Ayr Rugby Club are pipped by Currie for the titles

May 14 2010 Ayrshire Post (main ed)

SO fat lady has sung, resplendent in white semmit, a sticky on Freddy Mercury moustache and wrapped in a Currie scarf to give a rendering of 'We are the champions' then swapped into a pudden bowl wig, shades and in best Roy Orbison style told Ayr 'It’s over'.

For this season it might be but my goodness it was fun while it lasted and yet again Ayr can look back on a season packed with indelible memories when, for the second year running, they took the club to where they had never been before.

On Thursday night, sheer cussedness and determination ground out Ayr's third win of the season against Heriot’s at Malleny Park, home of Currie, in their penultimate Scottish Hydro Premier One match, forcing the title race to the wire.

Heriot’s led 14-0 after Greig Rutherford converted tries by flanker Michael Maltman and scrum half Sam Johnson and it looked as though the gigantic efforts of the past few weeks hadfinally caught up with Ayr.

Never write them off. By half time, tries by Jono Crossan and a scorcher from Ross Curle both converted by Frazier Climo had tied the scores. Jamie Hunter went in for Ayr try number three and suddenly they were looking for the bonus.

Heriot’s had other ideas though and knowing they had run Ayr almightily close in the cup semi-final, when Rutherford slotted a penalty to bring the margin to two points, it was a long 25 minutes for the Millbrae faithful.

Chuck Osasuwa and Jamie Syme breenged into the danger zone and were hauled down, chances were spurned at both ends and rain came on just to add to the uncertainty.

Finally, referee James Matthew, one of the rising stars who looked way out of his depth, blew for time, Ayr had kept the pressure on Currie but in your heart of hearts, you knew it was not going to be enough.

So it proved when Currie took on Hawks in their final match at Burnbrae, knowing that one point would make them uncatchable with their massive points differential and that anything more would take them clear on points.

For a fleeting moment it looked as though Hawks might cause the upset of the season as they went into a narrow lead but Currie asserted themselves, ran in six tries for a comprehensive 55-21 win and the celebrations began.

And why not? They had won what was to all intents and purposes the decider the week before against Ayr and held their nerve in the final game to clinch the title for the second time in four seasons.

No one at Millbrae will begrudge them the championship but when you take a look at the gap between the top two and the rest, the cup and the championship are in the hands of the two best sides in Scotland by a long long way.

It could be argued that because of their involvement in the B & I Cup Ayr played five intense and physical games more than Currie and were leg weary at the end of the season.

But the counter to that is that the experience which Ayr gained in those matches instilled a self belief which carried them through the league campaign to the very end and ensured that the cup will nestle in the Millbrae trophy cupboard for the next year.

So another season to relish from the Millbrae men. Winning the league is like savouring a long cold beer, the cup is about champagne and no one who was there will ever forget the day the corks popped at Murrayfield and the pink and black army danced.

So what is the gripe about Ayr playing Heriot’s at Malleny Park and not Goldenacre and Currie facing Hawks at Burnbrae?

Simply that these were two crucial matches and the home sides were unable to take advantage due to the demands of school and cricket.

Apart from making a nonsense of many of the arguments for summer rugby, the question arises about what would have happened if only one side, say Hawks, had been denied home advantage and Ayr had lost at Goldenacre?

Would they not have had the right to call foul since Currie would have benefited from the scenario? It was only by chance that both Hawks and Heriot’s suffered the same fate regarding home advantage but the awful thought occurs that if Heriot’s had been successful in the B & I Cup and were unable to host the semi-final on their home ground they would have had to use the excuse 'because the jannie says we cannae'.

Admittedly, the season went on much longer than planned but the lack of control of certain clubs over their grounds in what is Scotland's showcase league is alarming.

Ayr travel to Selkirk on Saturday to complete their long and arduous league campaign and then there will be a chance to review the season with those at the sharp end and yes, relive some moments of glory and why not!

CARRICK lost 22-15 to Cumnock in their final game and have been relegated to West Division Two after finishing third bottom of Division One.

Carrick led at half time through Nick Rossi scoring the first of his two tries with the conversion added by Ewan McGregor who later slotted a penalty.

In the second half, Cumnock took the ascendancy scoring an early try through their stand-off who went on to kick two drop goals.

Carrick: David Templeton, Chris Reid, Ewan McKay, Michael Paton, Stephen Raby, Willie Wyllie, Simpson McCreath, Ali McIntosh, Scott Shearlaw, Ewan McGregor, Ross Knight, Stuart Birnie, Nick Rossi, Fraser Thompson, Colin Sturgeon. Subs: John Alexander, Robert Kennedy.