Ayr Rugby Club's golden oldies are champs too
YET again this week, it is about the champions.
No, not about the Premier One title winners but the Millbrae XV who, with a 57-5 win at Braidholm, became the uncatchable team at the top of Scottish Hydro Electric West Division Two (writes RON EVANS).
Nearest rivals Paisley beat Carrick 15-0 at Maybole but that win in Glasgow means Jim Lymburn's side clinch promotion and become the second title winners at Millbrae in the last few weeks.
"It has been a fantastic effort by the team," said the former 1st XV captain and now Millbrae skipper. "We have a lot of experience and that has very often been the difference between ourselves and the opposition.
"When you look at the players apart from myself who have played first XV rugby at Millbrae - Stuart Kerr, Kenny Stobie, Phil Manning, Tom Potter, Kenny and Ally Nicol, David Courtney, Scott Hazeley, Robin Dale and Graham Ferguson - we have a wealth of knowledge and experience.
“Although our fitness is not perhaps what it once was, we have been able to get the better of most of the opposition with the sprinkling of pace which has been brought by some of the younger members of the side."
A remarkable fact about three of the players mentioned by Lymburn is that 20 years ago this Saturday, Tom Potter, Phil Manning and Kenny Nicol all played in the Ayr seven which reached the final of the Melrose Sevens and I would suggest that in those days it was even harder to achieve that than it will be this week.
Lymburn added: "The other person who deserves a mention is our team manager Bill Murrie who has resigned himself to being on the touchline these days but puts in a fantastic amount of work in organising the side. He has been away with a school trip this week and when we had to organise ourselves we realised just how much work he puts in to get the team on the pitch.
"This is a great end to a memorable season at the club and now we have to look forward to pitting our wits against the sides in the top regional league next season. Let’s hope the ageing bodies can take it!"
Steven Lynch grabbed a hat-trick at Braidholm while Kenny Stobie and Nigel Howard each had a couple with Graham Ferguson crossing for one and David Courtney slotting the kicks.
The final Premier League Division One league match for Ayr comes on Wednesday night when they play their re-scheduled game against Watsonians at Myreside. Then it’s off to the Greenyards on Saturday for the Melrose Sevens and the team will be back there the following week to face Melrose in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Hydro Electric Cup.
Will Saturday see a repeat of the 1989 effort and the following week another step towards the league and cup double? That would indeed make an already unforgettable season even more memorable.
MARR are sending two teams to the Arran sevens on Saturday.CARRICK’S next match is on April 18 when Strathaven visit Maybole.
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