P4 vs GHA (Away)

Cumnock’s primary 4’s were up with the birds this morning and off to Glasgow to play GHA. We had a small squad of 8 but the players that travelled were keen as mustard to make an impact and enjoy themselves. We played 4 games with 7 a-side and had a rolling sub.
The first game saw Cumnock start and off to a flying one at that, Aaron passed the ball out to Paul on the wing and in fine fashion got his first try in the bag which was the first of 4 in the first match for Paul, the second coming soon after, thanks to a delightful offload from Matthew. GHA came back fighting but Cumnock made the hosts work hard for tries, making a solid defensive line with everyone chipping in and working well together. The game was very competitive but there was no stopping Cumnock as Logan, Cuinn and Evan battled their way through a tough GHA line to get Cumnock in front once more. Solid defence from Maddy, Paul and Murray yielded turnover ball which allowed Matthew to dance his way just before the final whistle resulting in a win for Cumnock 6-9 .
The second game was another tough and well-balanced game with not much in it this time GHA started with the ball and blasted through to get an early lead but this made Cumnock more determined to fight back and this time with Logan powering through and touching down. Cuinn was next on the score sheet with a nice off load from Maddy, showing the big GHA boys some slick handling. Cumnock defended well again with Logan, Matthew and Paul pounding the tackles in, ably supported by Maddy, Cuinn and Evan. Murray managed to scoop up a dropped ball from GHA and ran like the wind weaving in and out to score a nice try to boost his confidence for the games ahead. Aaron showed great speed & a lovely sidestep to score a fine try. Another well contested match ended 4-7 in Cumnock’s favour.
Cumnock started game 3 with the ball and once again with great pace and working as a team, Aaron flew down the line and scored a great try. This was soon followed by Logan after he actually shook the players off his leg to secure the try. GHA fought back and secured their first try but Cumnock denied them space to move, Cuinn and Matthew leading the line, only allowing the hosts to score two more for the rest of the match thanks to amazing defensive skills on display by all the team. Strong tackles from Paul, Matthew and Maddy forced regular turnovers which Evan and Logan secured with tenacity. Cumnock dominated this game with another two tries from Aaron, one more for Logan, a fast-paced run for the irrepressible Cuinn and a nice little breakthrough from twinkle-toed Matthew to finish off. The game ending 3-7 to Cumnock.
Two very tired but determined teams lined up for their final match of the day. Cumnock didn’t want to give up their streak and GHA wanted a win to end on ahigh. The game started off at a breathless pace, tries flying in from both sides. Cumnock’s defensive line was looking good again, taking every chance they had to make it hard for GHA. Evan and Logan were working together in midfield to take down some big attackers, forcing GHA out wide where Cumnock’s wingers were tackling well, Aaron, Maddy and Paul all making try-saving tackles. Matthew’s goal line tackle was the pick of the bunch though, forcing a crucial turnover which Cuinn then carried the length of the pitch to score a peach. Logan, Murray, Paul, Matthew and Aaron all scored as a pulsating last match ended 8-9 to Cumnock’s fantastic 4s.
This was a super morning of rugby, played in a great spirit, with lots of superb rugby from both teams as spectators were treated to a veritable try-fest! The Cumnock coaches were delighted with the attitude and performance of their small squad who worked tirelessly for each other to put in a really solid team display with every single player contributing significantly. A benchmark for commitment and endeavour for the national side to follow in the afternoon!
Squad: Aaron, Cuinn, Evan, Logan, Maddy, Matthew, Murray, Paul
Report by S McAnespie & S Benzie