Banana Skin Avoided
This was a match against last year's Div 2 undefeated
champions and was a potential banana skin in the making.
Millbrae are a very experienced team who know how to play rugby
and managed to put Clydebank off their game. However, even
with the days catalogue of challenges the team prevailed winning
17-14 and maintained the winning streak.
The
match started with Clydebank very much in control. The first try
came within three minutes when Paul Andrew picked up a stray ball from
the back of the Millbrae scrum and sprinted for the line. Ross
McCombe was in support and took the pass from Andrew to cross the line.
The conversion was missed and the score was 5-0.
Clydebank put Millbrae under a lot of pressure for most of the half
but failed to capitalise on it with poor decision making and handling.
Robert Parr came close to several breaks but could not escape the close
attention of the Millbrae defence. Discipline also became an issue
as the players became frustrated at their poor finishing.
Eventually
the pressure told and it was Ross Moffatt who sneaked from the back of a
ruck set up by Derek Nolan to score the second try. Again with the
conversion missed, Clydebank were leading 10-0.
Clydebank maintained the pressure but failed to increase the gap
before half time.
The second half had Clydebank bickering amongst themselves and
eventually this allowed Millbrae to sneak through for a converted try to
cut the gap to 10-7 after ten minutes.
Clydebank could not convert their pressure and Millbrae came close
with two penalties after twenty minutes but failed to score them.
On the half hour Clydebank got some cohesion and managed to string
together some attacks on the Millbrae line. Millbrae repeatedly
disrupted the Clydebank attacks but eventually the Referee could take no
more and shortly after David Bell was carried off following a spike
tackle he awarded a penalty try to Clydebank. Ross Moffatt
converted the kick to stretch the lead to 17-7.
This should have settled the Clydebank nerves but they returned to
the disjointed play they had demonstrated all afternoon.
Millbrae took advantage once more and went through the Clydebank
fringe defence at the loose to cross the line. The conversion put
the score at 17-14 and had the Clydebank on the edge of their seats for
the remaining five minutes.
Thankfully, the match ended without further incident and Clydebank
can celebrate a win on a day which saw them fail to play anywhere near
their full potential.
The third win keeps them second in the league and needing to add some
bonus points to overtake the league leaders Wigtownshire.
Team Photo
The 2nd XV travelled to Garnock for their second match but could only
raise fourteen players. Garnock provided the extra man and the game
was on.
Garnock won the match 29-10 but the Clydebank team had improved on
the previous weeks result and were upbeat about their performance.
Two tries were scored with Connor Sloss and Owen Gent crossing the line.
Connor had an excellent match at No8 with his try coming from a pick up
at the base of the scrum and a run for the line, handing off several
defenders enroute.
The
U17 side took on GHA, who fielded several Scotland youth players, but failed
to cross the line as GHA ran in ten tries. The GHA team showed a lot
of skills which the Clydebank players should try and emulate.
The team tackled well in spells but could not contain the strong
running GHA scrum half and stand-off who dominated the midfield.
The scrum half scored several tries through the middle of the Clydebank
defence without much resistance.
Team Photo
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The U15 team played their second match against Loch Lomond but after
a promising start when they scored the first try they failed to defend
and finally lost 5-51. Several new players had promising starts
and the team can only improve.
The mini section joined with Lomond in their first combined training
session in preparation for their first matches next Sunday away to
Paisley.
Next week the 1st XV travel
across Glasgow to play the Police while the 2nd XV play
Dalziel at home.