Ayr Rugby Club sting Birmingham Bees in the cup

Feb 19 2010 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

MOST who were watching the match at Millbrae on Saturday were still stunned by the cruel and controversial defeat in Cardiff which ended minutes before Ayr kicked off.

What they witnessed over the next 40 minutes might just have cheered them up a wee bit.

The first half against Rotherham may have been the best coach Kenny Murray felt the side had played during his tenure but this came very very close.

The Millbrae men clinched their second win from three starts in the British and Irish Cup in style starting in only two minutes with the first of Frazier Climo's three penalties (and five conversions). When Gordon Reid went rollicking in two minutes later, fellow prop Stuart Fenwick, having been in on the act, things looked good for the home side.

They looked even better when Paul Burke exploded into a beautifully crafted move to score number two from 30 yards out and the visitors’ body language told its own story.

Burke added his second then AJ MacFarlane was in support of Jamie Hunter's 60 yard burst to clinch the bonus before half time.

The Ayr pack, with all four forwards who had turned out in the club international side which beat the French, were enjoying themselves hugely.

They had blown the opposition well away by the time Climo went on a solo mazy to score from 60 yards out ten minutes into the second half and although guest lock Rory McKay got their sixth touchdown, the use of all seven replacements inevitably meant that some momentum was lost.

All credit to B and S, sparked by their lively half backs Sam Brown and Tom Foden, as they grabbed two late scores from Foden and Anthony Elliot but it was a forlorn gesture against a side who were on rampaging form.

With Mark Stewart still unavailable, Jamie Murray took over the No10 jersey with Climo moving to centre and Hunter showed just what a talent he is by giving an impeccable performance and his scorching run to set up MacFarlane's try was the icing on the cake.

MacFarlane picked up the Pinewood Restaurant man of the match as he eased Hunter into his unfamiliar role. The visitors had no answer to the midfield wiles of Climo and Ross Curle but as ever, it was the pack who provided the platform.

Birmingham and Solihull may not have been the strongest side Ayr will meet in the competition but they had some very useful citizens in No8 Ross Noonan, lock Gerry Hill and prop Mauro Sperdandio but they were no match as the Millbrae forwards set about them with relish.

Four of the six tries went to the men up front with Gordon Reid's strike taking the big fellow into joint third spot in the B & I Cup try scorers and Burke's first score had the coaches purring as is always the case when a move straight from the training paddock comes off.

Andy Dunlop and Glen Tippett ravaged the fringes, Damien Kelly and Scott Sutherland provided the momentum with Pat MacArthur and Stuart Fenwick, as he did in the lead up to Reid's try, having big carries.

After three rounds, this starts to look as though Ayr could do some real damage in this competition, apart from the fact that they are the only one of the three Scottish sides involved to have notched up any success, both Heriot’s and Gael Force having again lost at the weekend.

Doncaster Knights and Rotherham Titans lead the pool with ten points, Ayr and Cardiff are on their tails with nine while Pontypridd have only one bonus point to their name and Birmingham and Solihull have yet to trouble the scorer.

As well as Reid featuring in the try scoring stakes, Climo leads the competition points scoring list, his 42 points eleven ahead of joint second placed Daniel Newton of Llanelli and Ali Warnock of Doncaster.

Ayr's next match in the B & I Cup is in a fortnight at Millbrae against Pontypridd who lost 33-22 against Rotherham at the weekend. If Ayr can pull this one off, a possible decider awaits when they travel to Cardiff on March 3.

Before that though there is the no small matter of Scottish Hydro Electric Premier One business on Saturday at Millbrae when West are the visitors at 3pm.

West have hit a run of form with consecutive home wins over Selkirk then Melrose last Saturday and the 34-26 win Ayr registered at Burnbrae only came after the home men had pulled them back to 28-26 before Andy Wilson's try eased Ayr to victory.

This one will be a tough outing for Skippy's stormers.

Team v Birmingham: D. Steele; A WIlson, R Curle, F Climo, J McClung; J Hunter, AJ MacFarlane; G Reid, P MacArthur, S Fenwick, S Sutherland, D Kelly, A Dunlop, P Burke, G Tippett. Subs E Kalman, S Adair, G Sykes, R MacKay, J Crossan, C Taylor, S Manning.