Cumnock Vs West Of Scotland

This week the Cougars were welcomed to a very bright Burnbrae, home to West Of Scotland RFC in Milngavie. An early commute to the foot of The Campsies for a morning of sunny rugby was just what the doctor ordered after a day watching our international heroes give their all on the pitch.
Facing an opposition numbering 36 players our mighty pack of 8 Cougar Cubs would have to make a Herculean effort to overhaul the massive challenge laid before them. We would have to play 5 very tough matches against a well trained and formidable wall of defenders.

Match 1:
During the first game it became apparent very quickly that we would have to start each and every game very well. This match was one for the defence to win or lose. Both teams played fantastically from the off and allowed each other no space to get into their rhythm. Tries from Aaron, and Ross kept the attackers at bay and a double from Alfie, one being an excellent interception, allowed the gap to our West Of Scotland hosts to occur as they had quickly got on the scoreboard with 3 themselves. Jake demonstrated his flair for tackling right from the off and hunted down player after player. Ross was able to stop the West team drawing level by making an amazing tackle in the corner to save the game from a draw. The match ended as quickly as the game had started as the fans were treated to an amazing display from both sides.
Match Score: West Of Scotland 3 – 4 Cumnock

Match 2:
Match 2 began at another very fast pace with the Cubs receiving no let up from our opponents. The smaller pitches of the day prevented the Black & Red players running, what has now become a trademark, wide expansive game. Today was to be more about grit and determination and the minority standing up to be recognised. In this game they did exactly that. Tries came thick and fast and the defensive lines really prevented any leaks from occurring when moving back. With another 2 tries from Alfie we were off to a good start. Aaron then demonstrated to all in attendance how his light and nimble feet could not only quick step their way around the tacklers but also light up the ground behind him as he switched the pace on and left everyone in his wake to score again. Stuart, by then spurred on by a previous disallowed try from putting his foot into touch seconds away from the try line, managed to battle his way around and through the defending players to add to the score line and bring our running count for the game to 4. From there the home team was able to sneak 2 through our amazing defenders and began to catch up on the scoreboard however they never once allowed us to thin we were on top and pressed their home advantage upon us. However Kyran was able to show our opponents that “Route 1” is usually the best and brought the defenders to the ground as he charged straight through and brought the game home with 3 stunning tries each with the fun we were all having emblazoned on his face for all to see and our opponents wondering what could be done to stop the might of Ayrshires finest.
Match Score : West Of Scotland 2 – 7 Cumnock

Match 3:
The third game of the fixture was again one for the defenders as was the script for the day as Ross and Euan martialled the team and defiantly led from the front in bringing the pressure upon our West Of Scotland hosts in both attack and defence. Time and time again Euan could be seen charging forward not only with the ball in hand over and over but also to bring down the attacking defence on those who might see us defeated. Again Euan demonstrated that we will not stand aside and allow anyone through as a matter of fact and really saved the game as we were bombarded time and again with an onslaught from the home players even though he had a controversially disallowed try himself he continued to supply the try line with a lot of his team mates to get over the line and keep the scoreboard rolling. Ross could be heard the entire match shouting instructions to his team mates and ensuring the gaps were closed quickly. Doubles from Alfie and Aaron and singles from Kyran and Ross meant the score was more open than the play as we only conceded a single.
Match Score: West Of Scotland 1 – 6 Cumnock

Match 4:
The penultimate match was another hard-fought game and the team worked well again cycling through each phase time and time again to prove to a much larger team that Cumnock are here and we are here to display how we do things. This time Alfie was able to bag a triple and Kyran a double and with Rudi scoring one himself we showed once again we did not travel the long commute just to play. In this game it was Rudi’s ability to tackle and recover that was the game changer as each time we were pressed by the attackers he was able to stop the onslaught and at times turn it over to our attack which no doubt frustrated those whom he was able to stop. On only 3 occasions were our welcoming hosts able to slip the Cougars trap and score themselves. Ross threw himself on the line with his amazing tackling skills during this match and came away with an injury to his foot in the dying seconds of the match but was able to recover between games.
Match Score: West Of Scotland 3 – 6 Cumnock

Match 5:
The final game of the day was also to be the toughest of the day. The visiting Cubs were showing signs of the battles that had gone before them but with great skill and determination they again fought hard for each other to put the opponents on their back foot as we pressed the advantage over the entire field of play. Again the narrow pitch forced the match to be a battle of attrition rather than an open and expansive flair which the Cumnock Cougars have demonstrated to the great delight of their fans on many occasion. A reactive fight or flight was the only thing that kept the Cougars on their toes as they were very tired from the previous matches. However flight was only shown when the Red & Black brought the full days efforts to bear down on the West Of Scotland players and show that we aimed to finish the day on a high. Each individual played for the other and the teamwork on display amazed the parents and fans on the side-lines and with tries coming from Alfie(4), Rudi and Aaron the match was narrowly won.

Match Score: West Of Scotland 5 – 6 Cumnock

Final Score: West Of Scotland 14 - 29 Cumnock

Team: Stuart, Rudi, Alfie, Kyran, Ross, Jake, Euan & Aaron.