Mackie U14s travelled to the Lathallan 7s tournament for what was the boys’ first experience of competitive sevens rugby. The U14 age group featured ten teams in total, split into two heats of five, with each team playing four matches. Only the winner of each heat progressed to the final, leaving little room for error in a fast‑paced and unforgiving format.  Sevens rugby offers very little time in each half to settle into a game. If you fall behind early, chances to recover are limited, even if form and rhythm start to come later. This was a lesson Mackie were to learn the hard way over the course of the day, facing Moray, hosts Lathallan, Strathmore Sharks and Ellon. 

Mackie v Moray
Mackie got off to a very slow start in their opening match against Moray. The boys looked as though they had not quite woken up, leaving gaps in defence, missing tackles and struggling to stem Moray’s early momentum. When Mackie did get hold of the ball, poor handling led to knock‑ons that gifted possession straight back to the opposition. Moray capitalised ruthlessly, running in five tries before half time to leave Mackie trailing 0–29. The second half told a very different story. Mackie showed far more intent and began to play some threatening rugby. Through well‑worked footwork, improved handling and, at times, sheer brute strength, Stefan Moir, Dylan Main and Griff Goalen managed to score tries. James Wardell and Sandy Broadley converted a try each, but the damage from the first half had already been done.
Final score: Mackie 19 – Moray 29. 

Lathallan v Mackie
With a 45‑minute break between matches, the boys had time to warm up physically for their next contest against hosts Lathallan. Mentally, however, they struggled to maintain momentum and were unable to build on the encouraging second‑half performance from the Moray game.Mackie did manage to score twice, with James Wardell and Sandy Broadley both able to score tries, but defensive frailties and continued handling errors proved costly. Giving the ball away so cheaply prevented Mackie from putting any sustained pressure on the opposition and allowed Lathallan to dominate proceedings.
Final score: Lathallan 31 – Mackie 10. 

Mackie v Strathmore Sharks
Against Strathmore Sharks, Mackie were unable to find any real form. Defensive structure broke down repeatedly and the boys struggled to conjure up any meaningful attacking phases. The game quickly turned into a try fest for Strathmore.Despite the tough outing, Rory Coull deserves a special mention for managing to put in several impressively strong tackles to prevent conceding further points.
Final score: Strathmore Sharks 52 – Mackie 0. 

Mackie v Ellon
Following a motivational chat and encouragement to inject more energy and enthusiasm into the performance, Mackie went out to face Ellon (who are always a tough and physical opponent) with renewed intent. The boys showed that when they care and are fired up, they are capable of playing good rugby.  Mackie recycled the ball well at the breakdown, moved it effectively down the line and began to threaten in attack. Harvey Parley made good ground through the middle, while Stefan Moir and Dylan Main caused problems out wide. Strong tackling came in from Rory, James, Griff, Jack Dargie and Dylan, and handling noticeably improved across the team.  Ellon’s defence remained solid throughout, and despite Mackie’s best efforts it took until the final moments for Dylan to break close to his own try line and run the length of the field to score under the posts.  James Wardell was able to convert for the additional two points.
Final score: Mackie 7 – Ellon 57. 

What We Learned
Sevens is a very fast paced game and completely unforgiving with such short halves. Teams must start with high intensity and maintain it for the full duration. Defence is critical, and mistakes are punished instantly. What was clear, however, is that when suitably fired up, our boys can play good rugby.  Had Mackie been able to play full matches at the level they showed in the second half against Moray and spells of the Ellon game, they could realistically have challenged in both the Moray and Lathallan matches. The key now is belief, hunger to win and urgency to want the ball, combined with a renewed effort in defence. The skills are there in the toolbox but they need to want it before it will come.  No one is going to just hand it to them.

Mark Goalen, U14s Assistant Coach

A big thanks to our hosts Lathallan School and to the U14s Team Sponsor - McKnight Associates!