After a couple of weeks off due to the Autumn tests or the Christmas shopping hussle the Rams welcomed Uddingston to holm park. With a high scoring game in the early parts of the season this match was set for a festive treat for the Rams support.
The Rams lined up with the formidable 5 up front who continue to dominate Scrum time in BT West 3 league with Cammy Little being assisted by Martin Salaman and Johnny Little up front with the power house of Borthwick and Cochrane in engine room, completing the pack Callum Scott and Macauley Irish flanked the sleigh with George Beamish continuing to fill the 8 berth. With the game Kicking off both teams scrapped to gain the upper hand with early exchanges of territory with Josh Burgess and Thomas Quigley mixing both backs and forwards play well, Dayne Massey and Morgan Kirk filled the midfield with Mark Walker Jones and Stephen Clarke on the Wings and returning from long term injury Leon Kirk filled the 15 shirt, it was Uddingston who took a 2 try lead after 30mins with one converted.
Quigley soon found the board with a penalty but the Villagers soon responded with another converted try just before half time. But the Rams had the last say of the half with 2 trys of their own through debutant winger Stephen Clarke and Cochrane with one converted leaving the Rams 15v19 behind at HT.
Set piece would be key and minimising the mistakes in the 2nd half would decide this game and unfortunately the Rams didnt take note with the Villagers kicking an early penalty resulting in a final team warning from the Ref and further more another converted Try for the visitors . Some motivation talk from the Captain Salaman the Rams replied with a un converted try in the corner from Clarke within minutes. With Uddingston soon back in the red zone the Rams had to dig deep and defend but unfortunately the final warning from earlier resulting in 2 yellows for Beamish and Massey for separate offences .
Down to 13 players a poor clearance kick resulted in Uddingston working the overlap to score a un converted score, A man down at scrums the Rams had to work hard to win ball on their own line resulting in a breakout and a kick chase up field with Clarke winning the race to the ball and finishing off his hattrick,Quigley converted. As the game continued end to end Uddingston scored their final converted try of the match with Quigley adding a penalty. The Rams finished the stronger with phase after phase pressuring the Villagers line and Callum Scott crossing over in the corner for Quigley to add the extras, unfortunately time was against and after more pressure close to the line a handling error put end to the day for the Rams. Ft 37v41
Coach Cammy Little was pleased with the young squad efforts and picking up points of any kind this stage in the season is important, in the end the yellow cards and few weeks lay off caught us out against better organised team who sit 2nd in the league but its all in a days learning.
Squad
Salaman,Little,Little ,Borthwick , Cochrane,Irish,Scott,Beamish , Burgess,Quigley,Massey,Kirk,W jones,Clarke, Kirk,Currie,Smith,McIlorun,Muir,Robinson, Duncanson Next home match is vs Loch Lomond on 17th December 2pm and the Club Annual Dinner is on 28th January tickets now available at the Buccleuch Arms Hotel.
