Primary Five Match Reports
 

Grammar Tournament 23/05/04

Ellon RFC’s P4-P7 teams ended their season in fine form when the brought back a winners’ trophy and two runners-up placements from the annual Aberdeen Grammar tournament.

This was Ellon’s last fixture of the packed 2003 / 2004 season and the P4 prizewinning effort and the successes at P5 and P6 level were just reward for the year-long efforts of the players and coaches.

The Sunday outing followed the end of season awards ceremony which took place at the Meadows last Saturday.

Match reports are as follows:

After their disappointment at missing out at winning their own home tournament, the boys were determined to go one better this week and arrived in Aberdeen a determined and eager team.

Ellon 8 Garioch 1

The first game pitted Ellon against Garioch. A typical P5 start and the boys were soon 2 tries up courtesy of Scott Tennant. Garioch were stunned by the sheer flair of the boys and some immense tackling from Matthew Fraser has the opposition panicking in possession. Blair Fraser soon added to Ellon’s try count with a quick brace of tries. David Taylor, who has improved all season, was particularly visible during the game and assisted Ally Addy to steal over the Garioch line for two quick tries. Hamish Dalgarno with the assistance of new recruit Fraser Stevenson allowed Addy to add to his try count with two fine tries to win their opening match comfortably.

Ellon    5 Grammar 1’s          0

The Ellon lads had tasted victory earlier in the season against Grammar but were well aware that at home they posed a formidable force. Grammar has a large pool of players who were only too willing to take to the park at their home tournament. The Ellon boys however were only interested in getting early scores and this they did with some magnificent open running to allow Ellon’s consummate winger, Tennant, in for three tries. His tries were not scored easily and thanks to Taylor, B. Fraser and M. Frasers’ tackling, Grammar were forced to play the game in their own half, allowing the Ellon speedsters of Addy and Dalgarno in for two finely worked tries.

Ellon    7 Aberdeenshire/Huntly        0

Ellon had never faced the above teams either as a combination or singularly but the game soon became very one sided and Ellon were scoring tries at will, with M. Fraser scoring his first brace ever as an Ellon player, his cousin B. Fraser popped over for one scored after some fine interplay with Fraser Stevenson. “Hammy” Dalgarno scored two, with Addy and Tennant also getting their names on the scoresheet.

Ellon    5          Banff   1

The boys started this game in reverse and quite unbelievably found themselves a try down. The travelling supporters could hardly believe their eyes and the players on the park re-focused immediately. Ellon went into overdrive and had five scores in as many minutes. Banff at times could only field 5 players and Ellon sportingly reciprocated by removing a player at the same time. This act of sportsmanship did not escape the attention of the Banff coach who praised the spirit of the Ellon boys.

Ellon 3            Grammar 2’s            1

As the opposition’s title would infer – this was supposedly Grammar’s second string team - but the boys knew different. This was the local derby proper and Ellon knew that to win this game they would need to be on top form. The game was a cracker with both Grammar and Ellon’s support in full voice. The game was played at one hundred miles per hour and was played with some flair. As Ellon’s Senior Club forwards coach, Kevin Wyness and Club Captain Steve Park enthused – “The boys played with a passion, commitment and skill not normally expected of a side with an average age of nine”.

The lads were simply awesome and the ferocity of the tackling left every Ellon player nursing more than a few “battle scars”. The game however was played in great sprit by both teams and Ellon always had the upper hand of our local rivals. Ally Addy bagged all of the Ellon boy’s scores, but his scores were achieved by great teamwork with all of the Ellon boys contributing to a fine victory.

Ellon    0 Howe of Fife           6

The Ellon and Howe boys have a great rapport and respect for each other and this game was always going to be the day’s “final”. The boys had played Howe at Ellon and ran out 6 – 3 winners, however this game proved a bridge too far for the lads and the lack of a big squad was never more evident than during this game. Ellon were understandably shattered after the previous game. Ellon with their squad of seven were on their knees as a keen Howe team blasted into an early lead. The final score flattered Howe as Ellon, never gave up and some typical B. Fraser tackling kept the Fifers from adding to their tally. Tennant, Addy and Dalgarno made some fine runs only to be felled at the last hurdle Taylor and M. Fraser both tackled like demons in a bid to allow the boys some space but as the hooter blew, Ellon finished the game down but by no means out. 

Ellon    6 Mackie                    2

This, their final game, was again to prove why this team have achieved so much this year. Again Ellon found themselves up against a team who had an army of substitutes as opposed to Ellon’s “magnificent seven” they played out of their skins and put on a wonderful show of attacking, determined rugby for the travelling support. Ellon’s try scorers were Addy, Taylor, Tennant, B. Fraser and Dalgarno (2).

 This was Ellon’s Head Coach, Deke Fraser’s last game with the P5’s and he and fellow coach Jon Addy were delighted with the team’s performance.

“I was sad to see the end of a season which promised much and in which the “wee” team from Ellon delivered – in buckets. I inherited a fine team from Colin Tennant and Jon Addy at the end of last season and the boys simply continued from where they left off at the end of last season. I would like to thank Jon Addy for his support and friendship during the past season – he is a great asset for the Junior Section and thankfully he will be involved with the boys as they move up to P6 next year.”

The day was rounded off in great style for the P5s with Matthew Fraser being awarded the Guy Garrick Trophy for most outstanding newcomer within Ellon’s Mini Section.

PRIMARY 5 squad: Alistair Addy, Hamish Dalgarno, Blair Fraser, Matthew Fraser, Fraser Stevenson, David Taylor, Scott Tennant.

West of Scotland Tournament 25/4/04

ELLON’S Primary 4 and 5 rugby squads enjoyed medal success once again last weekend when they took the winner’s trophies in their age groups at the West of Scotland tournament in Milngavie.

The Primary 6 team was unlucky not to be in the medal pool as well, they won two of their games and drew a third to put them equal top in their group but lost a place in the final through scoring rules.

Ellon’s results are a good forerunner for their own home tournament, which takes place this weekend at Ellon Meadows.

Ellon 8 Lenzie 1

This began as a very stop start game with Ellon finding it hard to get into its rhythm. When the Ellon boys did manage to gain some rhythm they put some good phases of play together. At half time they were 4 tries to the good with Ali Addy (2), Hamish Dalgarno and Matthew Fraser all scoring.

Ellon rang the changes in the second half with Kier Cleeton, Stephen Halmshaw and Cameron Harris coming on. Lenzie pushed up in the second half but Ellon held them at bay with some good defensive tackling from Harris and Halmshaw. When Ellon had the ball they managed to pass it out wide and score 4 further tries. The scorers were Addy (2), Blair Fraser and Scott Tennant.

Ellon 5 Marr 1

Both sides won their first matches so they both needed to win this game to get through to the final. There had been some hard fought contests earlier in the season between them and both teams knew whoever won this game would probably go on to win the final.

The Ellon players were in no mood to mess around and straight from the off they put Marr under pressure. They soon forced Marr into a mistake.  Tennant was first onto the loose ball and spun it out to Hamish Dalgarno on the wing. He sped over the line to score. Ellon was keen not to let this match slip and some determined tackling by M Fraser and David Taylor managed to contain any moves from Marr. They were forced into errors allowing Ellon to gain control of the ball. They worked it out well to allow both Addy and B Fraser to go over and score. The second half was more of the same. Ellon was not allowing Marr any space for their runners to move. They were closed down quickly whenever they made a break. M Fraser was tackling like a demon and this led to Addy getting the ball and running round the defence to score. From the restart Addy and Dalgarno made thumping tackles and Tennant picked up the loose ball and broke through two tackles and scored the final try in the corner.

Final

Ellon 11 West Of Scotland 1

The West boys were very nervous and knocked on at the start. This gave Ellon a tap penalty. A well-worked move put Dalgarno into space and he managed to outpace the West defence and go over to score. From the re-start Ellon was quickly up on West giving them no time to move the ball out. B Fraser made a big tackle and Addy collected the loose ball, sidestepped the defence and went over for an easy try. West now came back into the game with some good recycling of the ball the managed a score. They were pushing Ellon back and were threatening to score again.  Big tackles from Tennant and M Fraser enabled Taylor to pick up the loose ball, pass out to B Fraser who ran the length of the park to score.

In the second half Ellon stepped up a gear and were first on to the loose ball every time. This forced West onto the back foot. Tennant made a break. He drew the defence and passed out to Halmshaw who went over to Score. Ellon’s superior teamwork and passing showed through with them managing a further 7 tries. The scores for Ellon were Tennant (2), B Fraser (2), Addy (2) and M Fraser

“The kids have trained hard for this and for our remaining fixtures,” said coaches Jon Addy and Derek Fraser. “Their hard work in the paddock and their sheer determination on the day was rewarded. The boys are now in a buoyant mood and are looking forward to our own home tournament at the Meadows this Sunday.”

Primary 5 squad: Ali Addy, Kier Cleeton, Hamish Dalgarno, Blair Fraser, Matthew Fraser, Stephen Halmshaw, Cameron Harris, David Taylor, Scott Tennant