Ayr Rugby Club have to fight hard to beat Gala at Netherdale

Sep 9 2011 Ayrshire Post (main ed)

A TRIP to the Borders can be tricky, to Netherdale it can be fraught with danger (writes Ron Evans).

Add into the clash with a newly promoted Gala side that they were coming off a memorable opening day win at Currie and now in front of their own crowd for the first time in Premier One, it is the sort of situation when you wouldn't mind Bear Grylls in your team with advice on survival.

Survive Ayr did although they were a few walking wounded and with nine points from a possible ten in the first two matches left coach Kenny Murray as satisfied as he ever will be.

Ayr won the try count two to one, Scott Sutherland barging over and Grant Anderson running fantastic support for Robbie Fergusson's searing break but it was the kickers on the day who made their mark.

Nick Elrick slotted a conversion from the touchline and Sylvain Diez banged over the penalty which sealed the game after George Graham's late try along with Lee Miller's conversion and previous two penalties pulled the home side back to within four points.

A veteran watcher of Border rugby in general and Gala in particular suggested afterwards that it was clear that Ayr were a class side but had been made to fight very hard for the result.

He reckoned: “Gala had the edge in the scrum, the line outs were even but Ayr took their chances and when the chips were down, that was when their experience told.

“Ayr deserved the four points and one area of their experience which showed was the way they worked their bench and it was enlightening to see how several Ayr players returned so effectively for a second innings." A wonderful phrase that one.

The bench was indeed called into action big time and it was the way in which players slotted into unfamiliar positions but still did a job that augurs well for Ayr's season of re-building.

Particularly when you consider that when Murray McConnell had been taken off with a head knock, Elrick with a groin strain and Ross Curle sustained a facial cut, it was three scrum halves who took the field, McConnell restored at No 9, AJ MacFarlane at No 10 and Diez at center.

Add to that Colin White having to move to second row for Josh Dunning who limped off with an ankle injury to be replaced in the back row by Graham Fiskin, then the strength of the Ayr bench which also included Gordon Sykes, cannot be underestimated.

Given the travails of the game, Murray was happy with the four points.

He said: “We always knew it would be a tough game at Netherdale and that was made even harder with the lift Gala got from the Currie result.

“We know they are well coached with George Graham and Scott Nichol in charge and with a second row of Chris Weir and Opeta Palepoi, they were going to be no slouches up front.

“The stop-start pattern made them difficult to break down and we didn't use our driving maul until later but when we did it proved very effective but again we weren't clinical enough.

“In the end we toughed it out as any team who come to Netherdale will have to do but there were real positives to take from the game.

“Our defence was very solid and our discipline which let us down against Edinburgh Accies was much better and the way the team played for each other when the pressure was on in the latter stages was very encouraging.

“The back row got us on the front foot regularly and in defence Ross Doneghan and Andy Dunlop stood out and Graham Fiskin did a good job when we had to move Colin White into lock.

“Nick Elrick had a much more confident game than in his first match against Accies and both he and Sylvain Diez landed pretty difficult kicks."

The coach stressed that Ayr will have to be at their best on Saturday at home to Melrose who haven’t yet dropped a point.

Murray said: “We need to get a good start and get into the game quickly but the way the team played for each other at Netherdale means we can go into the game looking to get a result and keep our unbeaten record.

“We have a few bumps and scrapes but we hope to have a full side out and Mark Stewart will hopefully be back since we will lose Robbie Fergusson on Scottish sevens duty."

Ah, the prospect of another joust with Melrose and the joys of encountering the happy, cheerful demeanour of Craig Chalmers, their unbiased and even handed support with the usual sporting crew prowling around the technical area – or am I confusing them with some other side?

Anyway, it will not be one for the fainthearted with Melrose top of the table with 10 points and Ayr in third with nine. The unpredictability of much that is happening elsewhere in Premier One indicates that teams will pick each other off making the race for a top eight spot before the split after November 5 one for those who can best hold their nerve (and avoid injuries).

Millbrae is the place to be at 3pm for what promises to be, even at this early stage, a crucial match.

The club received welcome news that they have been awarded £48,000 from the SRU's disbursement of the Scottish Government's Cashback for Communities Initiative and president Billy McHarg, who worked on the club’s application was delighted.

He said: “We put in our application on June 7 and were told on August 30 that it had been successful so that is pretty good going.

“The funding, for which the club has to find an additional £9,600 under the terms of the award, will be used for essential improvements at Millbrae. These will include the upgrading of toilet facilities and disabled facilities, the upgrade of the lights on the second XV pitch in order to save the surface on the main pitch from overuse and the conversion of the squash courts into changing rooms to take the pressure off the current areas.

“All these improvements are geared to benefit the members, the players and the community at large who use Millbrae and there is always the hope that we might attract a representative match to Millbrae which would be a real bonus."