Broughton 15 - 69 Stirling County

With a late call off due to sickness from Heard and a variety of unavailable players, Head Coach Briedenhann chose his best squad to face a Stirling side who have improved immensely since their NDL days last year.

Broughton started down the famous Wardie slope and took the game to a well drilled County side who were without Scotland player Natalia Macholla who has recently moved to Watsonians however were inspired by the dynamic running of fellow Internationalist Sarah Dixon, one of the best runners in the Women’s game.

It was almost a sensational start of Broughton as they camped themselves in the County 22 from the opening whistle. Sadly, just inches from the line, the ball was lost in contact, turned over and it was the flyer Dixon who ran the length of the field – and up the slope! – to break Broughton’s hearts. 0-5.

It was double trouble for the home side with only 5 minutes on the clock when Nicholls was penalised for coming in from the side and quick thinking by the County No.8 allowed the ball to be popped to the on-rushing Dixon who headed under the posts. The extras were slotted by the Full Back and it was 0-12.

Remaining at the top of the pile by 3.30 looked even less likely for Broughton when a mistake in midfield was punished by another score to make it 0-17 then after a poor restart kick not making the regulatory 10 metres, the tourists were the first to react whilst others ball-watched and within 60 seconds, Broughton found themselves 0-24 down.

Down but not out though and Captain McFarlane lead by example, as she does in every game, and following determined forwards play, the ball broke to McFarlane who bounced off County defenders with pinball wizardesque style to dive over for a score. 5-24.

County were next on the scoreboard with a converted score to take it to 5-31 however it was almost a carbon copy try by McFarlane in the last play of the half to put some credibility on the scoreline and the sides went in at half time 10-31.

The second half offered a welcome return to Broughton colours to Mags Morgan and she made an immediate impact at the opening scrum of the half as she broke off the back of the set play and took the poor County back row player off her feet with a mighty bosh!

Sadly the hits didn’t happen often enough as County piled on the points and the misery for a Broughton side who were taking their task as hospitable hosts perhaps too literally and leaked no fewer than 6 unanswered tries including four conversions in 23 second half minutes. At 10-69 with almost a quarter of the game to go, the impressive crowd numbers on the home touchline feared the worse.

Perhaps lady luck wasn’t shining though on a Broughton side which is largely unfamiliar from that which played in the NDL last season and one which is rebuilding and bringing many newbies into the sport.

As the Broughton pack took it to the now rampant visitors, who capitalised on every Broughton error to score the bulk of their points, they were denied twice in the second half of what looked like perfectly good scores from the perhaps non-aptly named official Mr Smart!

First up was Long who, after a 2 year period out of the game following a broken hip, looked as if she has bulldozed over the whitewash to record her first ever try for the Club. Then it was the denial of a hat-trick (mmmm, was it a wink and a nod to the Ref for jug avoidance?!) for McFarlane whose outstretched arm looked as if it had grounded the ball under the posts only for the Ref to have adjudged at the time that the ball had been held up.

Unable to go ‘upstairs to the TMO’ on both occasions, the Match Official enjoyed the opportunity to review both incidents in the Clubhouse over a pint after the game and was apologetic in calling both incidents incorrectly at the time. A respectful and honest call – well done Sir!

As the game petered out, it was the last laugh for Broughton who scored the final try of the day and it was Fung who bounced over after County conceded a handful of penalties as they failed to cope with the Broughton forwards who dominated the game.

Final Score: Broughton 15 – 69 Stirling County

Next week, it’s off to Madras Saints who are so far undefeated. Broughton will have travel without the services of Joanne Laing who unfortunately broke her hand during today’s game. Here’s to a speedy recovery.