HSFP Rugby Club

Carnoustie come out on top in Strathie Sharks Encounter

U-14 Squad

Chris Duncan

Calum Noble

Rhys Findlay

Andrew Ramsay

Rory Hay

Liam Rennie

Kyle Howlett

Shaun Siddell

Harry Lobban

Jordan Steele

Fergus Lyon

Ross Strachan

Michael Murphy

Corey Thoms

Ramsay McGowan

Dylan Tyrell

David Nail

The wet and windy conditions were always going to make flowing rugby difficult but from the start the attitude of both sides was not to let the conditions didctate how they played.

Carnoustie had a squad of 17 players which brought a smile to the coaches faces! And Strathmore had a full compliment of 13 players. Referee for the day, Bill Johns, made it quite clear he wanted to see free flowing rugby and for the most part this is what was served up. Carnoustie had most of the early pressure with Captain, Liam Rennie and Dylan ‘The Fridge’ Tyrell making huge gains with their direct running. The Carnoustie scrum was winning their own ball easily and providing hooker, Kyle Howlett, numerous opportunities to take the ball "against the head" many of which he was able to convert. The pressure up front allowed Ramsay McGowan, in at scrum half for the injured Andrew Burgess, to smash over for the try after sustained forward pressure.

The boys have played each other over the last few years and it was clear that the Strathmore stand-off was going to be dangerous given space and this was shown with a pick-up inside his own 22, allowing him to run the full length of the pitch to score under the posts........................... the warning was there for Carnoustie. A quick pep talk from the coaches about the danger of missed tackles seemed to have the desired effect, however just before half time Strathmore again hit the home team against the run of play with another breakaway try from within their 22, to end the half 3-8 ahead in the game.

With the rain now off, Carnoustie continued to apply pressure and were beginning to win large amounts of ball in the contact area. Big tackles from Shaun Siddell in particular and Ross Strachan began to take their toll on the Strathmore defence. With so many defenders tied into the contact area there was always going to be space out wide and Carnoustie eventually got the ball to flying winger Chris Duncan, who was able to force his way over in the corner............... the chocolate biscuit did the trick! And Rory Hay added the extra point.

With the referee signalling 2 minutes to play, it looked like the home side would not manage to convert their pressure into a win. With the Strathmore line breached 3 times, the defenders somehow managed to stop Carnoustie scoring. However, Rhys Findlay was not willing to accept defeat and after some good handling managed to force his way over in the corner. The game was played in excellent spirit as always between these two clubs, however, Carnoustie must convert their pressure into points if they are to win tight encounters like this. Well done boys for playing right to the final whistle!

With a summer of training under their belts, Carnoustie U-14s were ready for their first game of the season at Shanwell Road. The opponents were local rivals Panmure and it turned out to be "more of the same" with a continuation of the dominance shown in season ‘09 – ’10. Some notable additions to those remaining at this age group were Fergus Lyon, Michael Murphy, Shaun Siddell, Andrew Ramsay and Jordan Steele, who all played their first games at this level.............Corey Thoms, who had "played up" last year completed the S1 representation, and they all looked right at home.

Early tries by captain Liam Rennie and vice captain Andrew Burgess set the tone for the game with the pack dominant and providing good, quick ball for the backs to exploit. Liam continued to lead by example with another try, closely followed by Chris Duncan. Panmure got on the score sheet with an unconverted try; however this stung the Carnoustie boys into action again with Andrew Burgess and Corey Thoms crossing after some good open passing. Rhys Findlay completed an excellent debut performance with a try near the end of the game. With Rory adding an impressive 4 out of 7 conversions it was an excellent 25-3 victory to start the season, with some great open play for the supporters to enjoy.

Week 2 saw a road trip to Montrose, with only Corey Thoms absent due to ilness. The wind was always going to have a profound effect on game, and it started as a tight affair with both sides playing direct rugby. Some early "big hits" by Liam Rennie showed the intent of the Carnoustie outfit and powerful running by Hary Lobban and Liam, himself, was rewarded by two tries a piece. As the confidence grew, so did the desire to move the ball. New boys Michael Murphy, Andrew Ramsay, Shaun Siddell and Jordan Steele all showed great hands and pace to free the flying Chris Duncan on a number of occasions and the 4 tries he scored were just reward for their efforts in these difficult conditions. Dylan and Kyle were winning some excellent ball in the loose and gaining ground every time and with Fergus and Ramsay in the opposition faces at every opportunity it was hard for Montrose to make much impact. To their credit though, the home team came back with a well worked try early in the second half which was just reward for the efforts of their new players.

Andrew Burgess continued to cause havoc around the scrum, making good use of the quality ball supplied by the forwards andhe was rewarded with a try for his efforts after some strong running. David Nail and newcomer Rhys Findaly had some excellent passages of play both in attack and defense, with the latter putting in a massive hit on the Montrose second row which spurred the visitors on even more. With Rory Hay adding maintaining his 70% kicking average, it was another fine victory, 3-37, to maintain the monentum this team now has. With a good crowd of parents to watch it made for a good day out and a worthwhile journey up the coast.

S1 & S2