2011 Match Reports

Carluke Tigers: L. Matheson, C. Howieson, F. McKenzie, A. Mason, R. Festorazzi, K. Matheson, D. Crangle, M. Martin, R. Bryan, D. McCartney, D.Simm, T. Rhind, J. Tuoro.
Subs (all used): S. Clowes, J. Ingram, J. Pringle

Match report below taken from www.warringtonwizards.co.uk

Warrington Wizards saw off the brave effort of Carluke Tigers to win a very entertaining Carnegie Challenge Cup 1st Round game on Sunday afternoon and progress through to the 2nd Round stage of the competition.

This was a hard fought England v Scotland battle between the Wizards who are the reigning RLC National Champions and the Tigers who won the Scottish Conference last season in only their third year of existence and even though the Wizards always seemed in control they were made to fight all the way against a side who certainly know how to throw the ball about.

The Wizards opened the scoring in the fourth minute when slick hands from right to left saw loose forward Matt Wilson put centre Matt Taylor over in the left corner and six minutes later full back Chris Campbell made a good break down the right before chipping ahead for second row Mike Stout to collect and score a debut try. Hooker Warren Ayres added the conversion.

Carluke got themselves on the scoreboard on seventeen minutes when a great break down the left by inspirational scrum half Ash Mason split the Wizards defence and he found full back Lewis Matheson in support to score under the posts but the conversion attempt went under the crossbar and five minutes later a lovely offload from Wizards prop forward Nick Owen put second row Paul Alcock over in the left corner for his debut score.

The Wizards went further ahead when stand off Alan Reddecliff went over from acting half back after winger Craig Middlemore had been held just short but then just before the half hour mark Carluke loose forward Jared Tuoro intercepted and raced fifty metres and although he got hauled down a quick play the ball saw an overlap for winger Chris Howieson to go over in the right corner.

The game continued to flow from end to end and when Alcock got held just short it looked as if the Tigers had managed to keep their line in tact but a brilliant offload saw him find Middlemore who scored in the left corner and two minutes before the break the impressive Middlemore made a superb break down the middle that split the Tigers defence and a quick play the ball saw Stout go over for his second try. Stand off Alan Reddecliff added on the goal points to make the half time score 28-8 in the Wizards favour.

The Wizards came out strongly after the interval and Middlemore went over for his second touchdown after nice work from the scrum by Reddecliff and then just before the hour a great inside ball from Reddecliff put Campbell through a gap to score under the posts. Reddecliff goaled the latter.

Three minutes later a powerful forty metre break down the left by Taylor saw him split the Carluke defence and he drew the full back towards him before finding Ayres ins support to race over under the posts, Reddecliff goaling and then the visitors were reduced to twelve men when scrum half Kyle Matheson was dismissed for stamping.

To be fair to Carluke they didn’t let their numerical disadvantage affect them as they continued to play some fine expansive rugby and were rewarded when Mason put second row Tamati Rhind over on the left for a try that hooker Ross Bryan converted and then four minutes from time big prop forward Duncan McCartney powered over for a deserved try to complete the scoring and leave the Wizards celebrating a 44-18 win.

After the game Wizards Assistant Coach Mike Grady said, “We are made up to be in the bag for the next round and we can now look forward to that. We were obviously a little bit rusty but that doesn’t take anything away from Carluke who really did put up a very spirited challenge and ensured that we had to work really hard for the win. We had Paul Alcock and Mike Stout making their debuts for us today and both showed that they are going to be very good acquisitions for us. Carluke deserve great credit for their performance and goes to show what great strides are being made in Scotland and I am sure that they will be back in this competition many more times over the coming years.”