Ayr’s British and Irish Cup bid ends at Bristol

Mar 11 2011 Ayrshire Post (main ed)

THE adventure that was the British and Irish Cup may have come to an end for Ayr at the Memorial Stadium in Bristol but not before a swashbuckling second-half display of swagger and style had won the hearts of the west country fans.

With a semi-final place up for grabs, Ayr bounced back from a 26-5 deficit just after the break but came up just short although at 26-19 and with only a score in it, they will rue that chances which then went a-begging (writes RON EVANS).

With four changes upping the strength of the pack which took on Melrose last week, Bristol had the best of the early exchanges and after an Ed Barnes penalty slipped wide, Jack Gadd grabbed the first try.

Although Barnes missed the kick, he made no mistake when he added the extras to James Merriman's try as it started to look like Ayr might be overrun.

They got their game together into the second quarter though and hit back with a Cammy Taylor try after a chip and chase by Robbie Fergusson. But with the Welsh referee breaking the game up needlessly, it was Bristol who built the momentum and as half-time approached and with Andy Dunlop and Paul Burke in the sin bin courtesy of the over fussy Neil Hennessey, a huge pushover saw flanker Merriman grab his second try for Barnes to convert.

Ayr had got back into the game in the latter stages of the first half but their cause looked lost when wing George Watkins grabbed Bristol's fourth try only seconds after the break. Barnes converted but rather than roll over Ayr started to produce some superb rugby.

Ten minutes into the second half, a move involving Steven Manning, Damien Kelly and Fergusson saw Manning get on the end of the scoring pass, Ross Curle converted and Ayr were back in business.

Kelly, Andy Dunlop and Robbie Colhoun were causing havoc at the contact area and with 14 minutes left, Fergusson capped a great second-half with a try after picking a scorching line off a Kelly burst and offload, Curle's conversion taking Ayr to seven points away from tying the score.

Manning was inches away, Fergusson was pulled back for a dubious forward pass but it was a Barnes penalty which sealed it for Bristol with seven minutes remaining and they go into the semi-final draw with Bedford, Worcester and Pontypridd.

Coach Kenny Murray had a nightmare build-up to this crucial game, losing backs Grant Anderson, Dougie Steele and Johnny McClung as well as prop Stuart Fenwick to injury. Gordon Reid was ferried from his shift with Glasgow against the Ospreys over the Bristol Channel on Saturday night to be with the team for Sunday.

There were also missing Mark Bennett, who has been on duty with the Scotland U20 squad, but who was not allowed to play in a weekend when no international was scheduled because his 'programme was being managed.'

Older observers were of the undisguised opinion that the outrageously talented youngster's 'programme' would have been much better enhanced by taking part in a high octane cup tie but that is another story.

Given those circumstances, for Ayr to come so close to beating a club who, until recently were regarded as one of the west country's finest, was all the more remarkable.

The fact that the match was played in an 11,000 capacity stadium was one factor picked up by the coach.

Murray said: "We don't have any experience of playing in a stadium like that and I think it got to the boys a bit and we didn't take Bristol on in the first half the way we should have.

"We put that right at half time and decided we had shown them too much respect and it was time to show them and the crowd that we could play a bit of rugby.

“We did that in the second half which was up to the level of our first half performance against Doncaster at Millbrae last week and I was proud of the way we played.

“There were chances in the second half that we didn't take, especially one ten minutes from time which, with the kick, would have levelled the score and who knows what could have happened then."

"We have not had our sorrows to seek with injuries and as a result Chris McKeand from Biggar played the whole game at full back never having been in an Ayr side before and did a great job, Robbie Fergusson showed what a talent he is and the pack in the second half were outstanding and Bristol only closed the door with that final penalty on the second time they had been inside our twenty meter line in the half."

Director of Rugby Jock Craig praised the way the game had been turned around.

He reflected: "In the opening minutes, it looked as though we were in for a real drubbing. We were unable to cope with their driving maul but once we got the feel of the game and particularly after we went 26-5 down, the way the team came back was magnificent.

“It was a great game but it is only on reflection afterwards that you realise that we could have won it and to be thinking that at this stage of a tournament like this shows just how far we have come."

It’s back to the mundane business of the Premier Cup on Saturday when Ayr travel to Dunfermline in what is effectively a dead rubber since GHA have conceded their tie and Ayr have been awarded the points meaning that they will now progress to the quarter-finals.

That then leaves three games in the Premier Cup and three games in the Premier One title race, against Melrose at the Greenyards on March 19, Currie at Millbrae on March 26 then finally at Goldenacre on April 2, depending on how the cup draw pans out.

There is a long way to go yet!