BT Premiership

CURRIE CHIEFTAINS 15

AYR 24

By Elena Hogarth

AYR got their season back on track with a controlled performance against the East Coasters on Saturday, winning 24-15.

Malleny Park in Balerno, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, is always a tricky place to play.

Currie defend their ground tigerishly, and even when they have been struggling in the past seasons, they have always managed to win at home.

The Chieftains have been flying high so far in the BT Premiership, and with Ayr faltering in their last two matches, the home fans were expecting another win for their team.

The visitors had other ideas, and stamped their authority on the game from the off, captain Pete McCallum leading with aplomb.

The set-pieces were sturdy and secure, the return of prop George Hunter and second row Scott Sutherland bolstering the forwards. Hunter’s fellow front-rowers Robbie Smith and Steven Longwell were full of energy and purpose, as were the entire team, and Currie couldn’t cope.

McCallum claimed two tries - each nicely set up by perfectly timed passes from Hunter and centre Danny McCluskey. Winger Craig Gossman scored as well, flying through the tackles to dance up the touchline.

Winger Scott Lyle had a good day with the boot, landing all three conversions and adding a penalty.

All points scored by Ayr came in the first half, and Currie managed got a hold on the game in the second, scoring tries through winger Ben Robbins, centre Harvey Elms and fly-half Jamie Forbes. Had the latter managed to kick any of their conversions, it may have been a very different match.

The scoreless second half wasn’t because Ayr took their foot off the gas or their eye off the ball.

Currie had upped their game, but Ayr stayed steady in defence, the back row of McCallum, Blair Macpherson and George Stokes putting in hefty tackles.

Stokes, new to Ayr this year and currently full-time at Scottish Rugby’s Glasgow and the West academy, was impressively industrious.

Ayr head coach Calum Forrester was a happy man at full-time and said: "The team singled out George Hunter and Scott Sutherland as their players of the match, and you could see them lift everyone else, and everyone buzzed off their energy.”

Meanwhile the 2nd XV were buzzing about at Malleny Park too, but so were Currie Chieftains A who fought back to draw the BT Reserve 1 match 19-19. James Armstrong scored Ayr’s try, with Matt Davidson adding a conversion and four penalties. Sam Graham was man-of-the-match.

It was a rest weekend for Ayr Ladies, and Millbrae RFC had their BT West 2 match with Paisley postponed. But the Ayr-Wellington U18 boys’ Shogun Conference match with Biggar went ahead, and they had an excellent 47-7 win.

The boys’ teams have been on exciting form in the last few weeks, with every age grade winning all their matches in both the club Shogun Conference and the schools Barbarian Conference.