Ayr Rugby Club are feeling just champion

Mar 13 2009 by Ron Evans

CHAMPIONS! Roll that word around, taste it on the tongue, savour it on the palate and you might, just might get a flavour of the atmosphere, the emotion, the passion and the unbridled joy which greeted the final whistle at Millbrae at 4.30pm on Saturday.

The crowd of almost 2000 rose to acclaim the achievement of Damien Kelly and his side who, with that 20-10 defeat of Edinburgh Accies, were crowned Scottish Hydro Electric Premier One champions, the top club side in Scotland.

The mud, the glaur, the rain, the wind did nothing to deter the invasion of the pitch for the support to acclaim their heroes as the cup, the first significant silverware to be won by Ayr in 30 years, was handed over to skipper Skippy and raised aloft to thunderous cheers.

Strangely enough, there wasn't the feeling of tension, even trepidation, which had preceded the match against Selkirk last month, the game which effectively decided the title race, more one of rising anticipation.

That feeling was enhanced as Ayr started in grand style, taking the visiting pack apart in the opening stages before Frazier Climo lofted a now almost trademark kick towards Flo Marin's wing. The winger duly collected, then put in a superb offload to full back Andy Wilson who gleefully scampered the final 30 yards unimpeded.

That was after seven minutes and although Accies had a chance to get on the board a couple of minutes later, Mike Campbell's kick fell well short.

A dust up in which the Ayr forces galvanised to protect one of their own saw Julian Montoro sin-binned but the Ayr response was immediate. Jeff Wilson stole the opposition line out, Climo smacked a 50 yard touch finder downfield and after Marin and Wilson had again combined, Accies offended and Climo stretched the lead to 10-0 with a penalty.

Accies could find no way past the 14 men and, restored to full strength, Ayr moved further ahead thanks to Climo's second penalty and there was no way back for Accies. Gordon Reid, Pat MacArthur and Stewart Fenwick had the opposition front row in tatters, Scott Sutherland, Andy Dunlop and Jeff Wilson ruled the lineout with Glen Tippett and Damien Kelly causing havoc every time they took the ball forward.

Prompted by AJ McFarlane at scrum half and with Julian Montoro and Richard McCallum ensuring Accies backs were zipped up, all it needed was another try to clinch the game.

It came with the clock on the half time mark, a superb drive by the pack ending with Jeff Wilson diving over for try number two. Climo struck a superb conversion from the touchline and Ayr turned 20-0 up.

Then the rain came by the bucket load and, obviously buoyed by what was no doubt a coruscating talking to by coach Ian Barnes, Accies upped their game several notches. Not that it troubled the Ayr defence with Stewart Magorian relishing the tackles on anyone foolish enough to move the ball wide and the midfield policed by Jeff Wilson, Dunlop and Tippett.

The territory Accies held paid off with a Campbell penalty on the hour mark but any threat to the home line was ended consistently by tackles which not only stopped the ball carrier but forced itl, now like a bar of soap, back to Ayr's possession.

The clock ran down, the sense that Ayr were simply playing out time increased and although a try at the Accies end would have sent the crowd into ecstacy, it happened at the Ayr end with the final play of the game when Ed Stuart crashed over for a score converted by Campbell.

Campbell's conversion went over, Ian Heard blew for full time and the celebrations began in earnest. No one cared that the rain was sluicing down as SRU board member Ed Crozier handed the cup to Kelly and the party on the pitch soon resembled a mudfest.

The trophy was secured but looked in serious danger more than once as it was passed from muddy hand to muddy hand, the players were hugged by the fans and many a dry cleaning bill will be gladly stumped up for as the supporters got almost as clatty as the team.

As ever coach Kenny Murray was pragmatic in victory. He said: “It’s fantastic. We’ve put in a lot of hard work this year. It’s been difficult at times with a new coach and new players so the boys have really worked hard for the past six or seven months and it’s worth it when you get to this stage.

“It wasn’t the best of games. It was a mud bath in the second half but I thought we played some good stuff in the first half and deserved our win in the end. I think anyone watching this year will feel we have been the most consistent team so I’m looking forward to relaxing now and having a big night tonight.”

Skipper Kelly was ecstatic. He said: "I have been at Ayr for eight years and we have come close to a couple of things but this has been well worth the wait. I think we felt that after a few games at the start of the season that there was something special about this squad and that has been proved by what we have achieved in winning the title."

It went on to be quite a party and although the focus was, and rightly so, on the team, the men in the background who have provided the success off the field which has allowed the coach and squad free to concentrate on rugby can feel equally proud.

Jock Craig, the director of rugby, said: "We have broken the mould. We have taken the title out of the borders, Edinburgh and Glasgow for the first time and this is a great day for Ayr and for Ayrshire rugby."

Craig, along with president Billy McHarg, fundraiser and raconteur extraordinaire Norrie Lymburn, Gus McKay, Alex Sterrick and the host of volunteers who make Millbrae the envy of most clubs in Scotland have worked tirelessly, and a remarkable team off the field has coincided with a superb team on the field to produce the highest honour in Scottish club rugby.

Every player who has pulled on an Ayr jersey this season will have taken part in something that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

And as sure as night follows day, in years to come when those, who in Max Boyce's immortal phrase, claim 'I was there' , it will swell the crowd from neigh on two thousand to ten times that number.

Millbrae on March 7, 2009, the day when the Field of Dreams saw the dream come true. And grown men shed a tear.

Team: Andy Wilson; Flo Marin, Julian Montoro, Richard McCallum, Stewart Magorian; Frasier Climo, AJ McFarlane; Gordon Reid, Pat MacArthur, Stewart Fenwick, Damien Kelly, Scott Sutherland, Jeff Wilson, Andy Dunlop, Glen Tippett. Subs (all used) Gordon Sykes, Scott Nimmo, Paul Burke, Ryan Holland, Dougie Steele.

The Millbrae XV stay top of their league after a 46-19 win over Strathaven.