Aberdeen Wanderers 14 ? Ross Sutherland RFC 41
ROSS Sutherland were in superb form as they gained a bonus point victory last Saturday in the RBS Caledonia Regional League Division 2 North with a 41 points to 14 win over league leaders Aberdeen Wanderers.
It was the home team that started off the brighter putting some early pressure on the visiting Stags defences with a succession of quick pick and goes from the base of the ruck and from five metres out Aberdeen Wanderers crossed the Ross line, but the ball was held up thanks to a fantastic tackle by Gavin Smith.
Like so often this season, this was the wake-up Ross needed and it was their turn to start putting pressure on the Wanderers defence, with Ross opting for a quick penalty take rather then line outs. It was not long before this pressure became points.
The backs received a quick ball from a ruck with outside centre David Kennedy throwing a long pass out wide to winger Mike Gordon who beat two men on the outside to go over in the corner, the conversion was missed by John Mann.
From then on Ross did not look back and started to go through the gears with the forwards putting together some great supporting off-the-shoulder rugby.
But it was a moment of individual brilliance that saw Ross go over for their second row Scott Munro who got the ball halfway, out wide to beat a man on the outside then chipped the ball over the Aberdeen Wanderers full back and beat him in a foot race for the line to go over in the corner. John Mann was unable to convert the extra points. Ross Sutherland were in for their third just a few minutes later with a well worked back's try from twenty-two metres out.
Inside centre Jake Eaglesham started the move as the ball went through the back line and as the ball got out to wing Ben Parks he drew the last defender to pop the ball back over to Jake who had looped round to go over - the resulting conversion was missed as Ross went into the break 15 points to nil up.
The second half started off much as the first had finished with Aberdeen Wanderers being pinned back deep in their own half.
Ross did not have to wait long for their bonus point try.
They were starting to dominate the scrums and with a resulting pressure on the scrum ten metres out from the wanderers line, scrum half Stuart Mack was able to charge down the Aberdeen 10's kick with flanker Gavin Smith quickest to react for his first try of the match under the posts, leaving Stu Mack to add a simple conversion.
With Ross smelling blood they started to put Wanderers to the sword adding a further three uninsured tries. Scott Munro ran in for his second from out wide, Jake Eaglesham put his muscle to good use bursting through several tackles to go over for his second and full back Gareth Braddick sniffed out the try line with a sniper's try from a ruck five metres out.
With Stu Mack able to the convert the final two tries of the match for Ross leaving the score going into the last fifteen minutes 41-0 to Stags!
Ross legs started to tire in the last ten minutes with the quick penalties and running rugby looking to have taken its toll.
From this Aberdeen Wanderers were able to grab two tries from intercepted passes leaving the final score 14 points to forty-one.
After the match club captain David Kennedy said, "It was a fantastic effort from one to eighteen today and a great response from last week's defeat, we have definitely set the bar at how we can play rugby, the challenge now is to try and repeat this performance on a regular basis."
Ross Sutherland K Drain; D Edes; S McPherson; K Smith; S Munro; G Smith; R Waugh; K Mackenzie; S Mack; J Mann; M Gordon; J Eaglesham; D Kennedy (Capt); B Parks; G Braddick. Subs: A McLean, L Sinclair, A Munro.
Tomorrow, Saturday Ross Sutherland play RAF Lossiemouth in Invergordon, kick off 3pm.
