Reds Regain West Lothian Cup
Linlithgow Select 19 - 5 AS Minorange Select
On the evidence of last weekend, Sunday rugby is much more entertaining than the traditional Saturday fayre! In the afternoon, Scotland and France showed how rugby can thrill and entertain, with both sides keeping the ball in hand and attacking the other. What a difference from the aerial "ping-pong" (kicking) rugby of the day before!
The Linlithgow v AS Minorange (Guyancourt) match on the Sunday morning was a precursor to the afternoon's entertainment, with both sides moving the ball at every opportunity and playing some exciting and, at times, sparkling rugby!
The visitors fielded a side as strong as the previous year, when they ran out deserved winners in France. The Reds team was a true club mix - two members of the 1st XV (Ross Martin at 8 and Mark Green in the centre), several of the 2nd XV regulars, a few of the 3rd XV and a scattering of Peelers and school 1st XV players!
Here is a summary of the game as seen from the "man-in-the-middle":
Two minutes into the match and Linlithgow swept the ball left from a scrum near the half-way line. A beautiful outside break took Mark Green through the first line of defence and a change of direction, executed at pace, saw him cut inside the cover defence and storm into the Minorange 22. With one man to beat, Mark timed his pass perfectly to put winger Callum "Sansom" Young through for an early try which Ewan Kelly converted. The young school winger was fully rewarded for excellent support play - not the only time he would feature prominently in the match.
Both sides played attractive and committed rugby and it took until nearly half-time before the Reds scored again - this time an unconverted try by Gordon Jesty (unstoppable from 5 metres!!). Earlier, young Stuart Kelly, playing for the visitors, had prevented a certain Reds score with a superb try line tackle.
Half-time: Linlithgow 14 - 0 Minorange.
Again the Reds started strongly and after fine movement and interpassing, young Stevie Campbell scored a cracking wingers' try, checking and rounding the visitor's omnipresent No 8 to go in at the corner. The visitors were coming more into the match and finally got their deserved rewards, when the previously mentioned "Samson", now playing for Minorange, burst down the touchline rounding his opposite number, then stepping the cover to run 30 metres before offloading, when tackled, to full back Aymeric del Nibbio who dotted the ball down - a great try and one which the visitors truly merited.
Linlithgow had time to mount one final attack before the match ended with a 19-5 win for the home team.
Le vin chaud!
Apres le match: un petit degustation!
Shergaz in foreground, with homme-du-match AS Minorange
No. 5, Bertrand Picault, on the right
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