Primary Six 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.

Ellon   1         Garioch   2

The team went into this game without much preparation as a couple of the boys had just arrived. This was a game they should have won but unfortunately the more experienced players did not get a grip of the game and let Garioch win.

Ellon   0 Aberdeen Grammar 1   3

The games against Grammar are always tough and this was no exception. They are a well- organised team with a good range of skills and this time the Ellon team could not match them.  On a positive side it was a better performance than the first game.

Ellon   2 Aberdeenshire/Huntly   1        

The Ellon team did better in this game and used their strengths to their advantage. The forwards made good ground by driving and then passing the ball on. A lapse in concentration and some weak tackling allowed the opposition to score.

Ellon   5 Aberdeen Grammar 2   0

This was much more like the P6 team we know. Good pressure by the forwards in defence and hard running by the backs in attack made the breaks from which to score. The teamwork and support play was much better and this gained a convincing win.

Ellon   2  Howe of Fife   0

Ellon were on top for most of this game and should really have scored more tries. A number of the team were too greedy and wanted to score themselves rather than passing the ball out for some else to score. Ben Stubbs must get a mention for managing to hold the ball up and save a try.

Ellon   1 Mackie   2

This season the matches against Mackie have been very close. Mackie have a group of big able forwards who worked well up the middle of the park and then released the ball to the backs for the winger to score. Ellon were making no progress driving into the forwards so worked a move where the forwards were out wider and managed to create space for a score in the corner. Mackie came straight back at Ellon, but the P6 team managed hold on until the pressure told and a couple of weak tackles allowed the Mackie centre into score.

Coach Andy Cruickshank said it was disappointing to have a weak start to the day but in the end the team played well.

“It was a good opportunity for some of the less experienced lads to get a game. This team has made good progress over the season and has earned their holiday, and hopefully will come back rested and keen to work hard again.”

PRIMARY 6 squad: Cameron Buchan, Alec Cleeton, Callum Cruickshank, Ben Ellis, Callum Hay, Jamie McLean, George Oxley, Greg Rodger, Alick Ross, Ben Stubbs, Blake Will.

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 4 Marr 1

For the first five minutes the game was fairly scrappy as neither team could gain the upper hand over the other. Then the Ellon forwards made good ground by driving and passing back. Blake Will received the ball and passed it out to the backs where Alec Cleeton collected and burst through two tackles to score. In the second half Ellon upped the pace and through good team work progressed up the field to feed Callum Hay who put down his head and drove for the line to score. Marr were not going to let Ellon have it all their own way and ran through some poor tackling to score. Ellon then put Marr under pressure again, pinning them back on their line. Marr decided to kick and Cleeton caught the ball and jinked back through to score. Ellon finished well with a move, which involved the whole team, Hay found himself in open space and sprinted over to score

Ellon 3 Glasgow Accies 3

The P6s went into this game knowing they would be in for a hard time. They took some time to get back into their game and by half way through the first half were two down. Captain Alick Ross rallied his troops and led by example, driving into Accies, presenting the ball back for Hay, George Oxley or Blake Will to do the same and take the game straight back to Accies. They did not know what had hit them and were penalised a number of times for preventing fair release in a bid to stop the Ellon forwards. Just before halftime, from another drive, Callum Cruickshank passed to Keith Esson who burst for the line, only to be stopped three yards from scoring by a high tackle. The Ref. awarded a penalty try. In the second half the whole team worked the same system to release Esson again for another dash up the line to score. Accies were up for the fight and worked the Ellon defence to one side and then broke through in the opposite corner. The Ellon lads got the bit between the teeth again and worked the same way driving up the middle tying in the opposition and then released the ball to the backs. Cleeton took it on committing his man and then passed to Esson to score his third.

Glasgow Accies had recently won the Glasgow Hawks tournament so to draw with them was no mean feat.

Ellon 9 West Reds 3    

Ellon went into this game knowing that Accies had beaten West Reds by 10 and decided that they would try and beat that score. In the first half they played very well as a team, working some super moves to lead at half time 5 – 0 with scores by Cleeton (2), Ross, Will and Greg Rodger. In the second half, Ellon boys lost their organisation a little and although managed to score another 4 tries they did not defend nearly so well and let a determined West side score 3. The Ellon try scorers were Oxley 2, Esson and Ross.

In this tournament there weren’t any semi-finals, the winners of each league played in the final. Ellon and Accies both had the same points, but as Accies had scored first against Ellon they played for the medals.

Coach Andy Cruickshank said this P6 team have made great progress over the last month. To go through a tournament unbeaten is excellent and hopefully we can go one better at our home tournament next week.

Primary 6 squad: Alec Cleeton, Callum Cruickshank, Keith Esson, Callum Hay, George Oxley, Greg Rodger, Alick Ross, Blake Will.