P7
Fixture
List
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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 LENZIE 2 Ellon were pushed right back on to their line from the off, but Craig Peet picked up a loose ball and made a break up the wing. Good back up from Andrew Ovenstone and Michael Copland took Ellon to the Lenzie 5m line where they met a strong Lenzie defence. Ellon was unable to find a gap and it was a Lenzie winger who picked up a loose ball and was able to outpace the Ellon lads to get the first score. At the restart Jamie Cochrane fed the ball to Copland who ran from one side of the field to the other then passed to James Halmshaw who opened a gap to let Ryan Turnbull in to score. Right from the whistle in the second half Ovenstone made a break up the left wing where Ellon was awarded a penalty. Keith Ross, Shaun Marr and David Evans made a big drive with the ball, before feeding it out to Copland who scored in the corner. Peet ran in Ellon’s next score following a scrum inside the Ellon half. Lenzie got one back soon after the restart when Ellon missed some crucial tackles to let them through. But this was followed by strong running from Derek Gault who made good distance into the Lenzie half where the last score of the game came when Ellon won the ball from a scrum and Michael Duncan fed the ball to Copland who was too fast for Lenzie. ELLON 0 GLASGOW ACCIES 5 Ellon got off to a strong start when the forwards drove Accies right back to their 5m line. Accies regained control when they won a loose ball and took it back to the halfway line then ran in the first try from a scrum. For most of the rest of the half the ball was in the Accies half of the pitch, with the Ellon forwards recycling the ball well and trying to make room for the backs to break through. Into the second half and it was Accies who managed to drive Ellon back and get in to score. Ellon kept trying to pressurise Accies into a mistake, but a very disciplined defence kept Ellon out while they managed to score three more tries. ELLON 0 MARR 7 Marr were able to drive Ellon back to their own line in the first move of this game, there was then some static play with neither side giving an inch but Marr's pressure eventually paid off and they got the first score. The rest of the half was end-to-end rugby but Marr scored right on the half time. In the second half, Ellon tried to come back into the match but Marr ran in a further 5 tries, mainly thanks to one very fast centre. Primary 7 squad: Jamie Cochrane, Michael Copland, Michael Duncan, David Evans, Derek Gault, James Halmshaw, Shaun Marr, Andrew Ovenstone, Craig Peet, Keith Ross, Ryan Turnbull
Stirling Tourney – 18.04.04
ELLON'S young rugby Bravehearts were on the competition trail again at the weekend when teams from the Primary 4, 5, 6 and 7 age groups travelled south to take part in the Stirling RFC tournament. This time out though, the teams which have been on a winning streak recently, had to come home empty handed although the Primary 4 and 5 teams both made it through to the semi-finals. Local rugby fans will have the chance to see Ellon's young teams in action at the Meadows during May Day weekend in what promises to be a bumper display of youth rugby. On Saturday, May 1, Ellon will host its first S1/S2 Sevens Tournament with eight teams from all over Scotland competing. The following day will see the annual Ellon Mini Tournament for P4-P7 players.
Ellon travelled to Stirling with just seven players in the Primary 7 team but were able to borrow a player from Howe of Fife. This left a very forward-orientated team which lacked some of the faster backs. Although Ellon contested well in all the games they played in, some of the teams they were up against had fast wingers and once they got the ball out to them, Ellon did not have the speed to stop them. There was some very good play from the forwards, with Keith Ross, Shaun Marr and David Evans combining well to make some very good drives up the field. James Halmshaw made some useful jinking runs and Ryan Turnbull was always quick to spot any gaps in the opposition line. Michael Copland used his speed to good effect down both wings and Andrew Ovenstone played his usual steady game in the middle, directing plays. Ellon's top scorer of the day was Shaun Marr with four tries. The other try scorers were Mike Copland, James Halmshaw, Keith Ross and Ryan Turnbull who all got two tries each. Results: Ellon 0 Stirling County Monument 7 Ellon 1 Linlithgow 5 Ellon 3 Howe of Fife 5 Ellon 3 Biggar 3 Ellon 3 Stirling Castle 5: Ellon 2 Madras 6
Primary 7 team: Michael Copland, David Evans, James Halmshaw, Shaun Marr, Andrew Ovenstone, Keith Ross, Ryan Turnbull.
Howe o Fife Tournament – 28.03.04
Ellon's Primary 4 rugby team was in the medals again at the weekend when they took runners-up place in their age group at the Howe of Fife Mini Tournament. Teams from the ERFC Junior Section's primaries 5, 6 and 7 age groups also took part in the event.
Ellon 1 Stirling County 3
Ellon managed to stop the first Stirling County drive and Michael Copland got the ball into the Stirling half before he was tackled. Stirling regained the ball and got it out to their winger who managed to evade the Ellon defence to score. From the restart some good driving from Shaun Marr and David Evans with good support from James Halmshaw saw Ellon get to within two metres of the Stirling line before Stirling cleared with a kick. The bounce favoured Stirling and they got their second try. It was now Ellon's turn to defend on their line but Craig Peet passed to Andrew Ovenstone who had an open path to score for Ellon. The second half saw both teams trying to find an opening but the defence on both sides stood firm. There was some very good end to end rugby with Stirling getting their third try right on the final whistle.
Ellon 0 Madras 6
This was a game with two distinctly different halves. In the first half, both teams were very evenly matched and Ellon were unlucky to go in at half time two tries down. Ellon played some varied rugby with Jamie Cochrane feeding the ball to the backs from some set pieces and at other times utilising the strength of the forwards. For most of the second half Ellon did not seem to be able to do anything right; all their moves broke down and Madras took full advantage and run in four more tries. Ellon came back into the game in the last few minutes but were unable to break down a well-disciplined Madras defence.
Ellon 0 Stewart Melville 7
Ellon were slightly overpowered by a very strong Stew Mel team, but the final score does not reflect how hard the Ellon players worked. This was a game in which the lack of match play showed and the extra sharpness of Stewart Melville punished any error that Ellon made.
Ellon 2 Dunfermline 5
Ellon came out determined not to let the last two scores get them down, and early pressure led to them getting a lineout just inside the Dunfermline half. The ball was quickly fed out and Ross was round quickly to back up Peet and Copland and he followed this by rolling out of a couple of tackles and going on to score. But Dunfermline pulled back and scored twice before half time. Into the second half and Turnbull picked up a loose ball and made a break which was followed by some good recycling of the ball and, with the whole team supporting well, Halmshaw was able to force his way through for a try. There was more very closely contested rugby but it was Dunfermline that got the breaks to score three more times.
Ellon 1 Howe of Fife 4
Ellon were soon in the Howe five metre area but from a lineout Howe exposed Ellon's lack of width and their winger ran the length of the pitch to score. From the restart, the Ellon backs were straight up to the Howe try area with the forwards in close support and they were able to drive the ball to the line where Marr forced his way over to score. The rest of the game saw both teams win equal share of the ball, but again it was Howe that was able to turn their possession into points.
Primary 7 coach Duncan Ross said that apart from a loss in concentration in the second game the scores did not reflect the amount of possession that Ellon had during the games. "The lack of match practice is shown in the teams' inability to convert possession into tries, but they are showing positive improvement with every game. The team was also short on players and had to borrow two guest players from other teams." Primary 7 team: - Jamie Cochrane, Michael Copland, David Evans, James Halmshaw, Shaun Marr, Andrew Ovenstone, Craig Peet, Keith Ross and Ryan Turnbull.
West of Scotland - 18.01.04 Ellon's young rugby players took on the elements as well as the opposition when they travelled to Milngavie near Glasgow to compete against home club West of Scotland and visitors Helensburgh and Hillhead Jordanhill. Despite the appalling weather, the players from the P4 to P7 squads gave a good account of themselves despite not having played competitive rugby for almost two months.
Ellon 5 Helensburgh 1 The first few minutes of this game were played within a few metres of the centre line as both teams struggled to come to terms with the conditions.
Four minutes into the game, Ellon got possession from a loose ball, and with most of the team involved, moved the ball from the right wing right across the pitch giving James Halmshaw the chance to cross the line for the first score.
Ellon quickly regained the ball from the start and Keith Ross made a break up the left wing, the ball was passed inside to Ryan Turnbull who scored the second try. Ellon were soon in possession again, with Shaun Marr putting in some good tackles. David Evans got the ball to Derek Gault, who drove up the pitch with Evans and Marr in close support. The ball was passed out to the left wing and Michael Copland went on to score.
Helensburgh won the ball from a lineout and broke through to get to the Ellon 5m line. Ellon got the ball back and Andrew Ovenstone ran halfway up the pitch before passing to Craig Peet who outran the opposition to score.
Into the 2nd half and Helensburgh broke right through the Ellon centre to score. There followed some close fought rugby with the conditions leading to quite a lot of loose ball. Just before the end, Ellon won the ball from a scrum and Zander Hart got the ball out to Copland who evaded a couple of tackles to score the final try of the game.
Ellon 0 Hillhead 7
In the first half of this game Ellon let the conditions, and the opposition get the better of them. The Ellon players found it very difficult to hold onto the ball and Hillhead made full use of Ellon's mistakes to run in five tries before half time. In the second half, Ellon started to string passes together and started to take the game to Hillhead but could not break through a well disciplined defence. Hillhead went on to score a further two tries on the break. The team coaches were satisfied with the way the team played after not having played a competitive game for two months. It was good to see that even in the second game, when things were not working out they did not give up and kept trying to the final whistle.
Primary 7 squad: - Michael Copland, David Evans, Derek Gault, James Halmshaw, Zander Hart, Shaun Marr, Andrew Ovenstone, Craig Peet, Keith Ross, Ryan Turnbull.
Aberdeen Grammar - 14 .12 .03
IT was a cold and windswept Rubislaw ground that greeted the Ellon's S1 and S2 squads when they travelled to Aberdeen to play Grammar on Sunday. But while the weather may have been chill but the action on the field was anything but with some fine rugby being played despite the conditions. This was the junior section's last encounter until late January. The break provides an ideal opportunity for any youngster hoping to become the next Johnny Wilkinson to come to the Meadows and try the game. Training takes
place on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Any lads or lasses
interested in playing rugby at should contact Junior Section Convener
Colin Tennant on 01358 723064. A
scratch team made up of S1's and P7's matched up against Aberdeen
A vast improvement
in the second half saw Ellon place Grammar under severe pressure, which
enabled them to capitalise and draw level late in the second period.
Heriots, Edinburgh – 4.11.03 Ellon RFC Junior Section's mini teams headed south once again last weekend to take part in a friendly tournament hosted by Heriots in Edinburgh. They found competition against the home team and also against teams from Boroughmuir and also took part in some mixed "Barbarian" games which gave them the chance to play with, and meet, new players.
Primary 6/7As this was a friendly competition the Ellon P6 & P7 teams combined their players to form one team. Ellon 1 Heriots 1 In their first match against Heriots the Ellon Primary 6 players did very well to support the P7's in a very evenly balanced game which finished up as a draw . Ellon 1 Boroughmuir A 8 The Ellon players just had a few minutes rest before they were back on against the Bourghmuir A team. The first half of this game was all Boutrghmuir and they ran in a few unanswered tries. In the second half Ellon came back into the game and used their strong forwards to drive the Bourghmuir team back into their own half for quite long periods. Ellon/Boroughmuir 1 Heriots 6 For the next match players combined with some Bourghmuir P6's for a match against Heriots. The combined team played very well and went in at half time 1 - 0 up. Heriots fielded a stronger team for the second half and although the combined team never gave in, Heriots proved too strong and eventually ran out clear winners Ellon 7 Boroughmuir B 1 The P7's third game was against Bourghmuir B. The hard driving Ellon forwards proved too strong for their opponents and they opened up gaps for both the backs and forwards to run in some very good tries P6/P7 Team: Michael Copland, Callum Cruickshank, Keith Esson, David Evans, James Halmshaw, Shaun Marr, Andrew Ovenstone, Stephen Robinson, Greg Roger, Alick Ross and Keith Ross
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.
Ellon 0 North Berwick 12The final score in
this encounter does no justice to the way the Ellon team played in this
game. Throughout this game Ellon kept trying to pressurise the Berwick
team, but they are very experienced and their superior discipline showed.
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.
Illness-related late pullouts meant that Ellon travelled to Edinburgh with just eight players in the Primary 7 squad. However the team from Heriots had arrived with a very big squad and agreed to lend Ellon four players.
Ellon 0 Marr 1 With a quick introduction to their temporary teammates, the Ellon P7s took to the pitch for the first game of the season. Ellon took the ball right up to the Marr 5metre line where they lost the ball due to an unforced error. Marr used their position well and drove Ellon back into their own half and went over to score the only try of the game. The rest of the game followed the same pattern with Ellon winning some good ball only to lose it with poor passing or losing it in the rucks and mauls and then having to defend.
Ellon 1 Stewart’s Melville 7 Stewart Melville started this game at a fast pace but gave away a penalty 10metres into the Ellon half. From the tap, Stew Mel forced Ellon into a handling error and broke through to score. Stew Mel scored a further two tries by using better discipline in the rucks and mauls, and having an extra man in the line when the ball came free. Ellon proved that when they retained the ball they could penetrate the Stew Mel defence and score. The second half saw Stew Mel's better discipline prove still too much for Ellon and they went on to score a further four tries.
Ellon 1 Heriots 2 Ellon pushed Heriots right back to their 5metre line from the start. Heriots won a loose ball and with the wind at their backs, put a clearance kick 3/4 back down the pitch. In the resulting chase for the ball, Heriots knocked on. They then won the ball in the scrum and managed to push over for a try. There followed some end to end rugby before Heriots got their second try. In the second half, Ellon’s tackling improved considerably, and they were able to stop the Heriots attacks and most of the play was in the Heriots half. The pressure was enough to get the Ellon team a try. The games showed up Ellon's lack of match practice, but it also showed up some of their strengths which gave the coaches confidence that the team will improve and go on to win their share of future matches. The coaches would also like to welcome David Evans into the team. Primary 7 team:- Michael Copland, David Evans, Derek Gault, James Halmshaw, Shaun Marr, Andrew Ovenstone, Stephen Robinson, Keith Ross
Stirling 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.
Ellon 2 Stirling A 4
The first game of the day saw Ellon get off to a slow start after the bus journey from Ellon to Stirling. The team put up a gallant fight in this encounter but lost out to the host team although a draw would have more accurately reflected just how close this match was.
Ellon 1 Stirling B 6
The second encounter against a Stirling team saw the home squad displaying its ability to interchange players to its advantage which gave them the edge and although the Ellon boys never gave up, they resigned themselves to the final score.
Ellon 2 Linlithgow 1
Injuries meant that Ellon was two players down for the final game of the day but their opponents very generously lent two players. Undaunted by their previous defeats, the Ellon team put in a gallant effort and should be congratulated for their success in this game. Primary 7 Team: Michael Copland, David Evans, Derek Gault, James Halmshaw, Andrew Ovenstone, Shaun Marr, Stephen Robinson, Keith Ross, Scott Youngman.
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