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Saturday's match against North Berwick was
late in starting as the tourists were caught up in the post congestion charge
'No' vote road works which haunts our city and didn't reach Wardie until 15
minutes before kick-off.
Your match report this week is in full as I
am about to become the latest addition to the married ranks within the Club and
it was advised (by the wife-to-be) that perhaps playing was not the best option
in order to prevent injury.
The North Berwick side we caught cold after
only 3 minutes when Arrandale took a quick tap-penalty 15 metres out and popped
up a delightful pass to the on-running O'Neill for Demon to go over for the
opening try. Alex Guest missed the conversion. 5-0.
Broughton, who were Captained for the day by
scrum-half Daniel Arrandale, opted to play up the Wardie slope in the first half
and within 11 minutes were half way towards earning a precious bonus point.
Arrandale posted a well weighted pass to Paul Hamer and the Aussie held off a
couple of players in the tackle to run in from 22 yards. Guest atoned for
his earlier miss in front of the sticks and put Broughton 12-0 up.
Sarge, our short Antipodean friend at full
back, saved a certain score midway through the opening half when he administered
a perfect tackle to prevent the flying winger from going in for a comeback try.
On the half hour, Broughton turned the screw
further into the North Berwick coffin when O'Neill thwarted a breakaway from the
back of a scrum by the visiting scrum-half. The ball was spilled from the tackle
into the path of Hamer who showed soccer skills that wouldn't have looked out of
place at Hampden and he collected the ball on the bounce some 2 yards out to
fall over the line. Guest made it 2 out of 3 on the conversion count to
make it 19-0.
The bonus point was secured 3 minutes before
the break when one of the best uphill breaks seen at Wardie this season by
Centre 'Ned' Kelly saw the Broughton man carry the ball single handed whilst
throwing the odd dummy for some 30 metres before passing the ball out to the
onrushing Martineau on the right wing. Hamish, who hasn't now been skiing
for oh, 2 weeks at least, took it on the outside and managed to release the ball
back before being bundled into touch to Guest who waltz in for a score, which he
duly obliged with another successful extra 2 points from the kick. Half-time
26-0.
With the match won and a bonus point secured,
Broughton rung the changes at half-time with Paul Maddison, Andy Dalgleish and
Murray Dow coming on Sargeant, Mowbray & Arrandale respectively. It was
Murray's first appearance for the 1st XV this season since his return from
working in Barbados. The wee scrum-half played rugby over there whilst away, so,
what chance a tour to sunny climes next year......
Back to the action, of which the second half
was pretty much devoid of, and it was stand-off Guest who went over unapposed
after collecting the ball 15 metres out on the angled run. Guest duly
obliged once more with the extras. 33-0.
So, 33-0, playing downhill, 36 minutes to
go...would your scribe need extra paper to carry on his report? No, he may
well have needed extra caffeine to keep him awake in what was a dour half,
littered with errors and mistakes. Admittedly, the match was well won and
the Broughton guys had achieved what they had set out to do. They tried a
few things which came off and some tricky wee plays didn't but yes, 5 points is
5 points.
The match came alive again in the last 10
minutes when the visitors earned a consolation score which was duly converted to
make it 33-7 but it was the home side who had the last laugh.
Hamer rounded off a good day at the office
when the collected his own chip and chase in front of the visitors posts to fall
over for the final try of the day which allowed Guest to notch up his 20th point
of the day by poking the ball through the posts.
Final Score: Broughton 40-07 North Berwick
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