P6
Fixture
List
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Whitecraigs Friendly Tournament – 15-9-2002
ELLON Rugby Club Junior Section’s mini teams kicked off their new season at the weekend when they travelled to Whitecraigs in Glasgow for a friendly tournament against some of the most notable teams in the Glasgow area. Coaches
were anxious to see the results of the summer training programme and
with Ellon taking 10 wins from 12 matches they were not disappointed. “This was
a good result for us,” said Convener Jim Millar. “We had a lot of
new players of all age groups on the field during this tournament and
the performances we saw gave us an excellent boost for the remainder of
the season. “Once
again we were fortunate that our supporters chose to follow the team on
its four-hour journey to Whitecraigs and as ever, the section would like
to
Last
time the P6 squad met Accies, the Glaswegians had proven to be a tough
team and ufortunately things had not changed. It was obvious from the
start that the players had been affected by the long journey; in fact
they looked half a sleep as they took to the field. The opposition was
soon to take advantage of this by running through a less than effective
defence to score a soft try. Normally this would have galvanised the
players but it seemed to have barely registered and within minutes
Accies had brushed by Ellon to once again score with ease.
However,
after a quiet word from the coaches at half time, the players suddenly
woke up and it was Accies turn to go on the defence as Ellon’s
forwards hammered in to Accies forcing their way up the field. Within
the space of minutes, Ellon was in reach of the try line and with a
well-practised play the scrum half released the ball to the backs who
quickly scored. This try gave Ellon a boost and they quickly reformed
and after some tremendous work by the forwards regained control of the
ball. Aain the backs were able to display their ability to move the ball
smoothly and after evading some good tackles they crossed the line to
score. However Accies is a well drilled team and the players were able
to pull themselves together and with the clock winding down they made
one more effort and despite some great defensive work from all the Ellon
players they slipped the winning try in just before the final whistle.
Ellon
8 Dalziel 0
With
the narrow defeat behind them Ellon took to the field determined not to
lose again and unfortunately for the opposition they threw everything at
them from aggressive forward play to brilliant back play. Ellon quickly
dominated the field and withina minute the forwards made the first score
and the floodgates opened. No matter what the opposition tried Ellon
countered regained the ball and went on the offensive and by half time
we were up by four tries. The second half was no different with the
opposition wilting under the attacks. The field of play was Ellon’s
and by the end of the game Ellon had won easily.
The
host club had obviously watched Ellon play closely and had decided to
concentrate on defence only. This resulted in a stalemate with Ellon
pushing forward only to find the game smothered. However few teams can
hold back this young team when they play to their full potential, and
despite the opposition’s best efforts to slow the game by the time the
final whistle blew Ellon had crossed the line twice.
Primary
6 squad: Andrew Ovenstone (C) Shaun Marr, Keith Ross, James Halmshaw,
Michael Copland, Sean Broadly, Scott Leng, Alistair Rodman, Stephen
Robinson
STIRLING COUNTY
ONCE again
Ellon’s Mini Section found itself heading south at the weekend in
order to develop its skills against the big central belt teams. This
time it was a visit to the Section’s old friends and rivals, Stirling
County. And, as is becoming customary, our following of supporters made
the trip south to add their vocal support to those on the pitches.
Ellon 3
Stirling A 3 With
Stirling determined to regain position, Ellon could only hold the middle
ground albeit with some superb tackling to deny Stirling a scoring
opportunity up to half time.
This team
had obviously learnt from watching Ellon and had a definite game plan to
expose Ellon using an overlap, however Ellon players went about their
business and started to drive Stirling back by sheer force. Indifferent
refereeing then seemed to come into play which saw Ellon lose the call
time and again. By half time Stirling found themselves 4 points ahead.
The second half was a mirror image of the first with Ellon only able to
claim one consolation tries for all their hard work. Coach Jim
Millar said that despite the score line, Ellon put everything into this
game and in no way disgraced the team, the club or indeed the town by
their efforts. Primary 6
Squad: Sean Broadley, Michael Copland, James Halmshaw, Shawn Marr,
Andrew Ovenstone, Stephen Robinson, Keith Ross.
FOR once, Ellon RFC’s Mini Section found
themselves on home ground last weekend when they hosted a friendly
tournament which brought in around 200 young players from Ellon,
Stirling, Howe of Fife, Aberdeen Wanderers and Aberdeen Grammar. Great weather coupled with a high standard of
play on the field produced a great day of sport at an event which proved
that Rugby is alive and kicking in Ellon. “The Ellon
supporters were out in force as usual and proved no less vocal in their
support on home ground. Many new voices swelled the ranks this week and
our thanks go to everyone who came down to support us,” said Convener
Jim Millar Ellon 12 Aberdeen Wanderers 0 It has been nearly two years since these two
teams played against each other and a sense of occasion slipped in to
the contest. However Ellon’ s style of play, gained over the period
playing against the best in the south was quick to overpower the
Aberdeen side. Attacking right from the start Ellon quickly scored
brushing aside the defence. Wanderers in fairness tried continually to
pick themselves up but when the Sixes are in this frame of mind few
teams can match them either in skill or determination. By the half time whistle Ellon was already 8
points clear and Wanderers had not even crossed into the Ellon half.
Some teams would have eased off at this point but Ellon started the
second have as they had finished the first and within four minutes put
another four points on the board. At this point, all involved decided
that it would be better to stop the game. Ellon 8 Howe of Fife 0 The next game was not going to be easy with Howe
a strong team use to playing good opposition. However with the last game
warming the players up, Ellon started as they meant to go on by powering
a try in after only two minutes. Howe immediately came on the attack and
a spate of defensive tackling may well have scored but a loose ball gave
Ellon a chance which was, as always, used to full effect. This set the
tone of the game with Ellon continually capitalising on forced errors
again they shut out their opposition. Ellon 5 Aberdeen Grammar 0 Always a grudge match, theses two teams have met
several times and watching the players take the field is like watching
two strange dogs meeting each other with hackles raised. For all that,
both teams played the game fair but hard with the clash taking place in
the middle of the pitch. While both teams were evenly matched in
strength it was Ellon’s ability to force errors which was to prove
Grammar’s undoing. Ellon continually stripped the ball and using their
backs slipped by the over committed Aberdeen team. Despite regrouping
Grammar failed to come up with a solution and again Ellon finished with
a clean sheet. Ellon 1 Stirling County 8 This was not a good match to finish the day on
with the recent defeat against this team last week and tired legs Ellon’
s backs were to the wall from the start. All their excellent work in
previous games went out the window against Stirling. From the start
Ellon struggled to contain the southern team and the scores started to
appear. Stirling used their superior numbers to rotate players on the
pitch and Ellon were soon exhausted trying to keep up. Added to the skills shown this week by the
opposition Ellon was left standing. However this Ellon team keeps
fighting and tried hard to hit back time after time. With the end of the
match in sight the team gathered its self for one final effort and
managed to gain a consolation try. Primary 6 Squad: Sean Broadley, Michael Copland,
James Halmshaw, Scott Leng, Shaun Marr, Andrew Ovenstone (Captain),
Stephen Robinson, Alistair Rodman, Keith Ross. West Friendly- 03-11-02 YOUNG rugby players from Ellon swept the boards
at the weekend when they took part in a friendly tournament at the West
of Scotland ground in Glasgow. In what was one of the most successful outings
ever, four teams of mini players from the ERFC Junior Section won all 12
games in which they competed, scoring a total of 84 tries compared to
only 10 tries scored against them. Convener Jim Millar said players, coaches and
supporters alike had been delighted with the outcome of the day which
saw Ellon play against Helensburgh and Marr College as well as the host
team West of Scotland. “We went down with high hopes but this beat all
expectations,” he said. “I would like to congratulate the boys on their
performance; they did a great job, played really well throughout the day
and thoroughly deserved their success.” Ellon 11 West of Scotland 0 Ellon’s first game was against the home team, a
team that the Ellon P6s had faced several times over the last two
seasons with mixed results. This time though, the wet conditions seemed
to give Ellon the advantage. Right from the start, Ellon was the more
aggressive team with the forwards defending superbly and continually
winning the ball for the backs. Ellon quickly started to rack up the
points from every position and by half time, had crossed the try line
five times with comparative ease. West ask if they could introduce a new set of
players for the second half which everyone agreed to however this seemed
to make the players more determined to win. In fact West during this
half never crossed the half way line due to the pressure Ellon piled on. Within seconds, Ellon again scored and this was
to set the tone for the rest of the match. It must be pointed out
however that the West players never gave in they were just outmatched on
this occasion. Ellon 13 Helensburgh 0 This was a team that the Primary 6s had never
faced before and maybe this accounted for the poor start or maybe they
were just over confidant, whatever the reason they struggled in the
opening minutes of this game. A combination of lack of formation and poor
tackling allowed the opposition to continually threaten Ellon. In fact a
slightly better team would have scored several times in the first half
but despite this Ellon had managed to score four by the time the half
time whistle blew. The half time team talk asked for an improvement
in play and in fairness to the players, when they took to the field,
they were more determined. In fact Helensburgh did not know what hit
them, Ellon hammered into them, continually forcing errors and panic
passes and exposing weakness in their defence. At last spectators and
coaches saw Ellon, as they should have been throughout the match. Ellon 4 Marr 1 Although Ellon had yet to face Marr, their
reputation had gone before them as an well-organised and competitive
team with a high skill level. Certainly as they took to the field they
were impressive and so it proved when play got under way. With both teams having a similar playing style
this game was going to revolve around which team made the most errors.
The net result was a hard exciting game with the best rugby of the day
on display as both teams showed commitment, determination, skill and a
will to win. However it was Ellon who took the honours on this on this
occasion. Primary 6 Team: Sean Broadley, Michael Copland,
James Halmshawn, Scott Leng, Shawn Marr, Andrew Ovenstone (Captain),
Stephen Robinson, Alistair Rodman, Keith Ross,
Stewart Melville, Edinburgh Friendly Tournament – 02-03-03
After a long winter break enforced by weather conditions, players from
the Primary 4 to Primary 7 squads of ERFC’s junior section took to the
road again when they traveled to the Stewart Melville grounds in
Edinburgh at the weekend to take part in a friendly tournament.
The teams had taken part in a successful friendly training tournament
with local teams from Aberdeen Grammar, Moray and Mackie, at Ellon, the
preceding weekend. Not only was the day good fun for the participants
but it provided a chance to strengthen relationships with other clubs.
It also provided Ellon’s first challenge since November and they were
keen to continue their match play experience at Edinburgh prior to their
all-important home tournament this weekend.
Ellon 1 Stirling County 1
With a three hour journey and some enforced positional changes it is
understandable that the Sixes got of to a hesitant start, especially
since it had been some months since they had played a competitive match.
Stirling has always been an well-organised side and they swiftly put
Ellon under pressure, driving the team deep into their own half. Caught
unawares Ellon had to put up a strong defence and were under immense
pressure for the next seven minutes. Eventually something had to give
and in a well crafted move Stirling’s backs found a gap to snatch a try.
At the half time break the team reformed and , as always with Ellon 6s,
they hit back when behind. It was now the turn of Stirling to defend
against the fired up Ellon forwards. The players continually probed and
drove back the defence until Stirling found their backs to the try
line. With a well-rehearsed move the forwards released the ball to the
backs who found a gap and drove for the line to equalise.
With only seconds left on the clock neither side could find the winning
try so a highly competitive and fair game ended in a deserved draw with
both teams taking the honours.
Ellon 9 Biggar 0
Biggar has in the past proven to be a tough and physical side which has
always been a hand full for any Ellon team. But as Ellon took to the
field the spectators commented on the determined look of the players as
they lined up opposite their opponents.
With the last game only ending ten minutes before, Ellon hit their
stride right from the whistle and in a series of excellent moves Ellon
had soon scored.
Biggar tried to hit back but Ellon’s forwards are well known to be a
formidable unit and the ball was soon back in Ellon’s hands until it was
carried over the line. This pattern was followed for the rest of the
game with Biggar unable to come up with an answer to Ellon’s moves.
Ellon 1 Stewart Melville 4
On the field against what is arguably one of the best teams in Scotland,
this was always going to be an interesting contest with Melville’s
superb backs pitted against the fearsome Ellon forwards.
Melville soon felt the weight of the forwards’ strength and struggled to
contain them in the centre of the pitch. With dogged determination they
pushed forward foot by foot, forcing Melville's backs to commit to
defence. This was the moment Ellon had been waiting for, the ball was
quickly released and the backs found the opening they were looking for
to score. This seemed to take the wind out of Melville’s players who
were reluctant to engage the forwards and by half time Ellon was in
control of the game.
However, Melville substituted their entire team at this point,
presenting Ellon with a fresh team of players. Ellon is never a team to
give up but with tired legs against fresh ones the match swung back in
the favour of Melville. Ellon’s backs were now forced to help the
forwards defend and this left wide gaps for Melville to exploit at will.
Even so, Ellon put up a stout defence and never stopped trying to attack
at any opportunity but they never received the break they so richly
deserved.
Primary 6 team: Lee Adams, Michael Copland, Kristopher Dey, James
Halmshaw, Scott Leng, Sean Marr, Andrew Ovenstone (Capt), Stephen
Robinson, Keith Ross Ellon Tournament – 9-3-03 The Primary 4 and 6 teams from ERFC’s Junior
Section emerged triumphant at the weekend after taking top placing in
their Home Tournament at Ellon Meadows. The Primary 5 and 7 teams also made their mark when
both won through to the semi-finals in their age groups. More than 350 young players from 10clubs took part
in the Tournament, which is the highlight of the ERFC Junior Section
calendar. The event attracted some of the best teams in Scotland with
clubs from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Ayr, Fife, Livingston,
Musselburgh and Aberdeen joining the home club. The standard of rugby at all ages was outstanding
with players aged from eight to 12 demonstrating the skills and talent
which will undoubtedly see many of them called to join national teams in
the future. Tournament organiser, Derek Fraser said that the
success of the event had been down to teamwork. “I’d like to thank all the coaches, parents and
supporters for their help both prior to the event and on the day itself.
The reward for all their hard work was an event, which ran smoothly off
the field and the chance to watch some top class rugby on the field.
“I’d particularly like to thank all our local
players who took part in the tournament. They put heart and soul into
what they were doing and two winners and two semi-finalists was an
excellent result for Ellon. They faced some very tough opposition and
they proved that they were up to the challenge and consolidated Ellon’s
position as one of the best junior and mini sections in the North of
Scotland.” This opening game was always going to be difficult.
Not only did Ellon have to face an unknown team; the P6 team was under
the added pressure of attempting to win the Tournament for an
unprecedented second time. This led to Ellon starting a little hesitantly
which allowed Livingston to take the game to Ellon. However, with a
strong forward line and determined backs all defending superbly,
LivingstoneLivingston made little headway and were prevented from
entering Ellon’s half of the pitch. This is not to say Ellon had it
their own way, the opposition was determined to grind Ellon down until
an error in handling gave the ball to Ellon. Never a team to ignore an
opportunity the forwards relentlessly drove forward slowly sucking in
Livingston players until, with a superb pass to the backs, Ellon was
able to run the first try in. This teamwork was put to good use minutes later
where an identical move once again exposed the opposition’s defences
allowing another try just on half time. With this score under their
belts, the Ellon team took to the field with a new self-belief and was
immediately on the attack and it took all of Livingston to slow the
advance. This however only delayed the inevitable for a couple of
minutes when the pressure got too much and Ellon broke through again to
score. This took the wind out of the opposition and with two minutes
left Ellon again regained possession and went over the line to score. Ellon 5 West of Scotland 0 This team has always proven to be tough opposition
in the past and with only a short time between matches, most spectators
thought that Ellon would have problems, especially since they had no
substitutes. But with the last team out of the way, Ellon’s confidence
knew no bounds and they went on the offence right from the start.
Constantly changing tactics and direction soon had the opposition on the
back foot and Ellon scored in the first minute. West, not to be denied,
tried to hit back but Ellon’s forwards quickly relieved them of the ball
and again unleashed a blistering attack with the enviable result of
another score. With only a couple of minutes to go Ellon were content to
contain West till the whistle. With a brief rest
Ellon were prepared to go on the attack again. Constantly changing
tactics meant West were unable to contain Ellon and by full time Ellon
had run in another three tries with no answer from West. Ellon 7 Aberdeen Grammar 1 This match was not only about the tournament but
also continued a long-running rivalry between these two sides, with
Ellon only losing out once in seven meetings and neither side wanting to
concede this game. Both these teams are well disciplined and
competitive but Ellon are in a class of their own and despite Grammar
putting up a strong defence initially they were quickly overwhelmed.
With each try scored Ellon’s confidence grew and they started to run
riot on the pitch brushing the defence aside to score at will. However,
it must be said that Grammar never gave up and showed tremendous spirit
and despite obvious disappointment were gracious in defeat in the true
spirit of the game. This was a repeat of last year’s final and, with a
strong showing in the other league, Forresters obviously fancied their
chances of beating the under-strength Ellon team. However, with a place
in the final at stake, Ellon was in no mood to let any team get in their
way and from the start they hammered into the opposition’s defence
driving them back with ease. At no time were Forresters allowed to
settle and in eight minutes Ellon were 4 points ahead with no threat
emerging from Forresters. However the half time whistle brought a
surprise when the Forresters coach conceded the game saying that his
players were no match for Ellon. Ellon 1 Stirling 0 This should have been a show case match with
contrasts between the power of Ellon and the flair of Stirling however,
despite Stirling holding Ellon’s initial attack they never looked
settled and it was only a matter of time before Ellon broke through.
When they finally did with 2 minutes still to play in the first half the
result was more dramatic than any one could imagine. Despite having a
full team available Stirling threw in the towel saying that the team was
unable to continue. So, in the most unusual and dramatic circumstances,
Ellon’s Primary 6s found themselves winners for an unprecedented second
year. Primary 6 team: Michael Copland, James Halmshaw,
Scott Leng, Shaun Marr, Andrew Ovenstone (Capt), Stephen Robinson,
Alistair Rodman, Keith Ross Forresters Tournament- 16-03-03 Edinburgh Ellon’s young rugby players were among the
silverware again last weekend after the Primary 4 and Primary 7 teams
both picked up runners-up medals at the annual Forresters’ tournament in
Edinburgh. The Primary 5 and 6 teams also distinguished
themselves by winning their leagues to gain places in the 3-4 playoffs. Ellon 7 Boroughmuir B 0 With Ellon just off the bus after 3hours plus a
shake start was to be expected and Ellon was put on the back foot with
some strong attacking play from the opposition. However Ellon quickly
rallied and started to hold the attack until they were ready to make a
move. This occurred when the forwards managed to force an error and gain
possession. With the by now trademark play of a rolling maul they
quickly gained ground and when the scrum half deemed it right the ball
was past out to the backs to break for the line. Ellon kept on the
pressure and by the half time whistle Ellon found themselves three tries
up. Now with a buffer Ellon really took control of the
game and again it was the powerful attacking play of Ellon that
continually pushed the opposition back albeit grudgingly, once again it
was a pass out to the backs that opened the gap even wider. This really
set the tone for the rest of the match with Ellon finally running in 4
more tries unanswered. Ellon 1 North Berwick 2 This was a match we had looked forward too and
although this was the only team that we had not beaten there was high
hopes that today was the day. The contrast in styles was apparent right
from the start with Berwick’s flowing passing and the power and
aggression of Ellon. Both teams sought to contain the other and a
stalemate developed in the middle of the pitch. However something had to
give and Ellon made a mistake, which allowed Berwick to score just
before half time. Ellon came out fighting at the start of the half
and quickly pushed themselves to the touchline to push over for the
score. Again the play centred on the half way line each team seeking a
mistake unfortunately it was Ellon who allowed Berwick to slip past for
a last minute score. Ellon 3 Forresters 1 With the recent defeat by Ellon, Forresters were
obviously out to win at any costs and the result was at best a highly
competitive game with no quarter being given or asked for. This was a
physical game and to be honest not the best to watch with continual
stoppages which hampered any chance for the game to flow smoothly. The
only positive result from the game was the narrow victory by Ellon,
although the effort had pushed the players to near exhaustion. Ellon 1 Boroughmuir A 4 With only a brief rest, Ellon had to again take to
the field against a rest opposition but this Ellon team never gives in
and although tired they wanted to try for a win. With each attack Ellon
was driven back and were forced to defend on their try line. It was only
a matter of time before the Boroughmuir scored and sure enough the push
drove them over. Ellon tried to hit back but were held in midfield
finally losing the ball. Again they were pushed back and again the
opposition scored. With the half time whistle, the tired players were
grateful for the break. They took to the field determined to recover and
with a mighty push managed to allow the backs to break and score but
this took the last reserves of energy and Boroughmuir scored twice more
in order to win the match. Primary 6 team: Michael Copland, James Halmshaw,
Scott Leng, Shaun Marr, Andrew Ovenstone (Capt), Stephen Robinson, Keith
Ross, Rory Yuill. Howe of Fife Tournament – 30/03/03 Ellon’s Primary 7 team was among the silverware for
the second week in a row when they took the runners’ up awards at the
Howe of Fife tournament last weekend. It was a well-deserved victory
with each member of the team playing consistently well throughout the
tournament and maintaining his determination to never give up. Teams from Primaries 4 to 6 also performed well as
they took on teams from Perthshire, St Andrews, Edinburgh and
Dunfermline as well as the Cupar-based home club. The Primary 6 team got off to a slow start, the
Forwards were forced onto the defence by a strong Currie attack, but by
sheer strength were able to force Currie back into their own half. The game was played in the middle of the pitch with
the Ellon forwards unable to get the ball out. With a couple of errors
by Ellon Currie went into the break 2-0 up. The second half was another
close fought tussle with Currie scoring a further try. Ellon 3 Perthshire 0 Ellon came out determined to do better in this
game. The Ellon forwards worked very hard to get the ball out wide to
the backs but they were held back by strong defensive play by
Perthshire. Ellon’s pressure paid off eventually when the
Forwards forced a gap to go over for a try. In the second half the Backs were able to open a
few holes in the Perthshire defence. After another hard drive by the
Forwards, the Backs burst through to score. With time running out, Ellon
managed to get the ball over the line for a third time. It soon became evident that the Ellon forwards were
not at their best in this game. They became bogged down in the centre of
the pitch and lost the ball to the Madras attack several times and had
to fight to contain them. Madras slowly pushed their way up field and
eventually their small winger managed to find his way through to score.
Ellon rallied for the rest of the half and kept trying to get the ball
up the wing. Just before the interval the Madras winger was able to make
one of his jinking runs to score. In the second half, Ellon made far less unforced
errors and both teams were looking for the gap. Ellon was first to
break through with a try. They continued trying to force the pace but
caught on the break allowing Madras to add to their score. After a team talk, Ellon took to the pitch
determined to make up for the previous games. The forwards rediscovered
the rolling maul for which Dunfermline had no answer. They quickly made
ground and the backs ran through to score. The forwards quickly running up the field made the
next score. Ellon opened up the game for the rest of the half with the
Backs over-running the Dunfermline defence on both wings to score four
more tries. After the break, Ellon changed their attack and
tried a few different moves, which led to another three tries being
scored without reply. Ellon took to the pitch for the final game
determined to show they were back on form against a team they have had
close tussles with in the past. It was from open flowing rugby that
Ellon gained ground and it was not long before the backs had scored two
tries. With more hard driving and more use of the rolling
maul, the forwards put on two more tries before the break. In the second half, Ellon tried to vary the game
again and were not long in scoring. Then, due to a lapse in
concentration the allowed Howe to break through for a try. Ellon managed
a sixth try before the final whistle. Special mentions go to Derek Gault and Jamie Ingram
who were playing with the team for the first time and look like good
prospects for the future. Primary 6 team: Michael Copland, Derek Gault, James
Halmshaw, Jamie Ingram, Scott Leng, Shaun Marr, Andrew Ovenstone (Capt),
Stephen Robinson, Keith Ross, Alistair Rodman
Stewart’s Melville Friendly Tournament 13-9-2003
Ellon’s young rugby players kicked off their new season in good form at
the weekend, when a bus load of youngsters from the Junior Section’s
P4-P7 squads travelled to the Stewart’s Melville grounds in Edinburgh to
compete against four other clubs. It
was a particular learning experience for the P4 and P5 teams who were
playing for the first time to new SRU guidelines. The new format
sees these younger squads now play six-a-side rather than eight-a-side
teams in games which encourage players to make more use of available
space and to pass out from tackles to keep the play flowing. The
Ellon P6 team travelled to Edinburgh with only five players but luckily
was able to borrow some players from Stewart’s Melville. These
were basically training games to help the boys get back up to speed. The
boys all worked very hard and gave their all. Obviously these were the
first games of the season so passing, tackling and support play were all
a bit rusty at times. But there was also some very good play with Alick
Ross and Keith Esson making good breaks and linking well, as well as
well as putting in some great tackles. Callum Cruickshank made good
bursts through the line and passed well. Jamie Cochrane organised his
team well and was always there to lend a hand. Ben Stubbs worked hard on
the wing trying to break through into space and also did some excellent
tidying up work. It was a good afternoon’s work which gave the coaches
the opportunity to see the areas they need to work on. The
results of the four games were: Ellon 3 Marr 1; Ellon 0 Watsonians 4;
Ellon 3 Heriots 5; Ellon 2 Stewart Melville 5
Primary 6 team: Jamie Cochrane, Callum Cruickshank, Keith Esson, Alick
Ross, Ben Stubbs. Stirling Friendly Tournament- 28-09-03 ELLON’S young rugby players had their second set of
encounters of the season when the Primary 4 to 7 squads travelled to
Stirling to take part in a friendly tourney against three other clubs.
Depleted numbers meant that some Ellon teams were short on numbers
but the host side, which has a very strong junior section, lent out some
of its players which gave all the sides the chance of some good mixed
team training. It was
a particularly successful day for the Primary 4 team which won all of
its games. The Ellon Primary 6 team just had five players
available for the journey down to Stirling. However when they arrived at their
destination, the Stirling coaches agreed to lend Ellon some players giving both teams the
chance to use the day as some valuable match practice. Ellon took the opportunity to change some of their
players’ positions, as there was a certain amount of duplication with
the borrowed players. The Ellon team played against two different teams
from Stirling and a team from McLaren. They showed that when they had
the ball and they were going forward they were as good as any of the
other three teams. Jamie Cochrane varied his distribution well to set
up some good moves down either side of the pitch. Ben Stubbs made some
useful runs on the wing and put in some very timely tackles, Hayden
Millar put in some very good jinking runs and backed up play well. Keith
Esson used his speed to very good effect and his tackling was very
effective and Alick Ross did some very good driving and his backing up
was very good. The players put in some very good work on the day
and their individual strengths showed through, as did their ability to
play out of position and to adjust to different teammates. Primary 6 team: Jamie Cochrane, Keith Esson, Hayden
Millar, Alick Ross, Ben Stubbs. Glasgow Accies Tournament
05.10.03 Ellon’s
youngest rugby team have kickstarted their season in great style when
they returned home from their first tournament of the season bearing the
winner’s trophy. This is
the second year in succession that a Primary 4 team from Ellon has taken
top place in the Glasgow Accies Tournament. This year it was presented
by Glasgow Rugby's Rory Kerr. Last year’s P4 winners – the new Primary 5
– also racked up a success when they took the runners up placing in
their age group this year. And
while the Primary 4 to 7 squads were playing in Glasgow, for the first
time in recent history, the weekend saw all roads lead south as Ellon’s
other young teams also headed to the Central Belt – the S1 and 2 to
Edinburgh and the Under 16s to Dunfermline. The
Primary 6 team has done well in the past at this tournament, but
unfortunately this time round there was a shortage of players.
Thankfully, the team got some help from North Berwick and Whitecraigs.
North
Berwick has always been one of Ellon’s bogie teams but recently we have
getting closer to beating them. This time North Berwick were even
fitter, faster and better organised than ever. The Ellon boys tried to
break their way through but the Berwick defence was sound and as soon as
they had the ball they would pass it out to their quick backs who would
score. In the second half the P6 team play did improve and did make the
Berwick team work harder but could not stop the flow of scores.
This is
a team the P6s have done well against in the past and started well
against them this time. The Ellon forwards, Alick Ross and Keith Esson,
were linking well and making good progress but would then lose the ball
once tackled. Whitecraigs had a big, very quick back, who managed to run
round everybody to score. Ellon then worked their way back up the park,
with the forwards and backs linking well to score in the corner. Callum
Cruickshank made a good break up the wing but got caught before the
line. At the start of the second half the P6s let in a soft try. They
regrouped and started to look for the holes in the Whitecraigs line and
made good breaks but could not get the support there in time to keep the
move going. Whitecraigs then got the upper hand and managed to score 3
more times. Ellon
7 Glasgow High Kelvinside 4 After a
break, the P6 team was on against GHK, a team we have not played for
some time. The Ellon team started very well with good drives and support
play from Esson and Ross and were soon 3 - 0 ahead. GHK was not going to
sit back though and broke through and scored. Ellon scored one more
before half time. The P6s were gaining in confidence with Ben Stubbs
disrupting the GHK attacks while Cruickshank and Hayden Millar were
making good breaks and Ellon soon scored. GHK then got the bit between
their teeth and came back and scored twice. The game was now quite
frantic with both teams making good attacking moves and Ellon drove over
to score twice more while GHK managed another one.
Primary 6 team:
Callum Cruickshank, Keith Esson, Hayden Millar, Alick Ross, Ben Stubbs. Glasgow Accies Tournament
05.10.03 Ellon’s
youngest rugby team have kickstarted their season in great style when
they returned home from their first tournament of the season bearing the
winner’s trophy. This is
the second year in succession that a Primary 4 team from Ellon has taken
top place in the Glasgow Accies Tournament. This year it was presented
by Glasgow Rugby's Rory Kerr. Last year’s P4 winners – the new Primary 5
– also racked up a success when they took the runners up placing in
their age group this year. And
while the Primary 4 to 7 squads were playing in Glasgow, for the first
time in recent history, the weekend saw all roads lead south as Ellon’s
other young teams also headed to the Central Belt – the S1 and 2 to
Edinburgh and the Under 16s to Dunfermline. The
Primary 6 team has done well in the past at this tournament, but
unfortunately this time round there was a shortage of players.
Thankfully, the team got some help from North Berwick and Whitecraigs.
North
Berwick has always been one of Ellon’s bogie teams but recently we have
getting closer to beating them. This time North Berwick were even
fitter, faster and better organised than ever. The Ellon boys tried to
break their way through but the Berwick defence was sound and as soon as
they had the ball they would pass it out to their quick backs who would
score. In the second half the P6 team play did improve and did make the
Berwick team work harder but could not stop the flow of scores.
This is
a team the P6s have done well against in the past and started well
against them this time. The Ellon forwards, Alick Ross and Keith Esson,
were linking well and making good progress but would then lose the ball
once tackled. Whitecraigs had a big, very quick back, who managed to run
round everybody to score. Ellon then worked their way back up the park,
with the forwards and backs linking well to score in the corner. Callum
Cruickshank made a good break up the wing but got caught before the
line. At the start of the second half the P6s let in a soft try. They
regrouped and started to look for the holes in the Whitecraigs line and
made good breaks but could not get the support there in time to keep the
move going. Whitecraigs then got the upper hand and managed to score 3
more times. Ellon
7 Glasgow High Kelvinside 4 After a
break, the P6 team was on against GHK, a team we have not played for
some time. The Ellon team started very well with good drives and support
play from Esson and Ross and were soon 3 - 0 ahead. GHK was not going to
sit back though and broke through and scored. Ellon scored one more
before half time. The P6s were gaining in confidence with Ben Stubbs
disrupting the GHK attacks while Cruickshank and Hayden Millar were
making good breaks and Ellon soon scored. GHK then got the bit between
their teeth and came back and scored twice. The game was now quite
frantic with both teams making good attacking moves and Ellon drove over
to score twice more while GHK managed another one.
Primary 6 team:
Callum Cruickshank, Keith Esson, Hayden Millar, Alick Ross, Ben Stubbs. |