Match Report Murrayfield Wanderers 38 Dunbar RFC U18s 12
After a convincing win and an encouraging display in their last game against Livingston, the U18s looked forward to their game Murrayfield Wanderers, with some justification. The team had been denied the chance to continue this form, against Portobello the previous Saturday. The game was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. So they had to wait another week, before they had a game. The bad weather and exams also had an effect on the number of training sessions and the number who turned up!
With no Matt McPhillips or Ewan Patrizio, the U18s were still able to put out a strong side and have two replacements. More mishaps were to follow on the morning of the game, when Dom Mayo lost his car keys and had to pull out. Thankfully they had Robbie Cockburn and Gregor Leys who were both now 16 years of age. So the coaches had confidence in the ability of the players they had in the squad. So no excuses for what followed:
The pitch was in good condition and the referee was the same one who had refereed the U18s game in Lasswade. Head Coach Callum Low had decided to put Denham Blair normally a front row/back row player, in at number 13 with captain, Antoin Penrose moving to 12 in place of Dom Mayo. So the away side’s intentions were clear, they were going to attack. The back line looked strong and physical full of good ball carriers and line breakers.
Murrayfield started off the stronger, they had a bigger pack, but this had never bothered Dunbar colts before. The main problem they were facing today were themselves. The players just didn't seem to connect, there were too many dropped balls in the backs, and the ball never got out to the wingers, who must have thought they had BO. There was a lethargy among the forwards, not getting to the breakdown quickly enough, or in serious numbers. They were bullied at the ruck, and when they did have ball, there were too many turn overs. The players have to realise if the ball is lost, they must be set up right defensively around the fringes. This was an area where they were hugely exposed. Murrayfield used their bigger units to run through the many gaps and exploit that weakness to their advantage. There is no point throwing numbers into a lost cause.
The player’s heads went down too quickly, when things started to go wrong. This is a defeat they must get over quickly as they face another tricky away game to Portobello, this Saturday. It wasn't all doom and gloom ,josh atkin who deservedly got man of the match covering every area of the pitch, scored another contender for try of the season by the Colts, with some neat interplay by Dunbar and Josh linking up well with Denham Blair. The colts had a try disallowed by the referee, even though Antoin Penrose the "scorer" was adamant that he had grounded the ball. This added to the try Dunbar scored in the first half, when things didn’t looked so bleak, when we were only down by 3 tries to 1.
The colts had every chance in the second half, and seemed up for it, but it just didn’t happen. It was one of those games. They have to understand when they lose, not to lose the lesson, learn and learn quickly. Take nothing away from Murrayfield Wanderers, they fully deserved their victory and were the better team on the day. They were well disciplined and well organised. They played to their strengths and it paid off handsomely.
Dunbar Colts still have a lot to play for and they will play a lot better, so they shouldn't be too disheartened, they are still a very good team with a lot potential and room for improvement.