S1 Team - Dumfries visit Cumnock Sunday 6th November

Dumfries Visit Cumnock

After a recent victory on the road at Dumfries the Cumnock S1 team take on the role as hosts this w/e (Sunday 6th December).

Provisional KO is 1300 however will be confirmed before the end of this week. With no game since the trip to Dumfries in mid November the Cumnock team will be raring to get it on, so why not come down and support them on the day?

Pithcero link

Cumnock senior results for Sat 28/11/09

Cumbernauld 30 Cumnock 1st xv 0

After a week’s weather enforced lay off, Cumnock returned to action against Cumbernauld this weekend.

Eerie conditions greeted them with the pitch shrouded in a thick fog. This covered the fact that the pitch was soaking wet. It was never going to be a day for running rugby.
Cumbernauld started strongly with a powerful charge from their winger straight from the kick off. He was eventually hauled down twenty metres short although Cumbernauld retained possession and continued to drive forward through their powerful forwards. Stubborn Cumnock defence kept the home side at bay with some excellent defence round the fringes of the rucks. However, every time Cumnock retrieved the ball and cleared it, Cumbernauld’s solid set piece play meant they kept the ball and continued to drive forward. It was inevitable that they would eventually drive over the line and so it proved when they released the ball wide and exploited a bit of confusion in the defence to squeeze into the corner. The conversion was missed.
The game continued in this fashion with Cumbernauld controlling the possession and slowly but surely building a solid platform. Against this Cumnock continued to defend stoically with several good hits from Graham Hunter and Jamie Thomson on the much larger forwards of Cumbernauld.
However, it is hard to keep this up for ever and Cumbernauld eventually managed to score another unconverted try as well as a penalty. Kyle Johnson missed a tricky penalty in the fog which was to prove Cumnock’s best chance to score.
Cumbernauld also added another score just before half time when their forwards drove Cumnock over the line for their third try which was converted.
The second half was even scrappier than the first, not helped by the increasingly slippy playing surface and the thick fog. The first twenty minutes of the half were characterized by endless scrums caused by handling errors from both teams, not helped by the fact that often the players couldn’t actually see the ball coming in the fog. Cumnock again struggled to impose themselves on the game with Cumbernauld keeping hold of the ball where Cumnock were able to make several good breaks but then being isolated and losing possession. However, Cumnock’s defence was again excellent with Number 8, Jamie Thomson putting in a series of consistently bone shattering tackles backed up with good hits by Scott Houston and Ross Black, making his first start for the first team.
Cumbernauld managed to eventually break through as their winger showed excellent determination to stretch for the line despite a good tackle by Conner Nisbet. The conversion was again missed.
The last few minutes were very similar to the rest of the game with Cumbernauld running hard at Cumnock’s defence although the visitors stubbornly held their line. This was characterised by an excellent try saving tackle from Martin Hastings on his opposite number which showed Cumnock’s determination not to concede despite the score line. Cumbernauld did manage one more in the corner with another missed conversion ending the match.
Despite the disappointing result Cumnock showed a lot of character in adversity as promotion chasing Cumbernauld showed their experience to play the conditions better than the young visiting side.
Jamie Thomson was Cumnock’s man of the match with an outstanding defensive effort.

Team: Craig Greer, Paul Miller, Donald Hunter, Kevin Brady, Blair McMillan, Graham Hunter, David Kerr, Jamie Thomson, Craig McWhirter, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Conner Nisbet, Tony Foster, Ross Black, Barry Horton, Scott Houston, Martin Hastings

Next Week: Cumnock host Oban at Broomfield in the latest round of league matches.


Garnock 2A 34 Cumnock 2nd XV 0

Cumnock 2nd XV travelled upto Garnock in 2nd XV League action against the team 3rd in the league. Due to late call offs Cumnock only went up with 12 players. Garnock were very kind to give Cumnock 2 players to make it 14 players for Cumnock and 15 for Garnock.

From the kick-off all the Cumnock players moved forward very well, with some positive moves towards the home try line. Cumnock had several phases from the forwards keeping it around itself attacking the try line. Cumnock even had a try disallowed as it appeared it was held up on the try line.

Garnock took the sustained pressure from the first 20 minutes and finally started using its numerical advantage and moved up the pitch and used the overlap to score 3 tries in the first half to make it 19-0 at half time.

Cumnock started the 2nd half with more positive play and continued to have periods of play in the Garnock half. Unfortunately our hooker got injured and we had to change to uncontested scrums. Garnock again gave us another player who had been subbed to join the Cumnock team. Garnock scored another 3 tries in the 2nd half with its numerical advantage to finish the game 34-0.

The Cumnock players were all a credit to the club, who went up to Garnock. Man of the match was Jason Johnstone for his tackling, running in the backs and positional play.

Cumnock 2nd XV travels upto Waysiders/Drumpellier on Saturday 5th with 2pm kick off.

Cumnock team: A. Watt, B. Horton, B. Holland, S. Manning, M Harkin, A. Nairn, S. Taylor, J. Ferrans, K. Barr, J. Johnstone, J. Seng, M. Thomson

November/December social events in Cumnock RFC

14 November

The food nights at the club have become renowned for the variety of themes chosen in the past and the next event on the 14th November is no different. This time we are of to Italy, the home of Pasta, Chianti and Mozarellato plus many other culinary delights. This is a great night out for the all and if its predecessors are anything to go by, well worth the price of admission. Tickets are £15.00 per head and are available from the coaches in the Mini and Youth sections. Please do your best to support this event and there is little doubt that you'll have night to remember.


25th November
Quiz Night in Cumnock RFC, Only £1 per person and Play Your Cards Right for minimum of £20. Maximum number of players per team: 6.
Come test your general knowledge, sport, music and other categories and support the club.

ITS THIS WEDNESDAY.


31 December

Cumnock RFC event to celebrate the bells. Tickets are £5 for adults and £2 for children. See Alex Dunsmuir for tickets.

Cumnock 54 Braidholm 5

After having no game last weekend, Cumnock were raring to go for this cup match against Braidholm.
The visitors are currently two divisions below Cumnock but they are leading their league and fancied their chances of causing a cup upset. However, Cumnock showed some class in recording a comfortable win in difficult conditions.
It was apparent straight from the kick off that heavy rain the night before had saturated the pitch with several players losing their footing and several handling errors which normally wouldn’t happen. The home side took the initiative in the opening exchanges of the game, soaking up Braidholm’s early attempt to drive with their larger forwards before turning the ball over and clearing the ball down the pitch. Braidholm won their lineout but a poor clearance from their stand-off meant that Cumnock were able to counter attack with the ball being spread from one wing to the other. It found Tony Foster in plenty of space to race past his opposite number to score. Kyle Johnson added the conversion. Cumnock continued to press the visiting team with some exciting line breaks and handling skills on display despite the pitch.
Also impressive was the linking between backs and forwards with the forwards running good angles to punch through the defence before offloading to the backs in space. Indeed several tries could have been scored but for several handling errors, some of which could be put down to the poor conditions and some couldn’t. However, Cumnock were soon back on the score sheet when Mark Bennett crossed the line after some clever interplay between backs and forwards. Kyle Johnson added the conversions before finishing off the next Cumnock try after sidestepping at least three Braidholm defenders. He converted the score to give Cumnock a solid lead.
Braidholm then had their best spell of the first half when they decided to kick the ball high constantly causing problems for the Cumnock back three on the slippery pitch. They kept this up for a long spell keeping Cumnock on the back foot despite never really looking likely to break the line or score. Cumnock, on the other hand always looked dangerous with the ball in hand and as soon as they recovered the ball from Braidholm and immediately broke up the pitch through Craig Greer who passed to Bennett before the ball was fed back to Greer who touched down with Johnson again adding the conversion. Cumnock were at it again when openside flanker, Alan Smith picked a good line through the defence before feeding Alan Haynes to score. Johnson missed the conversion from out wide to end the half.
The second half started well for Cumnock when Bennett gathered a long kick from Braidholm and set of through the defence to score after a neat exchange of passes with Smith. The reliable Johnson again added the extras. However, the rest of the second half was tight as Braidholm kept the ball tight to prevent Cumnock’s dangerous runners from causing them further strife. Braidholm’s patience eventually earned them a try after several phases sucking the defence giving their winger space to squeeze into the corner.
Cumnock took the chance to try a new style using their forwards to keep the ball tight which worked fairly well but they didn’t ever seem likely to score when doing this. It took until the last ten minutes before they scored again after a quick penalty caught Braidholm napping and the ball was spun wide with Bennett again getting on the end of the move to score with Johnson converting. Bennett finished the game after breaking through the tiring defence to score from well inside his own half. Johnson added the conversion to complete a comfortable win for the young home side to continue their impressive home form. This was a reasonably easy victory for the home side against a stubborn Braidholm side and bodes well for the second half of the league season and hopefully a continuing run in the cup.
Man of the match was Mark Bennett for adding another four tries to his considerable tally this season.

Team: Craig Greer, Paul Miller, Donald Hunter, Kevin Brady, Blair McMillan, Graham Hunter, Alan Smith, David Kerr, Craig McWhirter, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Alan Haynes, Tony Foster, Conner Nisbet, Jamie Hodge, Scott Houston, Ross Black

Next Week: Cumnock resume league duties away to title challenging Strathendrick

Report by David Kerr

Pitchero link to report and results

Cumnock 2nds beat Dalzell

The 2nds got their rewards today with a well fought victory over Dalziel.

The 2nd XV faced a stern test on Saturday when they welcomed a very strong Dalziel 3rd XV to Broomfield for the latest league match. The visitors have been performing well all season and had only been beaten once, so the Cumnock squad knew that they were in for a hard shift.

Gavin Kerr was making his senior debut, and had brought along some moral and physical support in the shape of his dad, Euan who was hoping to get some game time in the same side as his middle son.
The game itself was a hard fought affair with the home side coming out victorious 21 - 10.

There were tries for Greg Hamilton and Euan Cunningham, with Dougie Elliot converting one try and adding three penalties.

The game was well refereed By Mr Clift from Irvine who allowed the game to flow in difficult underfoot conditions.


Pitchero link to Report and Results

Dumfries S1 20 Cumnock S1 38

Cumnock S1 win again

Things didn't look very promising as the team travelled down the A76 through torrential rain, however Dumfries basked in glorious sunshine and the pitch was in great condition for a game of rugby. The Primary 7 game had been cancelled and some of the more experienced players swelled the numbers available giving Cumnock the luxury of a full team. However as Dumfries were short of numbers some of the S1 players agreed to play for the hosts to even things up and give everyone a game.

The match was played over three periods, each lasting fifteen minutes, giving the coaches a couple of breaks to pass on some tips to the players. Cumnock dominated the first period, running in four tries from McLaren, Gordon, Faulds and Kerr, with one conversion from Aitken, taking over kicking duties from Reilly who was playing for Dumfries. During the same period Gordon moved to the Dumfries team to replace an injured player and then somewhat uniquely scored for the hosts, which was also converted. Cumnock led 13-4 at the first break.

Changes were made amongst the players on loan to Dumfries. The second period was a more even affair with two tries for each team, the Cumnock scores coming from Dewhurst and Howie. Both scores came from good breaks from platforms set up by the forwards giving the boys an easy run in. Dumfries also scored two tries, both of which were converted. Cumnock were still in front at the second break, leading 19 - 12.

More changes followed at the start of the final period, with Cumnock again re-shuffling the players on loan to Dumfries. This forced Cumnock to make positional changes and allowed the P7 players to come more into the game and they took the chance to get stuck in. Cumnock scored five tries in this spell, from Howie. Kerr (2), Reilly, and Smith, with four fine conversions from Reilly. Most of the tries again came from the backs breaking the line and great support play and passing ensured the scores. Dumfries answered with two tries, both of which were converted by their excellent kicker. Final score Dumfries 20, Cumnock 38.

This was a fair result against a weaker opposition. By mixing the Cumnock players with the host team it gave some players the chance to play in other positions, which will assist in their development. The Primary 7 players enjoyed the wide open spaces of playing on a full size pitch and made a great contribution to the game, in fact they were collectively given the Man of the Match award for their efforts. Donkey of the day was Scott Faulds for his clearance kick from inside his own in-goal area which went higher than the five metres distance that it travelled!

Cumnock team was Harkiss, McLaren, Faulds, Phillips, Gordon, Kerr, Reilly, Aitken, Howie, Birrell, Smith, Hill and Dewhurst.

Pitchero Report and results

Cumnock minis at Ardrossan and S1 at Whitecraigs

Cumnock minis are playing at Ardrossan next Sunday 22nd November.

Kick Off is 12 noon please be there no later that 11:40am.

Meet Cumnock RFC at 10:30 for a 10:45 departure.

Meeting details for s1 match V Whitecraigs

Players in the S1 team are to be at the club for 1200 with the KO scheduled for 1300. Any players who have not paid their monthly subs for November are reminded to bring them along.

All news is on Pitchero site, come join us and get a weekly email of the results and all the club news.

Mini details for Sunday for 15th November

THIS IS NOW POSTPONED

Minis are away to Uddingston Rugby Club on Sunday 15th November

Meet at Cumnock RFC 9:15. Going up in cars and Community Bus

We need to be at Uddingston for 10:45 for an 11am kick off. Due to other games we need to be off the parks by 12 noon

S1 update for Sunday 15 November

Dumfries(A)15/11/09 - ....Update

The S1's travel to Dumfries this w/e looking to roll over their good form from last w/e. Travel details to be confirmed - so watch this space! (the pitchero site s1 news).


Dont forget the match reports appear on pitchero site (its very user friendly) just look for senior, junior or mini to find what your looking for.

Glasgow Under 18 IDC training Squad 2009

After two selection evenings and a two day October Camp the Glasgow Under 18 training squad has been selected to take part in three skills sessions prior to final selection of the IDC squad at Christmas.Due to ongoing injuries among some of the players the coaches have selected cover in each position to allow all players to promote themselves. The final squad of 22 will play games against the Exiles as a warm up on the 24th January and will play Edinburgh at Myreside on 21st February, The Borders at Jedburgh on 28th February and finally Caledonia in Glasgow On the 7th March.

Cumnock RFC Players

5 Mark Bennett
13 Craig Greer

Scottish rugby link

Cumnock pitchero link

Cumnock RFC Under 18 and Under 15 girls reports from Sunday 8th November09

Cumnock Under 18s which could only travel up with 7 players. Unfortunately 1 player had to pull out during the day which left the Cumnock team an even harder with 6 players able to play for us.

First game had to borrow 3 players. The Cumnock team started reasonably strongly and were only beat two tries to nil. The half’s were 10 minutes each and it was a well worked Cumnock team.

The second game was against Gordon Schools, This time we only had 6 Cumnock players on the pitch and borrow 4 from other teams. The girls did show lots of effort but the numbers being depleted really affected the team. Gordon schools with 5 tries and 2 conversions. The girls really represented Cumnock really well on what was a really tough tournament for the Cumnock Under 18 Girls team.



Cumnock Under 15s team had already agreed to join forces with Aboyne (which we played last season in semi-final of cup) before going to this tournament.

The Cumnock Under 15 players really fitted in and played well with the Aboyne players. The Cumnock players were great representatives for Cumnock RFC.

The Aboyne/Cumnock team played 3 games which won 1 game, drew 1 game and lost 1 game. The Cumnock players were a great credit and well done to the Girls team.

Thanks to Mark Linden for Report.

Girls rugby news

Cumnock RFC Girls team is travelling to Murrayfield Has Been Changed to PERTH this Sunday 8th November

The 10s tournament being run the Scottish Rugby is open to all teams in the north and south catchment area.

Good luck Mark and girls.

Stephen Taylor, Ayrshire Womens Rugby Co-ordinator is organising a Girls rugby Cluster Festival for all the girls throughout Ayrshire on Sunday 15th November. The venue is Broomfield, Cumnock RFC, Auchinleck Road, Cumnock. The likely Kick Off time will be 1pm and it will run until around 3pm.

Please come down at enjoy the festival.

For any queries call Stephen on 07840640049


Dont forget to check our new pitchero for all Cumnock RFC girls team news and fixtures

Cumnock senior results

Cumnock 26 – 0 Carrick

Cumnock played host to Carrick in a local derby in the latest league match this weekend.
After a disappointing result last week against Clydebank the young side were determined to make up for this by winning at home.
The game kicked off in wet and windy conditions although this did not deter the home side who won a penalty straight from the kick off when the visitors were caught holding onto the ball on the ground. Uncharacteristically, Kyle Johnson pulled his kick to the left of the posts but Cumnock had shown their intent to take control of the game early on.
This was followed up by a strong spell of Cumnock pressure as they dealt with some loose Carrick kicking, allowing full-back Conner Nisbet to run the ball back at the defence. The breakthrough came when several strong carries from Cumnock’s forwards made a good position in Carrick territory. The ball was fed back to stand-off Johnson who, despite slipping managed to chip the ball over the defence. Wing Tony Foster gathered the ball to score in the corner and Johnson added the tricky conversion.
Cumnock continued to put the visitors under pressure and almost added more points when both Johnson and Mark Bennett narrowly missed penalties. Cumnock’s set pieces have been a problem this season and the line out continued to misfire in this game. However, the scrum was much more impressive with the new front row of Rab Donald, Graham Hunter and Donald Hunter constantly putting their opposite numbers on the back foot. Solid scrum ball allowed Cumnock’s backs to use their pace to take on the defence. One of these moves saw the ball released wide and well timed passing meant that Gregor McMillan had the space to outsprint his opposite number and cross the line for Cumnock’s second try. This time the conversion went awry as the conditions worsened with several players losing their footing on the slippery surface.
The first half ended with Cumnock 12 points to nil up and having never looked under pressure from Carrick. The visitors came back strongly after half time and set up a series of driving mauls deep in Cumnock territory after some cheap penalties from the home side. However, stubborn defence from Cumnock kept the line intact and eventually the visitors grew impatient and attempted an unlikely cross kick which was easily dealt with by the defence.
Cumnock regrouped and came charging back at their guests and immediately turned their pressure into points. Mark Bennett made the initial burst through the Carrick defence before feeding his centre partner Alan Haynes with a well timed pass. Haynes had the pace to outstrip the chasing defence and touched down under the posts to give Johnson an easy conversion.
The home side then spent a long spell deep in Carrick territory but struggled to make much of an impression with several handling errors caused by the poor conditions. There was also a lot of aimless kicking with both teams favouring the hit and hope option, relying on their opponents spilling the ball. Cumnock dealt with this better and it was no surprise when Mark Bennett side stepped through the defence to record his side’s fourth try to wrap up the bonus point. Johnson again added the conversion from in front of the posts.
Cumnock showed excellent composure to play the remainder of the game out on their terms and Carrick were never given a chance to get points on the board. Cumnock came close to adding another try when a well placed Bennett kicked was hacked ahead by substitute wing Greg Hamilton who was unlucky to be beaten to the touchdown by the covering defender. The home side continued to play the game deep in Carrick territory until the end of the match, showing an ability to control games which hasn’t often been seen this season.
This was another important step for the young team with their second successive home win topped off with a bonus point. Especially impressive was the fact that Cumnock kept a clean sheet which is a rare feat in rugby which shows the continuing development in this young team.
Alan Smith was man of the match for getting through a lot of the dirty work in the back row that allows Cumnock’s backs the chance to shine.

Team: Rab Donald, Graham Hunter, Donald Hunter, Kevin Brady, Blair McMillan, Stuart Hunter, Alan Smith, David Kerr, Craig McWhirter, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Alan Haynes, Tony Foster, Conner Nisbet, Jim Ramage, Jamie Thomson, Greg Hamilton

Next Week: Cumnock travel to Stranraer to take on Wigtonshire

Cumnock 3 Allen glens 12

The second team continued to get closer with its form with a close defeat to Allan Glens who currently top Reserve league West Division 3.

Cumnock mini results/reports

P5

The team were short of players today and Ross,Adam and Rob stepped up from the P4 squad to boost numbers. The boys lost a few early tries to the visitors before they switched on and although they came back strongly were unable to overcome the early deficit and lost the game 8-4. Cumnocks tries coming from Zak Donald 3 and Owen Young

The second game saw the home team take an early lead running in some superb tries and putting up a solid defense.Unfortunately the visitors pulled this game back as the Cumnock boys tired and the final score of 10-5 was very flattering for the visitors and didnt really reflect the passage of play. Zak Donald picked up another 3 tries in this game with Rob Drummond and Owen Young picking up 1 each.

The Cumnock squad were Ryan Kennedy,Austin McBirnie,Owen Young and Zak Donald with Owen picking up the award for best tackler



P4

The team got off to a slow start in their first game losing some early tries to the visitors from Strathven. As the game progressed the Cumnock team started to find their form with Blair McNally and Blair Stewart picking up a try each but it was too little too late and the Cumnock team lost the first game 6-2

The second game saw a huge improvement in the Cumnock team stringing together some good attacks and better tackling. Unfortunately the visitors ran in a few late tries to steal victory winning the game 6-3. Cumnocks tries coming from Ross Watson 1 Adam Watt 2

The Cumnock squad was Blair McNally,Ross Watson,Adam Watt,Jamie Kennedy,Alex Hill,Rob Drummond,Blair Stewart,Matt Montgomery and Bailey Wood. Matt Montgomery picking up the award for best tackler.

Cumnock senior reports for Saturday 17th October

Clydebank 27 Cumnock 20 1st xv report:-

It was the best of times and then the worst of times for Cumnock this week as they travelled to Clydebank. Cumnock dominated the first half to open a fifteen point lead before throwing it away in the second half.
The game started in beautiful conditions which suited Cumnock’s free running style against Clydebank’s powerful forward based brand of rugby. The game started well as good pressure from the kick off resulted in turnover ball for Cumnock which was fed back to stand-off Kyle Johnson who slotted a drop goal to give Cumnock an early lead.

This early pressure from Cumnock continued as the hosts attempted to steady their ship by driving the ball up the side of rucks. However, these drives were continually halted by Cumnock’s fringe defence led by back row brothers Stuart and Graham Hunter. Eventually, Clydebank attempted to throw the ball wide. The ball was fumbled by the centre and Mark Bennett continued his knack of being in the right place at the right time to gather the ball and run unopposed under the posts for the opening try. Johnson added the extra two points.

Clydebank rallied after this and set up camp deep in Cumnock territory although the stubborn visiting defence refused to let the home side through. However, Cumnock once again showed that they can be their own worst enemy as a series of unnecessary penalties were given away, allowing Clydebank to kick into the corner and regroup their forwards. The defence was impregnable until the departure of Rab Cross after a heavy collision with his opposite number. With this loss of both experience and power, Cumnock’s defence was weakened just enough for Clydebank to squeeze over for a try after a drive from a lineout. The conversion was mis-hit but it gave the hosts a foot hold in the game.

Cumnock refused to sit back and allow the hosts the chance to add to this score as they won a penalty after pressure from the kick off. The long range penalty was kicked by Bennett to further extend his team’s lead. Clydebank managed to secure ball from their kick off after Cumnock struggled to set up a maul from the kick off. The home side once again set up a series of mauls and rucks without spinning the ball wide. However, Cumnock’s defence was once again strong and they won a penalty when Clydebank were over eager to secure the ball and left their feet. Johnson prepared to kick the ball to touch before spotting space in behind the Clydebank defence. The ball went long and into space before being gathered by the Clydebank full back. His clearing kick was loose and gathered by number-eight David Kerr who ran at the defence before offloading to Johnson who released the ball along the line to wing, Tony Foster. Foster took on the defence on the outside and had the pace to score in the corner for a well worked counter attack try. Johnson added the conversion from the touchline before the whistle went for half time with Cumnock leading twenty points to five.

The second half started fairly well for Cumnock with another long range penalty attempt for Bennett which he pushed slightly to the right. After that Cumnock seemed to go to sleep. Either that or they believed the game to be already won. Whatever the problem, Clydebank managed to set up their driving mauls without Cumnock disrupting them and pick the ball up and drive round the side of rucks without Cumnock stopping them straight away. Clydebank have managed to make it to the top end of the table by carrying the ball three or four yards at a time, keeping hold of the ball and eventually they will make it to the try line. In the first half Cumnock were preventing them from doing this but in the second half Clydebank were allowed to walk up the pitch using their experienced and considerably larger forwards to keep the ball from Cumnock. Cumnock also continued to give away several cheap penalties aiding the Clydebank cause.

The home side managed to score four tries in this fashion with Cumnock barely managing to touch the ball in this spell. Only one conversion was added meaning that Cumnock stayed within seven points meaning that they got a bonus point out of the game.

The game ended with Cumnock camped on the Clydebank line for the first time in the half and despite Greg Hamilton and Sean Fulton going close, they were unable to force their way over the line.


This was a massively disappointing game for Cumnock as they had a great chance to beat one of the top teams in the league. It would even be possible to say that Cumnock lost this game more than Clydebank won it. Cumnock showed in the first half they were capable of dealing with the home side’s forward orientated game but they switched off in the second half and paid the price for it. However, it is games like this that Cumnock’s young side will hopefully learn lessons from and move forward.

Man of the match was captain David Kerr for leading by example and putting in a hard working shift in the back row.

Team: Kevin Brady, Paul Miller, Rab Cross, Sean Fulton, Blair McMillan, Stuart Hunter, Graham Hunter, David Kerr, Scott Houston, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Alan Haynes, Tony Foster, Conner Nisbet, Barry Horton, Alan Smith, Greg Hamilon

Next Week: Cumnock take on Carrick in local derby at Broomfield

Clydebank 26 Cumnock 2nd XV 20

For the 2nd week in a row the 2nd XV had a tale of two halfs where the 2nd half performancce showed grit and determination to fight a stronger team.

Cumnock started with 15 players on the pitch and no subs. Most of the points against Cumnock were scored again in the first half. 2nd half the boys played a briliant game after being have Bobby Horton and Euan Cunningham having to go off from the front row, which left Cumnock with 13 players on the pitch. After this the Cumnock showed some true grit against the more experienced team. This also meant the scrums became uncontested.

Johnny Seng was man of the match for his opportunist try in the first half.

Cumnock 2nd 15 play Allan Glens at Broomfield, Kick off 3pm

Cumnock chatboard link

Friday 23rd October

Posh Frocks to Jeans Ladies Night
at Cumnock RFC, Friday 23rd October 2009 at 7.30pm

Do you have something in your wardrobe that you
want to donate - time to have a clear out before
Christmas. Posh frock, tops, trousers anything
you don't want, someone else might buy?
Jewellery and handbag stall.

Buffet included.

Tickets £5 phone Marie 07799656226 to book your
tickets or available behind the bar.

Pictures from Friends and Former Players day 10 October 2008

A few pictures from the Friends and former players day when we played Strathclyde Police. Lots more pictures are available on facebook(nearly 100) are on our fanpage on facebook. Cheers to Harry for pictures.

Cumnock 42 Strathclyde Police 15

On a the former players and friends sponsor day Cumnock RFC beat Strathclyde Polìce 42-15

Cumnock enjoyed a bonus point victory at home against Strathclyde Police this week. The home side ran in five tries in front of a large crowd including many players from the club’s past.

Cumnock started almost straight from the kick off when the Police gave away a penalty under pressure from Cumnock’s forwards. Kyle Johnson slotted the penalty to give Cumnock the early lead although this was cancelled out when the Police’s full back kicked a penalty of their own after a Cumnock player was caught offside.
Cumnock continued to apply pressure to the Police with strong carrying from Cumnock’s forwards and smart kicking by the half backs resulting in another penalty for Johnson which dropped just short although he then added another just minutes later from a similar position. Undeterred, Cumnock continued to apply pressure to the Police defence while controlling the majority of possession. Another penalty went awry for Cumnock when Mark Bennett narrowly missed a long range effort. However, all the pressure meant that a breakthrough was inevitable and it came when Bennett found space in the midfield to step a couple of defenders and sprint clear to score under the posts giving Johnson an easy conversion.
Just minutes later, Bennett was at it again when he stripped the ball off an opposition player and was left with a simple run in to give Johnson another easy kick and giving Cumnock a seventeen point lead.
Cumnock were unable to capitalise on their momentum as the Police started to come into the game and they controlled possession from a long spell although stubborn home defence kept them at bay. However, they finally scored when a well worked backs move was finished in the corner to record their first try. They missed the conversion meaning that Cumnock went into the second half with twenty points to eight lead.
Cumnock started the second half much as they started the first: with a Kyle Johnson penalty. However they were unable to build much on this as a series of unforced errors and soft penalties given away by Cumnock gave the Police a chance to come back into the game. They used the series of penalties to kick themselves into the corner. Cumnock held out against a persistent Police attack with good defence around the fringes of the rucks. Eventually the referee got fed up with Cumnock’s indiscretions in their attempts to keep the police out and sent Kevin Brady to the sin bin.
Cumnock’s defence gave way eventually with a powerful forward drive from the Police resulting in a try which was converted.
This seemed to wake Cumnock up and they started to play some excellent rugby as the increasingly vociferous crowd drove the home side on. The third try came after a loose kick from the Police gave Gregor McMillan the chance to run at the defence. He beat several defenders before being hauled down in the opposition twenty two. The ball was spun wide and a delicate chip from Tony Foster was gathered by Bennett to score his third. Johnson added an impressive touchline conversion.
Cumnock continued to play some excellent rugby as the Police and solid scrummaging from the props Rab Donald and Craig Greer gave a solid platform off which Cumnock’s backs could attack. The bonus point was secured when Bennett again broke the defence and fired a wide pass to Conner Nisbet who ducked under the final tackle to cross in the corner to record his first senior try.
Cumnock found time for one more when slick line out ball from Blair McMillan gave the backs ample time to run a well rehearsed move giving Bennett a simple run in for his fourth try which was again converted by Johnson.
Cumnock can take a lot out of this game with several outstanding performances. Some of the rugby that was played, especially late on in the second half was wonderful to watch and hopefully this will continue for the rest of the season.
Man of the match was Kyle Johnson for an excellent tactical display and some inspired kicking, both out of hand and off a tee.

Team: Rab Donald, Paul Miller, Craig Greer, Kevin Brady, Blair McMillan, Stuart Hunter, David Kerr, Jamie Thomson, Scott Houston, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Martin Wilson, Alan Haynes, Conner Nisbet, Graham Hunter, Jim Ramage, Tony Foster

Next week: Cumnock travel to Clydebank in the latest league match

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• This Saturday 10th October (cumnockrugby.blogspot.com)

Cumnock 3 hillhead 43

It was a tale of 2 halfs for the 2nd xv against hillhead jordanhill.

The away team were a very strong team and dominated the Cumnock team in first half. After strengthing for 2nd half, Cumnock held away team for 43-3 against cumnock.

Team: horton, watt, linden, cunningham, ferrans, harkin, mcculloch, laidlaw, nairn, wallace, mccrorie, mcwhirter, black, barr, hastings, taylor, johnstone, mcpheator, hamilton, seng.

Cumnock Senior reports and results for Saturday 3rd October

Cumnock made the short trip to Ayr to face Millbrae in the league. Millbrae are an offshoot from the main Ayr club, mainly made up of former Ayr players who are still looking for a game at the weekend. As a result their side largely consists of older heads, the complete opposite of the Cumnock side, many of whom are playing their first season of senior rugby. This was always going to a test for the young side against the experience and streetwise nature of the opposition.

However, Millbrae scoring almost straight from the kick off was more due to Cumnock errors than anything else. The kick off was fumbled by Cumnock and Millbrae gratefully used the resulting lineout to set up a series of rucks which they drove forwards, a few yards at a time. Despite some sturdy Cumnock defence, they eventually drove over for the score when the defence around the fringes of the ruck was posted missing and Millbrae gratefully drove through the resulting space to score. The conversion was added and Cumnock were left seven points behind with less than seven minutes on the clock.

Cumnock rallied after this but were unable to make any impression against strong defence. Millbrae were also helped in the first half by a strong wind which meant they could keep Cumnock pinned back deep in their own half. Millbrae used this pressure to score their second when powerful ball carrying from their centres fragmented Cumnock’s defence allowing their forwards to drive over for another score which was, again converted.

Cumnock began to claw back some of the initiative when Mark Bennett and David Kerr linked in midfield off a well worked lineout move allowing space for Conner Nisbet and Gregor McMillan to carry the ball into the Millbrae twenty-two. A harsh decision of holding on was given against Cumnock allowing Millbrae to clear the ball. Despite this move resulting in nothing, Cumnock were determined to get something out of this pressure. It looked set to come Bennett broke through the defence off open play and, seeing support on his shoulder, drew the full back and passed to Alan Haynes who, with the line at his mercy, uncharacteristically knocked the ball on.
This seemed to reawaken Millbrae who added a third try before half time when quick hands left their winger with plenty of space to score in the corner. The conversion was missed but it still left Millbrae with a nineteen point lead at half time.

Cumnock began the second half with the wind at their backs and they used it to good effect when Millbrae conceded a penalty which was eased over by Kyle Johnson. The visitors continued to pressure the older team with several good breaks but they were undone by aggressive rucking by Millbrae as well as some increasingly strict refereeing decisions.
The breakthrough came when Martin Wilson ran a good support line off Bennett and found himself in space. Wilson then drew the full back and passed to Haynes, who held on this time and ran in to score his first senior try. The conversion went awry in the tricky wind.
Despite this try, Cumnock never looked likely to reach the mark set by Millbrae in the first half as the home side used their experience to tighten up the game and prevent Cumnock’s dangerous backs from making any more chances. It is to Cumnock’s credit, however, that they never stopped fighting and kept themselves in the hunt to try and get something out of the game.
The next score came from the hosts when their powerful centre ran through some weak Cumnock tackles to score his sides fourth try, earning them a bonus point. The conversion was added to complete the scoring. The game ended with Cumnock applying pressure to Millbrae but they were unable to score again before the end.
Another week with a disappointing result for Cumnock, although it was another performance with positive aspects, especially in the second half when the young side played some attractive rugby and never stopped chasing the game. However, soft scores early in the first half gave Millbrae a head start in the game which made it hard for Cumnock to recover.
Man of the match was David Kerr for a hard working display in the back row.

Team: Kevin Brady, Paul Miller, Craig Greer, Jim Ramage, Blair McMillan, Alan Smith, David Kerr, Jamie Thomson, Scott Houston, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Alan Haynes, Tony Foster, Conner Nisbet, Barry Horton, Mark Linden, Martin Wilson

Next Saturday, Cumnock take on Strathclyde Police at Broomfield, kick off 3pm

Cumnock took the journey to Glasgow to face Cartha 3rds in 2nd xv league fixture.

After a couple of late call offs Cumnock went up with yet another youthful team (apart from Bobby Horton). Cartha won 31-0 in another hard fought match.

Cumnock face Hillhead Jordanhill next Saturday at Broomfield.

Kick off 3pm.


Scottish rugby results and table