ROYAL
HIGH 0 pts – HILLHEAD
JORDANHILL 45 points
Even before Stuart Lewis kicked off for Hills at the well appointed Barnton Grounds, the dice were already heavily loaded against the hosts, Royal High. They were able to list only 17 in their squad for this National League 3 fixture, whereas their opponents had a full complement of 19. Certainly Hills were missing quite a few regulars from their match day squad , but coaches, Tonci Buzov and Craig Colvin, had full confidence in their replacements, and at no side their optimism had been rewarded with the 45-0 scoreline.
Playing with the stiff wind at their backs. Hills first half performance presented a mosaic of running rugby with the ball moving constantly from wing to wing with rapidity. The home defence was stretched continuously, and Royal High had few answers to the visitors’ incisiveness. Hills dominated the open play and the lineouts, where Jonny Agnew and John ” Plod “ Mackerlich reigned supreme. However the set scrummage, with Hills props Johnny Newton and Liam “ Biggles “ Tighe working hard, was evenly contested. The Royal High scrum, with their man mountain Andrew Hicks at tight head, kept the home side in the game.
Five first half tries came at regular intervals from Andrew Brown, Stuart Lewis and 3 from right winger, Graham Davidson, who ran and finished with impunity. Rory Harte, in the unfamiliar position of full back, added 3 conversions. Unfortunately for the hosts, their most inventive player, stand off, Duncan Sharman, was sent off towards the end of the first half for the second of 2 technical offences. That only added to their woes with the half time score for Hills 31 points to the good.
The visitors were not as ruthless in the second half playing against the wind. Graham Davidson added to his first half tally with a his fourth try and the “ ginger Flash”, Damien Genocchio, followed up a Sean Black break to score between the posts, Rory Harte adding the extras. Hills, however, did suffer one misfortune when scrum half, Fraser Ebbit, had to leave the field with a badly dislocated shoulder. This injury allowed substitute Ruiri Taylor to see out the last quarter of the game at scrum half, this being his come back after an injury sustained back in September 2022. The game petered out uneventfully with Hills never being threatened and finishing 45 points to the good.
There is now a break in the domestic programme to allow for the Scotland v Wales 6N game at BT Murrayfield on Saturday 11th. Domestic league hostilities resume on the 18th when Hills travel to Whitecraigs for a 15.00 KO.
