Ross High Rugby S1's match report from Saturday 16th November.
Ross High Rugby S1 team had a very good showing against Stewart Melville's "B" team.
The match itself was an excellent example of sportsmanship, played over three fifteen minute periods. This allowed everyone an opportunity to display their skills on the rugby pitch.
Although Ross started slowly against a fired up Stewarts Melville side, they did not let their heads go down. Spirits were high, even after the first Stu Mel score.
Ross High stuck to their task, and as the match wore on, their practice began to show, with each teams third period display being pretty even. Ross struggled to deal with the tight quick rucking of Stu Mel, but matches them well at the set piece.
Although the match finished two tries and a conversion to nil in Stu Mel's favour (0-7), Ross were unlucky on a number of occasions, with a couple of knock on's over the try line. As with Scotland's performance, accuracy was the difference between the teams.
It is worth noting that the Stewarts Melville was impressed with the Ross High Rugby performance, and was eagerly awaiting the return fixture at Inverleith.
Congratulations to Vangjel Kacori who was awarded Man of the Match by his peers and Robbie Muir who was awarded Man of the Match by the Ross High Coaching staff, Stuart Fleming and Richard Falconer.
Following their morning match, the S1 coaching staff arranged a ‘special’ match for both the S1 & S2 players. The 'special' being when the boys come down to the club and watch the Ross High RFC 1st XV play and afterwards have something to eat with the 1st XV post match.
But for this 'special' they took it one step further - have the boys play at half time, a 7s game.
The word went out to both teams this was happening. A lot of the boys said they would be attending but if we are honest we were a bit apprehensive about the numbers. Would many actually take part, after all, it would mean playing in front of a lot of people!
When we turned up half an hour early before the designated meeting time our fears were blown away. There in the back room were twenty, yes twenty, boys. And to that, they were all very excited.
The lads got changed, a red and a blue team, talked through the rules of the game they would be playing (no scrums, no line outs, no kicking, just a simple tap and go). And out the tams went.
Both 1st XV’s cleared the pitch at half time and on the teams went. Every single one of the boys went for it as soon as the whistle sounded. End to end it was, blues scored, then the reds, tackles were flying, passing was going to hand, then the blues scored, then the reds again and then - the final whistle. Score 2 - 2, a fitting result.
Off the teams trooped, back into the club, to a round of applause. Every one of the boys, including the coaches, we're buzzing. "did you see my tackle", "I scored, did you see that", "I got flattened by so and so" and on it went.
The teams went to get changed. Apologies to the 1st XV if the teams used all the hot water in the showers!
Then it was watching the rest of the 1st XV match and back into the club to get some post match grub, sitting at the same tables as the 1st XV, the boys felt 10 feet high.
During the next hour several people spoke to the coaches about how impressed they were with the boys play. In addition some of the 1st XV spoke to the boys, great to see.
Every single one of the boys was well behaved. They did themselves proud, their teams proud and their rugby club proud. We are sure their experience will be the main conversation at school on Monday.
Roll on the next 'special'.
Congratulations to all the S1 and S2 players who took part, and a very big WELL DONE and Thank You to S1 Coach Stuart Fleming who’s idea the ‘Special’ was, and who also arranged the day.
