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News Article |
| MORAY 40-8 STRATHSPEY |
| Tue 6th Oct 2009 |
 Moray put on an impressive display last Saturday when they beat Strathspey by 40 points to 8, in their first home Scottish Hydro Electric Caledonia League Division 2 (NW) fixture of the season at Morriston.
They kicked off, playing up hill into a strong wind and immediately took the game to the Kingussie side. In the 6th minute, they took a 3-0 lead when full-back Jamie Hickie landed a penalty when the opponents went ‘over the top’ in the 22.
Playing conditions were difficult because as well as the wind, the teams had to contend with rain showers. Nonetheless, both teams showed their intent to run the ball.
In the 13th minute, several phases of running play took the Elgin side close to the goal line. Strathspey were caught offside and a second penalty was awarded. Hickie landed the penalty to increase the lead to 6-0.
The home side were in the ascendancy and were mostly pegging their opponents back into their half.
In the 23rd minute, Moray opened their try account. Open play took the position to the 22 and set ruck ball was spun wide. Centre Kieron Ross took the ball on the crash and burst his way through a couple of tackles to score under the posts. This made it easy for Hickie to land the conversion and a 13-0 lead.
Three minutes later, a good run by left wing Douglas Ireland, took the home side back in the opposing 22. A ruck was set midfield and the arriving Kingussie players went straight ‘over the top’ giving away a third penalty. Hickie slotted the kick for 16-0.
In the 32nd minute, a penalty to Strathspey, on the home 10 metre line, was run but halted on the 22. A second penalty was given for an ‘over the top’ offence and again this was quickly taken. A maul formed and the forwards drove the ball over the line to score. The difficult wide kick was missed leaving the score 16-5.
In the final minute of the half, Moray returned to the opposing 22. Five metres out, they knocked on and a defending scrum was given. A squint feed gave the Elgin side the penalty and a quick tap by scrum-half Jimmy Young and feed to flanker Craig Forster allowed the No 7 to force his way to the line for the score. Hickie pulled the conversion attempt wide leaving the half time score Moray 21 Strathspey 5.
The Kingussie side reduced the leeway to 21-8 early in the second half when an ‘over the top’ decision was given in the 22.
Moray returned to the offensive and had three good opportunities to score in the next 15 minutes but missed out on each occasion. In the 70th minute, however, they extended the lead. A solid scrum, 5 metres out from the opposition goal line, was picked up by No 8 Dave Porter and he drove round the scrum, broke a couple of tackles and scored. Hickie converted for 28-8.
The home side were now thinking of a fourth and bonus point earning try. They came close on a couple of occasions but it was not until the 75th minute that they crossed the line. Porter drove blind from a scrum 5 pick up and the resultant ruck ball was spun out to centre Ryan Anderson who drew the defence and fed the ball to replacement wing Gary Burton to score out wide. The difficult kick was missed leaving the score 33-8.
With two minutes to the whistle, Moray rounded of a very satisfactory afternoon when Forster scored his 2nd try. He picked the ball up at a scrum on the 22 and brushed aside a couple of despairing tackles on his way to the line. Hickie converted to leave the final score Moray 40 Strathspey 8.
It had been a good all round display by the Moray team in very difficult weather conditions. The game had been dominated from the kick-off and they had scored five good tries. The backs posed real problems with ball in hand and the forwards had been solid in all aspects of tight play. The back row covered every blade of grass and Craig Forster thoroughly deserved his ‘Man of the Match’ award for an outstanding display at flanker and scoring two tries.
This Saturday, Moray make the long road and ferry trip to Stornoway. Confidence will have been taken from the Strathspey game but the islanders have had a good start to the season and currently sit third in the league.
(More images from this match can be found here.)
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Caledonia 2 North |
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| Aberdeenshire |
12 |
46 |
| Highland 2nd XV |
11 |
46 |
| Moray |
12 |
40 |
| Ross Sutherland |
10 |
22 |
| Banff |
12 |
19 |
| Mackie |
10 |
10 |
| Aberdeen Grammar 2nd XV |
9 |
1 |
|
Last 1st XV Game |
| 1st XV Season (2021/22) |
| Banff 33 - 39 Moray |
| 5th Mar 22 - KO: 15:00 |
| Venue: Duff House |
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