Cumnock P5s vs Ayr and Marr

Cumnock RFC P5s travelled towards the sunny seaside today to play 4 ten-minute games at Ayr’s Doonside playing fields against Ayr’s Pink and Blacks and Marr’s Purple and Gold teams. A tough day lay ahead against two strong Ayrshire clubs but this did not dampen the boys spirits.

Our first match was against the Ayr Blacks. There was a slight change to the rules our squad have been playing by; when the ball is presented backwards after a tackle, opposed to being popped, it was to be picked up and passed. It took the majority of the first half for our boys to get their head around this which interrupted the flow of the game putting them off their stride. This cost them a couple of tries, however they continued to play well in other aspects of the game. Their passing was on point coupled with a strong defensive line and finding space. The Ayr Blacks took an early lead however Cumnock managed to claw back a few tries with a final score of Ayr Black 8 vs Cumnock 5 with tries from Aron, Dylan, Kenzie and two from Jack.

Cumnock then went on to face the Ayr Pink team. Cumnock showed some excellent teamwork and support in their second match. Several of their tries were a result of pushing forward with some clever passing and offloads to players who could find space to push through. Although Cumnock’s defensive line wasn’t as focused in this game allowing Ayr to break through on occasion, they improved their tackles both in quantity and quality. The final score was Ayr Pink 4 vs Cumnock 4 with tries from Kenzie and Tony and two from Dylan.

Our third match was against Marr Purple. Marr showed some strong and fast tackling in this game and kept Cumnock on their toes. Previously our jinky runners have racked up some tries however it was proving difficult for them to steal away and gain ground against a strong defence. Instead, Cumnock demonstrated some fantastic teamwork with the boys supporting each other well. With Aron ploughing up the field and the boys behind him in support they pushed their way up the field. The boys worked hard and finished with a 4-4 draw with tries from Dylan and Tony and 2 from Kenzie.

By their final match against Marr Gold, Cumnock were tiring. This was their fourth game back to back, again with no substitutions, against two strong clubs. This being said, the boys dug deep and put in their all. Tackles were plentiful, and their attack was strong with some good offloads. At one-point Cumnock were right at Marr’s try line and Marr’s defence was commendable, bodies were piling up defending that line, but Cumnock passed the ball out and finally managed to push across and score. As the game went on you could see signs of our boy’s exhaustion. Marr went on to steal the game 6-3. Two ties from Dylan and one from Kenzie.

Although the P5s have had better results in recent tournaments, today was a true test on the progress our boys have made this season. They come out fighting and enjoy the game regardless of the scoreboard. This being said, they faired well and proved their worth against two big Ayrshire clubs who, in previous years, would have inflicted a much heavier defeat.

Squad: Aaron, Aron, Dylan, Jack, Kenzie and Tony