watch us. Believe me it does make a difference to see friendly faces on the touchline shouting support.
THE PRIMARY FOUR REPORT WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRINT.
HOWE OF FIFE TOURNAMENT
After
an unexpected break from competitive rugby, Ellon RFC Mini Section found
itself once again south bound. This time the trip to Cupar in Fife was a
relatively short one for the section; some would say it’s almost next
door compared to the usual runs we make.
But
the trip proved worthwhile, with the Primary 5 team taking the Runner Up
placing in their category and the other teams putting up a fine show
against some strong teams from central Scotland.
“The
Primary 5 team well deserved their placing and the other teams all put
in some commendable performances,” said Convener Jim Millar.
“As
always, our faithful supporters were right behind us, literally in this
case, in a convoy of cars which followed the bus down to give us the
much-needed moral support that we have come to rely on. Again, a big
thank you to you all who support us as it is much appreciated.”
Ellon
0 Stewart’s Melville 1
Ellon
got off to an unsteady start due to some poor passing and therefore
little continuity. Too many times the boys tried to take on the
opposition themselves rather than passing the ball to their teammates.
This meant that they would run a few yards, get caught, lose the ball
and end up back where they started.
Scott
Tennant and Matthew Dalton made some good breaks and Jamie Cochrane
almost scored, but was stopped short of the line.
In
the second half Alick Ross, Keith Esson and Hamish Dalgarno made some
excellent runs but the passes to complete the move would not go to hand.
David Millar, Alick Ross and Callum Cruickshank
were working hard in defence to keep Stew Mell out. In the last five
seconds of the game an Ellon pass was intercepted by a Stewart’s
Melville forward who ran in the try. A very disappointing finish to a
close game that could have gone either way.
The
Ellon team went into this game determined to do better following the
disappointment of the first. After some early exchanges, Esson took off
on a mazy run then put in a good pass to David Millar who broke through
to score.
Millar
scored again, ripping the ball out of a maul and powering through for
his second. Dunfermline was not to be outdone and came back at Ellon and
scored in the corner. A Dalgarno tackle then released the ball for Ross
to rush to the corner to score.
The
Ellon team were working well together, all putting in their share of
tackles and also trying to breach the Dunfermline line. It was Esson who
scored next, picking up the ball and darting this way and that through
the opposition defence.
Dunfermline
came back again and scored from a scrum. Ross and Dalton finished the
scoring by working an excellent passing move for Dalton to score in the
corner.
Ellon
1 Perthshire 2
This was to be another tight game with both teams working hard to break the opposition’s defences, but giving little away. Ellon scored first from a series of good passes, which Dalgarno finished off with a drive up the centre of the park. Perthshire scored just before half time and then again just after the break with good running moves.
Ellon spent the rest of the game in opposition
territory with Esson, Cruickshank, Dalton and Cochrane continually
probing the Perthshire defences, while Ross, Millar and Stubbs stemmed
any attacks Perthshire tried. Dalton did almost score but had put a foot
into touch just before the touchline.
Ellon 8 Howe of Fife 1
The coaches rang the changes to the team as some of the boys were feeling the pace after three hard games, but this didn’t make any difference to the good teamwork that had gone before. Dalton started the scoring with a run up the wing following an excellent pass from Hayden Millar. Howe then scored from a loose Ellon pass. Ellon then scored three times, D. Millar twice and Esson once, by ripping the ball from mauls and charging through the defences.
The second half saw further scores by Ross, D. Millar, Tennant and Findlay all from good passing, good support work and direct running through the home team’s defence.
Ellon 7 Madras 5
This was a game where both teams wanted to play good running rugby, trying to retain the ball and use the open spaces. Esson opened the scoring, picking up the ball from a ruck and running through the Madras tackles. D. Millar then scored from the tap with little difficulty. Madras scored by passing well and scoring in the corner. Tennant and Esson scored just before half time to put Ellon 4-1 in front and should have been on the way to an easy victory. Madras had other ideas and scored twice in the right wing following poor defence.
Esson scored again from a strong run. Madras again scored twice to level the scores and put pressure on Ellon. The Ellon team tightened up the defence, and then, following the good work put Esson in for his fourth score. Ellon kept the work rate up and in the final minute got a penalty try as D. Millar was tackled round the neck with just one boy to beat.
The Primary 4 team finished third behind Stewart’s Melville and Perthshire but with a little luck against these two teams could have finished even higher – Ellon actually scored one more try than Stewart’s Melville.
Overall it was an excellent team effort from all the boys.
Team: Jamie Cochrane, Callum Cruickshank, Hamish Dalgarno, Matthew Dalton, Keith Esson, Matthew Findlay, David Millar, Hayden Millar, Alick Ross, Ben Stubbs, Scott Tennant.
ELLON MINI RUGBY CLUB TOURNAMENT
MEADOWS SPORTS CENTRE SUNDAY, MARCH 10
HUNDREDS of young rugby players - and their coaches and supporters - braved Sunday’s sleet and chilly temperatures to take part in the Ellon Mini Rugby Club Tournament at the Meadows Sports Centre.
Teams from all over Scotland travelled to the event to compete in the tournament which proved a triumph for Ellon’s Primary 5 team who lifted the winner’s trophy after an outstanding final against Forresters from Edinburgh in a game which came right down to the wire in a sudden death playoff.
The Ellon Primary 4 team picked up the Mary Christiansen Trophy for best runner-up home team.
“Although the poor weather prevented two clubs from making the trip to Ellon, the actual competition and standard of play was the best I have seen with the best of Scotland’s clubs battling it out for trophies,” said Club Convener Jim Millar.Ellon 1 Stewart Melville 1
Ellon got off to a strong start
making good ground against Stewart defensive line.
Ellon’s backs Callum Temple and Alistair Adie and wingers Alex
Ross and Scott Tennant were working well and causing trouble. David
Millar, Ellon’s scrum half, scored a try late in the first half with a
strong push through the defence. Spirits were high but so was the biting
wind. Ellon held on with some fine defensive work from Temple and Adie
but late in the second half Stewart Melville scored.
Ellon 5 Forresters 1
Ellon were encouraged by the
draw against Stewart Melville whom they had previously been
consistently beaten by and their increased confidence showed. As
Hooker Hamish Dalgarno burst through and put down the first try early
on, scrum half Millar put in two tries
with strong runs diagonally through the defence. Forresters
caught Ellon off guard right at the start of the second half and put a
touch down. Once settled, Millar once again showed determination by
breaking through to score a third. In the last few minutes, Temple saw
his chance and scored his maiden try for Ellon.
Ellon 3 Aberdeen Grammar 4
Ellon had to wait nearly an hour for their next game due to rescheduling because Stirling had called off. Staying in the changing room to keep out of the bitterly cold wind seemed like a good plan, and in view of the lack of time the ref reduced the game to five minutes each way. Grammar played to their strengths and scored two in quick succession. Ellon Back, Adie, put in his first try for Ellon with a brave effort just before half time.
Grammar again scored two in
quick succession thanks to a winger who looked a lot bigger than his
counterparts. It was only thanks to a gutsy performance by Millar that
Ellon pulled the score back and may have levelled the score if they
hadn’t been beaten by the clock as well.
Ellon 0 Musselburgh 3
With this second game on
the trot came the opportunity to make some changes and Jamie Cochrane
came in with Blair Fraser. Musselburgh proved a strong challenge for a
team that hadn’t played together enough to hold the three tries on the
trot. Ellon’s front row tried to break through but the defence kept
them at bay and Ellon finished on a low ebb.
Alistair Addy, Jamie Cochrane, Callum Cruickshank, Hamish Dalgarno,
Blair Fraser, Alistair McLean, David Millar, Alick Ross, Ben Stubbs,
Callum Temple, Scott Tennant
EDINBURGH
Ellon Mini Rugby Club’s Primary 4 to 7 teams travelled to Edinburgh at the weekend to take part in the Forresters tournament. Balmy, sunny weather made it a good day our for players and spectators alike. Ellon’s Primary 4 and 5 teams just missed out on the medals by taking third place in their respective categories.
Ellon 2 Livingston
2
The first match got underway at
11.30 and immediately it was shaping up to be a tough game as Livingston
scored almost straight away thanks to some good passing and a break down
the wing. After the long journey south Ellon had to dig deep and a
concerted effort by Jamie Cochrane gave Ellon the equaliser. Livingston
were well organised and thanks to some strong running quickly ran in
another shortly after half time. It took all the fight Ellon could
muster and several attempts to break through before winger Fraser Rodman
saw a gap a made a break for the line and touched a score down for his
team. Livingston kept up the pressure but at the end of the ten minute
second period we held a strong team to a draw.
Ellon 1 Linlithgow
1
Ellon got off to a good start
but Linlithgow turned out to be a worthy adversary. Several attempts at
scoring were denied by some good tackling and defence work. Ellon kept
up the pressure but just before half time a dropped pass led to
Linlithgow scoring the first try of the match. Ellon had to work hard in
the second half and try as they might could not make any decisive
inroads into the oppositions defences, it took a Herculean effort by
Ellon’s front row to drive through and David Millar broke loose to score Ellon’s
equaliser late in the second period , a hard game and a well deserved
draw.
Ellon 0 Currie 2 .
Ellon’s third match was against one of the tournament favourites, Currie. It proved to be a hard game and Ellon had their work cut out holding off the many challenges. This game proved to be a tough test and tempers were tested to the limit with the referee having to intervene on one occasion. Currie scored twice in the second period and it was all Ellon could do to keep them out until the final whistle. A subdued team were lifted after a rest
And thanks to the hard fought
draws had earned enough for a place in
the play-offs for third place .
Ellon 8 Boroughmuir
1.
The boys were encouraged enough to put in a fantastic effort in this game and once scenting victory could not be held back. Winger Fraser Rodman scored first. Blair Fraser put in a fantastic effort and scored soon after. Scott Tennant scored another after a good strong run up the left wing. David Millar again provided some welcome muscle and drove through his second try of the day. Forward Alistair Addy also received the ball well and sold his opponent a beautiful dummy to score for the second weekend in a row.
Fraser Rodman again found a
clear path to his second try of the match and finally Blair Fraser no
doubt out to impress Dad and P6 coach , Deke Fraser, who by this time
was watching, stepped it up and put the ball down to score another twice
in quick succession, a great result for the boys after all their
efforts.
P4 Team: David Millar, Alistair
Addy, Blair Fraser, Jamie Cochrane, Scott Tennant, Fraser Rodman,
Matthew Dalton, Ben Stubbs, Matthew Findlay, Hamish Dalgarno
Stirling County Mini Rugby Club Tournament 21/04/02
With the success of the 1ST XV in the BT Cellnet Bowl the Mini Section had high hopes for last Sunday’s Stirling Mini Rugby Club Tournament. This event is always a highlight of our season with only the best teams in Scotland competing for the trophies. The Ellon teams supporters also had high hopes with the largest contingent this season heading south to cheer on the players, and again I must thank theses diehards for making the trip south.
Ellon 0 Biggar 0
The Stirling club’s ground
lies in the shadow of the Wallace monument and makes for an impressive
venue and mercifully the rain had stopped by the time the Ellon boys
took to the pitch for the first match of the day. Backs Alistair Addy
and Alec Ross along with scrum half David Millar tried time and time
again to break through the Biggar defensive line. The second half was
more of the same and Ellon were unable to make any decisive plays thanks
to the opposition’s tight defence, both teams played well and in the
end a no score draw was a fair end to a hard fought game.
Ellon 2 Stirling County 3
Ellon got off to a slow start and were quickly punished by the home team who took advantage of some unfortunate mistakes, Stirling ran in three tries in quick succession and at half time we were three ñ nil down. A couple of minor changes brought just rewards and wee Hayden Millar showed spirit in his attempts at taking the ball off far bigger opponents, the increased pressure paid off and big brother David Millar proved himself again by scoring twice for Ellon with some good support from Fraser Rodman, Scott Tennant, Mathew Dalton and Ben Stubbs.
Ellon 6 Howe of Fife 1
The third game of the day was against Howe whom Ellon had overcome before. Hamish Dalgarno opened the scoring with a powerful run up the left wing. Ever improving Addy ran in two more in quick succession to make the score three ñ nil at half time. Dalgarno got off to a flyer early in the second half and scored another after collecting a loose ball from a ruck. Some good flowing play earned Addy and Dalgarno another one each. Right at the end Howe intercepted a long pass and scored a consolation try, the final score reflected a well deserved win which was enough to put Ellon runner up in Group B and into the first semi-final.
Ellon 0 Dumfries 1 ( after extra time )
Ellon came up against Dumfries who were unbeaten as yet today and the two sides had not met this season. Defensively Dumfries were very strong and kept pushing Ellon back deep into their own half. Scrum half David Millar saved Ellon’s skin more than a few times by touching the ball down into safety behind his own line. Try as they might Ellon could not break through and when they did were quickly closed down and not allowed any freedom with the ball. At full time the score was nil nil. Extra time would now have to be played. After a short break both sides started again and things seemed much the same with Ellon doing all they could to stop the attacks, but Dumfries’s persistent pressure finally paid off as a powerful push saw a gap which was seized upon and they scored. Two and a half minutes might not seem long but the second half of extra time seemed to last forever as Ellon tried in vain again and again to break through but could make little headway and the end of the Semi saw the score remain the same, the Ellon boys put on a display that would have made Braveheart proud and only lost by the narrowest of margins.
Team : David Millar, Hayden Millar, Scott Tennant, Fraser Rodman, Ben Stubbs, Jamie Cochrane, Alec Ross, Keith Esson, Alistair Addy, Matthew Dalton, Hamish Dalgarno.