Ayr Rugby Club inch closer to the title

Dec 19 2008

THIS was special. Relish that scoreline because it might, just might, be the most significant in the long history of Ayr Rugby Club.

When president Billy McHarg wrote in his programme notes 'They do not come any bigger than this' he did not exaggerate.

Ayr top of the Scottish Hydro Electric Premier One, Heriot’s six points behind in second and every point precious in the run in to the title.

There was, of course, an added spice from the last time Heriot’s came to Millbrae in April for the cup quarter-final, a game which sparked acrimony before and during, coupled with the fact that Ayr had come from behind to snatch a league win at Goldenacre in September.

Even the elements conspired in the drama, frost rendering Millbrae solid as a brick on Thursday night then subjected to rain of biblical proportion on Friday before the weather gods relented on Saturday to produce a day of flat calm, a perfect pitch and an atmosphere of high tension.

If Ayr felt the pressure, it didn't show as they took control of the crucial area in the pack, Glen Tippett immense off the back of the scrum, making yards for his flanker cohorts Andy Dunlop and Jeff Wilson to feed off.

Wilson, too, thrived at the line-out where experienced practitioners Ian Nimmo and Tam McVie got nary a look in and when Frazier Climo opened the scoring with a penalty after a high tackle on Richard McCallum, Ayr were on their way.

It was never going to be straightforward and twice Ayr looked as though they might lose the hinge around whom so much revolves when scrum half AJ McFarlane first took a bang on the leg when attempting a charge down then was taken out in the air by Marc Teague when following up his own kick.

Both players were down injured but it was McFarlane who continued while Teague retired for the afternoon. You will go a long way before you see a more courageous performance than that of AJ who went on to have a blinder.

Climo's kicks were forcing Heriot’s to run back from deep and the solid line of advancing Ayr shirts almost inevitably gained ground but it took a bizarre sequence of play to bring about the first try.

Ryan Holland, always buzzing on his wing, cut inside on the Heriot’s twenty two, the ball went loose, Damien Kelly hacked on, kicked the rebound further and when the bounce demanded another howk, the ball got it but this time it fell to Greg Rutherford.

The stand-off cleared but only to Jeff Wilson on the 40 metre line. Bad move! The big fellow took off with only Teague’s replacement Stuart Bell between him and the line. Bell was run over as though he wasn't there, two despairing tackles came in on the line but Wilson had opened the try account in superb fashion.

Climo converted and Ayr went into half time 10-0 up having suffered no great alarums from the visitors attack thanks to their one serious threat being broken up by a glorious run out of defence by Julian Montoro with any other danger snuffed out well away from the red zone.

It was never going to be all one way and Heriot’s came back in the third quarter but Ayr's defence was wonderfully organised with Richard McCallum huge in midfield both with tackles and making the yards to break up any Heriot’s momentum.

There are always cameos and one which will remain is a tackle by lock Scott Sutherland in open play on Graham Thomson, the Heriot’s centre left wondering if the sky had dropped on him and another the moment when the bench was practically emptied, the cavalry came over the hill in the shape of Callum Forrester, James Eddie, Paul Burke and Gordon Sykes as if to say 'yup, there are more of us.'

The Heriot’s recovery produced a Graham Wilson penalty but as the final quarter wore on, Ayr showed a maturity and composure in their driving play which gradually wore down the defence and when the ball was spread wide, McCallum spotted a gap, glided through and collected a richly deserved try.

Again Climo converted but Heriot’s were bravely going to give it one last big shot and with five minutes to go were camped on Ayr's line and Chukwuma Osazuwa's pop pass out of Gordon Reid's crunching tackle on the line was virtually in hands of Alan Dymock for the try.

His hands never touched the ball though but Flo Marin's did. From his own line, the wing intercepted, scampered away and with the roof of the Millbrae stand almost lifted by the roar of the crowd he went the length of the pitch for a glorious try.

Believe it or not, your correspondent was on the phone to New Zealand from the press box (don't ask!) when Marin scored his try which will be long etched in the Millbrae annals and I was able to simply hold up the mobile to let a life long Ayr supporter listen to the crowd acclaim a magnificent score. Truly a try which echoed around the world!

Climo made it three conversions out of three, Richard Mill had a consolation try for Heriot’s in the final play of the game but it was all over bar the shouting which was long, loud and raucous.

Happy coach Kenny Murray reflected: “We have put ourselves in a really good position with that win but it was a tough one. Going up to half-time with the score at 3-0 showed just how close the game was but we did score at vital times.

"We let Heriot’s back because our kicking was not as accurate as it should have been but our defence was outstanding and when they ran the ball back at us they were really unable to make it count. Heriot’s surprised me by kicking away the amount of ball that they did because they never really put us under any pressure with the kicks.

"Now we have to focus and concentrate on Saturday’s match at Millbrae against Stirling which is a huge game. If we don't do well then a lot of the good we have achieved in matches like today will be undone but I have to say that we will have to play poorly and the opposition will have to be very good if we are to lose at home because the lift the players get from the crowd and the whole atmosphere on match day is superb."

Superb atmosphere, superb result and with Heriot’s dropping back to third and Ayr nine points clear of Selkirk with a game in hand, the dream for Murray's troops comes one step closer.

Team: Andy Wilson, Ryan Holland, Julian Montoro, Richard McCallum, Flo Marin, Frazier Climo, AJ McFarlane; Gordon Reid, Pat MacArthur, Stewart Fenwick, Scott Sutherland, Damien Kelly, Jeff Wilson, Andy Dunlop, Glen Tippett. Subs: Gordon Sykes, James Eddie, Callum Forrester, Paul Burke, Stewart Magorian.