For some the the players in the squad this was their first time to experience using their new rugby skills in a pressurised environment ... playing against teams they had not met before ... and for others it was their time to restart after nearly 18 months of non-competitive rugby. ?
First game against Aberdeen Wanderers the 9 player squad put on some great rugby. The ball was kept alive with quick hands and passing the rugby ball into space, good contest of possession was achieved by counter rucking at the breakdown and plenty of scanning allowed great attacking lines to be exploited when the gaps appeared in the defence and try scoring opportunities were then taken. The "work on" was the post tackle. They had to improve on their "squeeze, drop and release" if they were to improve. ?

Second game was against Deeside A where the players spent the first 5 minutes trying to work out how to prevent the opposition from scoring. Some tacklers then started to improve their post tackle technique and Deeside A started to find their speed demons were having to work a lot harder to break the tackle and get over the try line. By the final whistle they were down by 1 score. ?

Third and final game was against Deeside B. The Mackie players dug deep as by then they had played 40 minutes of rugby without any substitutes. Mind you they had had plenty of time in between games to drink so that they could think, eat so that they could get fuelled up and rested so that they could give another 100% for the next game. A much more even start to the game and the score went to Mackie then Deeside B then Mackie and back to Deeside B and so on. Last play saw Deeside B win contest for possession and score the winning try.

Fellow coaches, family and friends all commented on well the squad performed as a team, that tries were scored from many different places on the pitch and by many different players. ?

Thanks goes out to family and friends who got the players to the event and who were pitch side to cheer on the squad. The players might not say it out loud but deep down they like it when then can show how they have developed their skills to their team mates, family and friends. ?

It is events like these that the coaching team get to see all the hard work the players have put into training, developing and improving their rugby skills come to shine brightly in the spot lights.

Proud for them all ?

#mackierugby
#oneclub
#developthepersonnottheplayer

Andy & Scott