Cumnock / KIlmarnock Cougars Under 15s 10 - Irvine RFC Under 15s 47

The Cougars travelled, minus a few regular players, to this their first ever league match with spirits high on the back of some good solid performances on their way to the U15 West Region Plate final. With a firm pitch and a drying light wind conditions were perfect for open running rugby, which normally suits this team.

From the start though it was their larger more powerful opponents that took the initiative and they ran in seven unanswered trys in the first half to lead 40 - 0 at the interval. The Cougars were shell-shocked and looked totally disinterested as they trooped off to receive the wrath of the coaches.

Something worked because the second half was a completely different game with the Cougars at last starting to make an effort. Some fine interplay between backs and forwards eventually saw Robbie Anderson touch down in the 42nd minute. Irvine hit back and scored another converted try in the 52nd minute. The Cougars were not finished and a determined run from Ross Phillips out on the wing saw him score in the corner with only two minutes left.

The final score was 47-10 to Irvine but it was the Cougars who were recorded as the winners as their opponents were unable to field a fully trained front row and therefore had to concede the points.

A couple of players stood out amongst the wreckage of the defeat. Robbie McLaren made the tackle of the day against an opponent at least twice his size, driving him backwards and knocking the ball from him. Matthew Crawshaw was solid under a high ball, catching it well and offloading as he was hit by a mighty tackle, starting off another move for the backs. On the basis of this match though the coaches have a lot to do before the team heads south to Dumfries next weekend.