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News Article |
| BRIN CUP FINAL - ORKNEY 0 - MORAY 39 |
| Wed 18th May 2011 |
 Moray rounded off a great season last Saturday when they defeated Orkney by 39 points to nil in the final of the Brin Cup, played in Orkney.
For the first 15 minutes of the game, the two teams were particularly nervous and saw them spoil the few chances through unenforced errors. In this period, the home side were the stronger running but the Elgin side were solid and determined in the tackle and never looked like being breached.
In the 17th minute, the first meaningful attack by the visitors produced a penalty in front of the posts. Dale Smith stepped up and landed the kick for a 0-3 lead.
Eight minutes later, ball from a scrum in the Orkney half was quickly moved wide to Andrew McBean. He checked inside the tackler and then brushed aside the last ditch tackle to make the line. Smith converted for a 0-10.
Moray were now exerting their mark on the game and in the 35thminute increased the lead. The home side strayed offside at a scrum and gave away thepenalty which Smith kicked for 0-13.
Two minutes before the break, the Elgin side won clean scrum ball and a delayed pass by Johnny Haslamput captainMarc Higgins on a crash ball. He broke the tackle and racedto the line for a score which was converted by Smith, leaving the half time score, Orkney 0 Moray 20.
 At half time, Moray reshuffled their back line when Ryan Anderson was forced to come off after a recurrence of the ankle injury he suffered the previous week. Orkney at this stage were wondering what they could do to turn the game, which was starting to slip away from them, as they had contested well but had not been able to get beyond a resolute Moray defence.
The 2nd half started very much in the same way as the first with Orkney coming out strong realising they needed a quick score. They tried hard but the visitors were starting to dominate lineout and as the last quarter began to approach, they also started to dominate in the scrum, winning a number against the head.
Dominance of line and scrum started to give ball to the backs that they thrive on and upping the pace of the game. In the 62nd minute, a flowing back move saw a deft pass from Craig Forster put Higgins into the gap to score his second of the afternoon. Smith landed the kick to stretch the lead to 0-27.
 Seven minutes later, the Elgin side won scrum ball about midfield and quickly moved the ball wide through hands to Smith who had the space the run the score in down the touch line. He narrowly missed the wide kick leaving the score 0-32.
The Orkney side were visibly tiring and Moray added their final try of the game in the 75th minute. A penalty was awarded in the home 22 and Aled Herbert spotted that the defence was not organised. He took a quick penalty and slipped a pass to Dan Thomas who drove over the line. Smith landed the kick for a final score of Orkney 0 Moray 39.
 The score suggests a very one sided game but the Orkney side had contributed well to a good Cup Final. It had been a very solid display by the Moray side after a long day as they had left Elgin at 5am and returned home victorious with cup in hand at 11pm. This Brin Cup win is the culmination of a great season for the Elgin side which also saw them gain promotion.
Click here for more match photos by Orkney Photographic.
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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 |
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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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