Helensburgh Rugby Club denied first away win

Oct 10 2008 by Laura McLachlan, Lennox Herald (main ed)

HELENSBURGH rugby club saw a five-point lead disappear and so are still looking for their first away win of the season.

With 30 minutes played Burgh were dominating the play, but an injured Murray Gard had to leave the field and was replaced by Adam Drake.

There were a number of stoppages for injuries on both sides and with the first half moving into injury time Inglis won important line out ball on the Lenzie 22 that was delivered through scrum half Frame. Black and Cairns took it on and released Riding who deftly chipped into the corner.

The ball rolled dangerously close to the in-goal touch line but a scorching Rettie dived on the ball to silence the partisan crowd. Black’s conversion drifted wide but the half was not finished and a final attack from the home side saw the ball chipped behind the Burgh defence to within five metres of the try line. Great cover from MacCrimmond saw him wrestle ball free and feed Tyson who calmly booted the ball well up field and into touch. The referee blew for halftime with Burgh 5-0 to the good.

The first 20 minutes of the second period saw an even more inventive Burgh XV controlling play and working as a unit, with big kicks from Tyson and Black combined with tireless following-up from the pack, with Gibson and MacInroy to the fore.

Lenzie changed tactics, their pack now keeping the ball tight in the rolling maul, but Helensburgh have obviously been working on the training ground and were able to thwart their advances with a now legal and effective collapse drill.

The initiative swung in the favour of the home side as they won set-piece ball in the Burgh half and despite what looked like a knock-on from their stand off they launched an incisive attack on the Burgh line, winning a five metre penalty for hands in the ruck.

Lenzie forwards tried to bulldoze the Burgh eight but were sucked in and ball was turned over.

A period of high altitude ping pong then saw Chris Black finally chip the ball into touch on the opposition 22 with10 minutes of normal time on the clock. David Riding was forced off with a groin strain, and Alistair Cairns re-entered the fray.

The referee was adding on injury time as the travelling support hoped they would see the Burgh’s first away win of the season when Lenzie delivered a slick ball along their backline.

Their wingman showed the ball and for the first time in the game decided to run outside the defence, suckering the Helensburgh cover, to touch down out wide.

It could have been worse, but the conversion drifted wide to keep the score level.

Helensburgh: Tyson, Rettie Cairns, Riding, Walker, Black, Frame, Gard, MacNee, MacInroy, Inglis, Calderwood, MacCrimmond, Watt, Gibson.

Subs:Drake, Holmes, MacIntyre.