Given the previous weeks weather, conditions were surprisingly benign in St Andrews when Mackie U15’s played Madras U15’s in a hastily arranged friendly. This game gave both teams the opportunity to shake off the post-Christmas rust. For Mackie it was their first game for 6 weeks and a timely one given their upcoming cup match next Sunday against Granite City. The game was played in near perfect conditions with a light wind and a firm, but dry pitch located adjacent to the famous Old Course golf course. Mackie continued their winning ways with a well-deserved and comfortable victory, with a final score line of 45-5 and a try count of 7-1.
Mackie started the game with greater purpose and aggression than Madras and were able to contain their opponents who barely made any inroads into the Mackie half during the first 30 minutes of the game. The first try was scored by Mathew Buchanan who scored a simple try under the posts having taken a well-timed off load from fly-half Joseph Reid. Tom Meyer kicked the conversion. He followed this up with the second try on the right wing with a neat sidestep to grace past the Madras cover, and also made the subsequent conversion. Left wing Tom Robertson then crossed the line on an overlap after a recycled penalty move. Try number 4 came straight from the restart with Joseph Reid scoring from long range after stepping through the porous Madras defence and running 50m to score beneath the posts. After making the conversion Tom Meyer then scored a second try from the right wing after a great pass from prop James Cochrane. The half time whistle went with Mackie threatening the Madras line once more. A score of 31-0 was well deserved. The second half was a more competitive and scrappy affair. The balance in the Mackie team was somewhat skewed by numerous change outs and earlier injuries to Dean Davidson and Captain Alex Dunlop during the first half. This did not stop Mackie from scoring two more tries in what was a more laboured performance. The first came after good inter-passing by the Mackie team saw the ball sweep down the right flank with full back Findlay Rhind cutting inside and linking with support players to see Oscar Burslem dive over under the posts. Findlay then scored in a near identical move with a strong handoff giving him the space to go over in the right corner. Tom Meyer converted both tries. Madras came more into the game in the final 15 minutes aided be a succession of infringements by the Mackie players who were incessantly drifting offside or off their feet in the rucks. As the game became more fractured continuity in the Mackie team was lost and they allowed Madras to score a late, but well-earned try. Overall it was a solid Mackie performance particularly in the first half. Like the previous Ellon game, it showed that when at near full strength the organisation, skill and commitment of the Mackie team is formidable.