1sts v Paisley and 2nds v GHA Gazelles

On Saturday 12th September Cumnock 1sts are at home to Paisley while the 2nds are away to GHA Gazelles at Braidholm. Let the coaching team know if you are available for selection.

Jim

Glasgow Under 17 Squad

Glasgow Under 17 Training Squad
Tuesday, 08 September 2009

Glasgow U17 Training Squad –

Sessions Monday 21st & 28th September

Both sessions start at 7pm (players to arrive between 6.15 and 6.30pm)

at Hughenden.

Cumnock RFC names:-

Name
Alan Haynes
Scott Houston
Graham Hunter
Gavin Kerr

Cumnock chatboard link

Scottish rugby weblink

SCOTTISH NATIONAL ACADEMY UPDATE

Scottish rugby weblink

SCOTLAND UNDER-18 TRAINING SQUAD NAMED
Monday, 07 September 2009

Scotland under-18 head coach, Grant McKelvey, today announced an initial training squad of 34 players ahead of the 2009 / 2010 season.

The training squad was selected after a performance review of the players who spent a fortnight in Valladolid, Spain, on a strength, conditioning and rugby camp in July, and those invited to attend the national rugby camp at Struan, Perthshire in August.

McKelvey, said: “After working with the players in Valladolid and Struan these sessions present an excellent opportunity for us to compare and contrast the players while measuring the development of those who have been in the under-17 programme.

“For the majority this won’t present a new beginning in a new side. The sessions continue on from the work done in the under-17 sessions and the two camps – it’s a continuous development process rather than starting afresh.

“There are, of course, many other opportunities for players to gain selection into this squad. The Performance Development team will be watching a lot of rugby in Scotland as well as travelling to and gaining recommendations from our counterparts in the Exiles Performance Programme in England.”

Players will be continually assessed throughout the season before the final selection of the national under-18 Squad for the 6 Nations International Festival due to take place in Wales in April 2010.

SCOTLAND U18 TRAINING SQUAD – SEPTEMBER SESSIONS 2009

- FORWARDS -

Props
Robin Hislop (Hawick Wanderers) **
Gavin Robertson (Earlston High School /Melrose Wasps)
Alex Allen (Sedbergh School)
Struan Cessford (Dundee High Rugby)
Jo Wasinski (Hampton School)
Craig Davidson (Ayr)

Hookers
Jack McFarlane (Gourock High School / Greenock Wanderers)
George Turner (Stewart’s Melville College)
Ryan Hood (Strathallan)
Fergus Scott (Currie)

Second-rows
Fraser Wem (Hampton School / London Wasps)
Craig Ferguson (East Kilbride)
George Barnes (Chesterfield)

Back-row
Mitch Eadie (Filton College)
Malcolm Peathingy (George Watson’s College)
Andrew Nagle (Jed Thistle)
Jamie Swanson (Glasgow Academy)*
Adam de ste Criox (Firhill High School / Boroughmuir)
Lawrie Seydak (Edinburgh Academy)

- BACKS -

Scrum-halves
Murray McConnell (Lenzie Academy / West of Scotland RFC)*
Jonny Adams (Aberdeen Grammar)
James Munro (Edinburgh Academy)

Stand-offs
Fraser Gillies (Edinburgh Academy)
Finn Russell (Stirling County)

Centres
Jack Bradford (Worksop College)
Michael Crawley (Stewart’s Melville College)
Mark Bennett (Cumnock) *
Stewart Hogg (Heriot’s) **
Jack Ferguson (George Watson’s College)

Back three
Murray Beckwith (Marr College)*
Harris Jones (Merchiston Castle School)*
Aiden McCall-Haden (St Aloysius College)
Ross Inglis (Calderside Acadademy / Hamilton)
Ben Francis (Epsom College)

* Member of National Academy supported by AIS (Area Institute of Sport)
** Member of National Academy supported by Scottish Rugby

• The first two Scotland sessions will take place on Sunday 6 and Sunday 13 September.

Cumnock chatboard link

New update on 10th October after 06/09/09

Hi Everyone,

Only about 5 weeks to the sponsor day. Latest numbers are around 70. Latest names:

Bell + 2 pals

Doreen Findlay

Jim and Elspeth Mair

Spoke to Soupie yesterday and he is having a think about it as well.


Ists lost 12-8 away at Oban and were unlucky not to win (agreed I was there (tommy). Last year in the same fixture they lost heavily so there is a big improvement. Next week they play Paisley and should get a win at home against them.

2nds beat the Police 45 – 5. things are looking up on the playing side.

I have 20 people paid up so far and I really need to get payments in so that I can confirm the catering. Please send payments to me below or give them to Alex Dunsmuir or Tober.

We still have a few places left please pass the word.

See you all soon,

Morton

Cumnock chatboard link

Cumnock mini/midi results from Suday 6th September

S1 Report for Suday 6th September

Kilmarnock 11 - Cumnock 15

Cumnock travelled down to Kilmarnock for their opening game of the season, minus a few experienced players and with one new face. Moving up from the mini-section to play midi-rugby is always a big step, introducing more of the laws of the game and playing on a full size pitch. Kilmarnock are always a well drilled team and this would be their third game of the season, giving them the edge on Cumnock, or so it was expected.

The game was to be played over three 15 minute periods and Cumnock started the first period well. The backs were very sharp in setting up their alignment and the forwards were getting around the pitch well. However, the larger Kilmarnock pack were winning some good ruck ball and were putting the squeeze on at the scrums. Nevertheless, some quick thinking allowed scrum-half Aiden Kerr to pick the ball from the back of a scrum and squeeze through the Kilmarnock defence for the first score, converted by Jack Reilly.
Reilly added to the score with a good try and converstion just before the interval.

During the break the coaches were able to speak to the forwards regarding body positions at scrums and rucks and straight away there was an improvement in this part of their game. The forwards were winning their fair share of ball at the breakdowns and the backs were linking well and created a number of over-laps, which unfortunately weren't used. The teams traded scores with Reilly again scoring a try following a move from a penalty inside the Kilmarnock 22.

In the final part of the match Kilmarnock ran in two fine scores from deep, missed tackles letting the winger through, however one of the conversions was missed. Kerr scored again, with Reilly adding the extras, for Cumnock rounding off a fine performance for the whole team. Tackler of the day was Gavin Wight, playing in his first ever rugby match and man of the match was Scott Faulds who ripped the ball from the opposition at will.

Cumnock team was R.Phillips, R.McLaren, C McKenzie, Z North, S. Faulds, A Harkiss, A Kerr, J Reilly, G Aitken, T Howie, G Wight, E Hendrie, with AN Other from Kilmarnock.

The coaches are on the look-out for more S1 players to add to the team so if you fancy TRYing out rugby SCRUM on down to Broomfield on a Tuesday and Thursday night at 7pm.


Report by Kevan Aitken

s1 Report link to Cumnock chatboard

Primary 6 Reports

Cumnock P6 10 Kilmarnock P6 10

The first game in the season for the P6s was a belter with loads of tries to thrill the support. Both teams were full of talented runners in what turned out to be end to end stuff.

There were 3 tries each for Jack McSeveney, Sean Houston and Scott Teece as well as a well deserved first score for Lucy Watt. There was another try scored by a Cumnock player as Lucy’s brother John scored “on loan” to Kilmarnock . The game had loads of tenacious tackling especially by new boy Cameron Teece who put in big tackle after tackle.


Cumnock P6 7 Kilmarnock P6 5

In the second game the tries flowed once more and the quality of the game improved. Tyler Wallace showed up with some great tackles and good inter passing and Korey Galloway was involved in everything with a permanent smile on his face. Tries followed from Jack McSeveney, John Watt, Scott Teece (2) and Sean Houston (3). Coach martin Wallace picked out Scott Teece for the man of the match award for his hard tackling, bullocking runs and 5 tries. Martin commented, “ this was a great performance from the players in their first game. They scored some great tries and really enjoyed themselves.

We could do with a few more players and anyone interested should turn up at training at 6:30 on Wednesday nights or call Morton Houston on 01290 552987.

Thanks to Morton Houston for reports

Cumnock P6 Reports link to chatboard

p3-p5 Reports

P3/4/5

The new season got under way with Cumnock playing host to local rivals Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock 8 Cumnock 2

Cumnock got of to a slow start in their first game allowing Kilmarnock to take an early lead which Cumnock was always going to struggle to pull back, but as the game progressed the Cumnock boys showed signs of improvement with tries coming from Zak Donald and Ross Watson.

Kilmarnock 4 Cumnock 1

Cumnock started this game much stronger and were only one score behind at 1/2 time. The second 1/2 saw Kilmarnock pulling away again but overall a much improved performance from the Cumnock team with the home sides try coming from Alex Houston the Cumnock squad today were Alex Hill, Matthew Morrison, Jamie Kennedy, Blair McNally, Ross Watson, Adam Watt, Alex Houston, Austin McBirnie, Kieran Vance, Ryan Kennedy, Zak Donald and Rob Drummond.

We are always looking for new players, anyone interested in giving it a try come along to the Rugby Club on a Wednesday night at 6.30pm or call Andrew Watt on 01290 553095

Oban 12 Cumnock 8 Senior rugby report 05/09/09

Cumnock travelled to Oban for their first away fixture of this season. Last season this fixture resulted in a massive win for the experienced Oban side who have gained a reputation for strong and direct forward play. However, Cumnock’s young guns were encouraged by their competitive start against Strathendrick last week and were determined to build on this to record their first win.

Cumnock started brightly with some intelligent kicking pinning the home side back in their own half. Smart line out work made space for stand-off Kyle Johnson to kick across the field for winger Gregor McMillan who gathered the ball and shrugged off Oban’s despairing defenders to score in the corner. Johnson missed the conversion from the touchline.

This try seemed to wake Oban up with powerful runs from the large back rowers although their Cumnock opposites, Alan Smith and Stuart Hunter managed to cope with the increasing pressure. However, Cumnock caused themselves problems by giving away some soft penalties which made it impossible for them to clear their lines with a well organised Oban maul resulting in the equalising try.

The next spell of the game saw Cumnock putting pressure on their hosts with some good work from centres Mark Bennett and Alan Haynes causing their opponents problems, though they couldn’t break down the stubborn defence enough for a real scoring chance. Another positive for Cumnock was their much improved lineout with Paul Millar and Blair McMillan working in tandem to supply plenty of good ball for the young backs.

The second half started well for Cumnock with the referee finally spotting one of the many blatant attempts by Oban to kill the ball, giving the away team a chance to regain the lead. A composed Johnson slotted the kick despite the increasingly strong wind.

Like the first time Cumnock scored, this just seemed to spur the home side on and once again their forwards took control of the game as conditions started to favour them with the rain slowing the pitch and making handling difficult for the more adventurous Cumnock side. The home side benefited from the referee giving them the greater benefit of his doubt. Sustained pressure eventually led to Oban crashing over despite many heroic tackles from the smaller defence.

Cumnock rallied and a series of scrums deep in Oban territory led to Tony Foster and Scott Houston going close. However, robust defence as well as some impatience from Cumnock meant that Oban managed to hold on and clear their lines. Oban put their experience and size to good use as they kept the ball tight and played the clock down. The game ended in controversy as the referee finally blew for full time on a Cumnock penalty although, in truth, it would have been remarkable if anything had come of it as the penalty was awarded on the Cumnock try line, at completely the wrong end of the field.

Despite being on the wrong end of a narrow score line for the second successive week, the young Cumnock side could take a lot from this attritional game against a team who had expected a comfortable victory. Cumnock picked up a bonus point for finishing within seven points of the winners which was some consolation.
Man of the match was Blair McMillan for a hard working performance as well as an impressive lineout display

Team
Craig Greer, Paul Millar, Donald Hunter, Kevin Brady, Blair McMillan, Stuart Hunter, Alan Smith, David Kerr, Scott Houston, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Alan Haynes, Tony Foster, Conner Nisbet, Graham Hunter, Craig McWhirter, John Ferrans

Next week, Cumnock take on Paisley at Broomfield, kick-off 3pm

Thanks to David Kerr for report.

Cumnock chatboard link

2nds give polis a doing

Cumnock 2nd XV 44 - 12 Strathclyde Police 2XV

The 2XV welcomed Strathclyde Police to Broomfield on Saturday as the league campaign got underway in earnest. The visitors were a few players short due to work commitments, so 4 of the Cumnock squad volunteered to play for the visitors.
The game started well for the home side as they got into their stride very quickly, putting the police under a lot of pressure with good driving play from the forwards. The first scoring chance fell to the home side in the 4th minute when Greg Hamilton crossed the line, but it was called back for a forward pass. It was after some real pressure from the pack that Cumnock were awarded a penalty 5 metres from the police try line. The ball was tapped quickly and Rab Donald drove over for the first try, which was unconverted to take the score to 5-0.
The interplay between forwards and backs was great to watch considering the conditions, with both sides looking to run the ball at every opportunity. In the 15th minute, Cumnock were awarded a free kick for a scrum offence and the forwards took it on, with several players coming close, but it took the experience of Ian McCrorie to drive over for his try which Rab Donald converted to stretch the lead to 12-0.
The midfield of McPheators, Johnston and Barr were starting to orchestrate the play, supported by the back row of J Thomson, Hodge and Donald, and only dropped passes and excellent cover defence prevented the home side extending their lead. Steven Taylor capped a good all round diplay with his first try of the season in the 20th minute, sneaking over from a ruck on the line after some excellent play by the forwards. 17-0.
Rab Donald scored his second try of the game in the 23rd minute popping up to crash over and extend the lead to 22-0.
Martin Thomson was as solid as ever at full back and was always looking to attack whenever he got the ball. The ball was being passed around with every player looking to make ground, then offload to a supporting team mate. After one such passage of play, Jason Johnston crossed the line, but the ball slipped out of his grasp and the chance was gone. In the 33rd minute, the visitors got on the score sheet when the on loan Martin Hastings danced his way through the home defence to score a well worked try. This was converted and half time arrived with the home side ahead 22-7.
The Cumnock representation in the visitors ranks increased to 5 as Martin Wallace joined Martin Hastings, Barry Horton, Andrew Watt and Euan Laidlaw. The second half provided more of the same with both teams running the ball every chance they got. The game got a bit scrappy with a lot of passes not going to hand. Cumnock had been ringing the changes with several players getting well deserved breaks from the action and it was Mick Harkins who was the next player on the score sheet with a try following some excellent play from the forwards. After 50 minutes the score was 27-7.
Jason Johnston notched his first try of the season in the 58th minute with a well worked backs move. The police defence was being well tested by the home side as wave after wave of attacks were repulsed. The score had to come and Dougie Elliot profited after several players had been held up just short of the line. The kick was converted by Rab Donald to move the home side further ahead 39-7.
Both sides continued to attack, but the defences stood up well. James Hastie appeared on the right wing and used the men outside him as a decoy to crash over for Cumnock’s 8th try in the 67th minute. The difficult kick was misses, but the home side were now 44-7 ahead. Dropped passes prevented any further scoring by the Broomfield side although they continued to put several excellent moves into action. There was an encouraging debut for Kevin Lawler, who showed several neat touches and a willingness to go forward with ball in hand.


Squad: B Horton, Watt, Ramage, Linden, Harkin, Lawler, Seng, Barr, Hastings, Hamilton, J Thomson, M Thomson, Taylor, Wallace, McPheator, Johnston, Hastie, Elliot, Donald, Hodge, I McCrorie, A McCrorie, Laidlaw.

Saturday sees the 2nds travel to Giffnock to take on GHA Gazelles.

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