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News Article |
| MORAY 85 STORNOWAY 14 |
| Fri 13th May 2011 |
Moray, having secured promotion three weeks earlier, continued their great season by comprehensively defeating Stornoway by 85 points to 14 in the semi-final of the Brin Cup at Morriston Playing Fields last Saturday.
The Islanders kicked off and immediately looked lively and physical as they took the game into the home 22. Moray, however, were strong in defence, broke out of their half and in the 5th minute took the lead. Clean ball from a scrum 5 was moved to stand-off Craig Forster and he stepped inside his opposite number to score. Wing Dale Smith added the conversion points for a 7-0 lead.
Five minutes later, centre Ryan Anderson added a second converted try for 14-0 when he finished off a move started by Forster on the opposition 10 metre line.
In the 15th minute, Anderson broke from his own 22 and captain and centre Marc Higgins did well to get up in support and receive the pass to run in the score. Smith added the conversion points for 21-0.
Three minutes later, Forster scored his second try in almost an identical fashion to his first but this time the forwards did well in winning the scrum 5 against the head. With Smith adding the conversion, the score stretched to 28-0.
In the 25th minute, some physical play by Stornoway took them into the home 22 where they won a penalty. With the defence disorganised, a quick penalty was taken and a converted try scored to reduce the lead to 28-7.
Three minutes later, the Elgin side restored their 28 point lead when a good break by scrum-half Johnny Haslam, from his 10 metre line, and then two short passes created the space for Smith to run in a score which he converted.
On the stroke of half time, the Islanders added a second converted try after several phases of driving play in the home 22, leaving the half time score Moray 35 Stornoway 14.
Two tries in the first 5 minutes of the second half put the home side in a very comfortable position.
The first, and his second, was scored by Higgins when he stepped inside his man after the ball was spun wide following some good driving play by the forwards.
Replacement second-row Ramsay Hogg scored the second when he latched on to a loose tapped back ball from a Stornoway line, 10 metres out.
In the 49th minute a move down the left wing was brought to a ruck, 10 metres out. Wing-forward Neil Wiseman timed his run well and broke the defence to score. Smith pushed the conversion attempt leaving the score 52-14.
Eight minutes later and at a scrum 5, Aled Herbert, who had moved from full-back to scrum-half, stole muddled ball and a couple of passes later, wing Andrew McBean scored an unconverted try for 57-14.
In a period of six minutes around the 65th minute, Moray ran in three further converted tries for 78-14.
Replacement wing Ewan Simpson was provider for the first when, after a run down the right wing, he offloaded inside to hooker Dan Thomas to score.
Having been provider, he turned scorer of the second when he collected cleared ball from the Stornoway 22 and sliced his way through the defence to score.
The third was the best when Haslam, now at stand-off, broke and in the tackle brilliantly offloaded to Wiseman to score his second.
Three minutes from time, Smith scored his second of the afternoon after a good handling move which emanated from the half-way line. He converted his own try for 85-14, the final score.
It had been a good all round display by the Moray side and they had scored 13 good tries. Up front the forwards got the better of the tight taking a couple against the head and in the open, they dominated a physical Stornoway pack. Behind the scrum, the Moray backs played with pace and invention and were always in support when a break was made.
The Brin Cup Final is to be played this weekend and the toss of a coin has given fellow finalists Orkney the home advantage. Although a very early start is required to make the trip, the squad are very much up for, and looking forward to the final.
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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 |
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10 |
10 |
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9 |
1 |
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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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