Mackie Win

Well done today in a very one sided game. Break down was won and nearly every ruck was either secured or turned over. The second half really unleashed the backs with accurate passing and great support. Good all round performances by the team playing as one made the difference.
Next week will be a tougher test. So keep coming back to training as this is where selection is secured. Any players interested in playing S2 rugby as they are short of numbers let one of the coaches know. The coaches are very happy with the squad and their work rate so keep it up

Report on Mackie U15 rugby match, 28th August 2016

The first match of the season is not necessarily one to savour. Teams are disjointed and pre-season training may have been punctuated by vacations and limited player availability. Fitness levels are sub-optimal and skills, well-tuned at the end of the last season, rusty and in need of game time. The training pitch never has the intensity of a real match. With this in mind Mackie U15 started their season off with a match against a visiting Perthshire side. Previous age group encounters had seen Mackie win convincingly against Perthshire, but would this new season bring a similar result? The answer to this question was a resounding yes. The final try count is academic as once 50 unanswered points are reached, SRU rules mean the game becomes a development or training exercise. Nevertheless the 17 tries Mackie scored show that their early season training has paid dividend. They were fast, fluid and ruthless never letting up from start to finish, with 8 tries in the first 30 minutes and 7 in the second half. At least 8 different players scored, most from well-worked overlaps created by the speed and slick handling of the Mackie team. They recycled the ball well and together with offloads and turn-overs proved too much for Perthshire to handle. The first two tries were scored by Findlay Rhind supporting well on the overlap from full back. Oscar Burslem then scored a solo effort having broken through from a pick-up at a scrum 15m from the Perthshire line. Tries 4 and 5 were scrappy forward affairs with touchdowns obscured by the ruck of bodies involved. Try number 6 was from an offload by Tom Robertson from a poor Perthshire clearance kick, sending Matthew Buchanan over in the corner. Try number 7 was by Murray Allan after a turn-over, while Logan Grant scored try number 8 from good support play. There was no let-up in the second half. Try number 9 was by Matthew Buchanan who slipped through the weak-tackling Perthshire back line. The next try was by James Cochrane who found himself on an overlap after a turnover in the Perthshire 22. The prop showed all the grace of a seasoned winger in selling a dummy and cruising over unopposed. Findlay Rhind scored try number 11 again on an overlap. Murray Allan then scored a brace weaving his way through the Perthshire backline with snaky ease. Further tries were then scored by Findlay Rhind and Ocar Burslem before Joseph Reid scored a great stand-offs try sidestepping through the weak Perthshire defensive line. Victory was sealed by a Logan Grant try to round off a very one sided match. Tom Meyer converted 7 tries while further conversions were made by Logan Grant and Joseph Reid. A good training match for the Mackie U15 team. One that builds confidence and augurs well for the harder tests to follow. This game showed that the team have not started rusty and jaded after a summer off. They are clearly hungry for success and the coaching is keeping them on the right track.
Neil Grant