Great start for Ayr Rugby Club

Sep 11 2009 by Mike Wilson

TWO of the sides predicted pre-season to challenge Ayr for the Scottish Hydro Premier One title dealt with, two bonus points in the bag, second in the table to an Edinburgh Accies side yet to have a real test and it’s no wonder there are a good few smiling faces at Millbrae.

What Saturday’s encounter against Watsonians at Myerside showed most of all though was that, even when they were under pressure, Ayr could keep their cool, bide their time and strike when the opposition were at their most vulnerable. It’s called knowing how to win.

The wind was always going to be a disruptive factor and that became apparent as Mike Ker and Frazier Climo both missed early penalties before Ker slotted his second attempt in 11 minutes.

Ayr hit back after Ben di Rollo's poor chip ahead was taken by Climo, the ball was run back and only a last ditch tackle by Jamie Blackwood prevented Stephen Adair grabbing his first try of the season. It will come.

The action swept to the other end, Max Learmonth put in a scoring pass to Ker but Gordon Reid covered brilliantly to stop the offload going to hand. Ker slotted another penalty but Ayr got on the board with a crucial try in the final minutes of the half, Mark Stewart and flanker John Crossan creating the opening for Crossan to put Damien Kelly over, the big lock unstoppable from five yards.

That was the one Ayr needed as they took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half. A quick thinking tap by scrum-half Jamie Hunter caught the home defence cold and John McCrossan, signed this season from Cartha/QP, ran in his first try for Ayr.

The Mark Stewart-Cammy Taylor combo worked again this week just as it had against Heriot’s with the centre offloading to the wing who scampered through, kept his feet after Andy Turnbull's despairing tackle and went over for Climo to convert.

Ayr had gone from being adrift, albeit by only a point, at the break to looking for try number four to clinch an invaluable on the road bonus. It came after the much vaunted Ben di Rollo, who had an afternoon to forget, gifted the ball to Ross Curle who, for the second week running, raced in to score the try which secured the bonus point.

The home side stirred themselves, hooker Garret Walsh crossed for the sole Watsonian try and with Ker's conversion, an interesting finish ensued.

Watsonians huffed and puffed, Ayr didn't panic and in the end the frustration of the home side in the face of ferocious defence showed with a couple of daft penalties, the second of which saw winger Learmonth yellow carded and the referee’s next blast the final one.

Coach Kenny Murray reflected: “It was maybe a bit easier than the score suggests because we did come away scoring four tries to one.

"It was a well fought game and with us being against the wind in the first-half, I wasn't as worried going in behind at half-time as I was when we were in the lead against Heriot’s.

"It was a good first half and we showed what we could do with Stephen Adair denied a couple of times then a great turnover, some fine interplay between Jamie Hunter, Mark Stewart and Jon Crossan for Damien Kelly to score.

“The wind at our backs in the second-half let us turn them and keep them under pressure, our pick and drive in the pack was responsible for setting up a couple of the tries and it is a good feeling when you see what you have been working at training come off as it did for Cammy Taylor's try and it was sheer pressure which led to the bonus point score.

"Our set piece got a bit creaky in certain areas as the game went on and we were perhaps not as clinical as we should have been because we gave Andrew Turnbull, their real danger man, the chance to run back at us for their try but we kept our cool in defence to take the win."

Looking at where the game was won, the coach picked out several areas. He claimed: “Mark Stewart is a real physical presence in midfield and his decision making and execution are outstanding while Ross Curle's pace off that will be a huge plus for us.

“Glen Tippett, Paul Burke and Jon Crossan had some top class turnovers and at prop Gordon Sykes put in a great 80 minute shift in his first game back."

Director of Rugby Jock Craig, purported to know a bit about front row play, also singled out the three front line men. "I think the two Gordons, Reid and Sykes at prop and hooker Stephen Adair, were outstanding and each contributed something special outside a great afternoon in the scrum.

“Reid covered one move brilliantly to prevent a try, Adair was unlucky not to get a couple and Sykes had some great carries so who said the front row do nothing outside the scrum?"

So Ayr go into the third match with maximum points taken off top sides and a real buzz around the squad. With Boroughmuir at Millbrae on Saturday, the prospect of three Edinburgh scalps in three weeks is almost as good a feeling as winning the title!

Ayr: Grant Anderson; Johnny McClung (sub John McCrossan 20), Ross Curle, Mark Stewart, Cammy Taylor; Frazier Climo, Jamie Hunter; Gordon Reid, Stephen Adair (sub Brian Hendry 51), Gordon Sykes, Damien Kelly (sub Scott Nimmo 65), Scott Sutherland, Jon Crossan (sub Andy Dunlop 54), Paul Burke, Glen Tippett.

lMillbrae opened their campaign in West Division One with a 45-0 win over Strathclyde Police.

Tries came from Scott Hazely (3), Jim Lymburn (2) and Nigel Howard. David Courtney kicked five conversions and a penalty.

On Saturday, Millbrae head to Clydebank.