Dunfermline P6s Win at Currie

On Sunday the P6s travelled to Currie - surely one of the loveliest rugby grounds we've been to. Where, for example, was any gasometer, crumbling clubhouse or ugly 1970s housing estate? Another surprise was the size of the pitch and the fact that we played 10-a-side for the first time. But the biggest surprise was the size of the Currie squad. There were 25 boys, ye gods! I guess that in a semi-rural spot like Currie/Balerno there are limited things for parents to do in the evenings.

When we looked at the Currie boys individually we saw a full menu of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the onion bhaji starter to the set meal for four. They have an A team and a B team, but for our visit they mixed the two squads up into two teams of mixed ability so our boys got two decent games against friendly opposition.

In the first match we pinned Currie down in their own half and it was only due reward for effort when Alistair scored two tries in quick succession, each of them leading from the 5-man scrum -- another innovation which seemed to suit Dunfermline very well, thank you. Just at the end of the first half Currie made a strong attack down our left flank which was only halted by a crunching tackle from our own spicy pakora, Dylan. From the ball which spilt from that tackle there was a good series of quick passes ending in yet another try for Alistair just on the half time whistle. Perhaps there is a rule that on the second Sunday in October ....?

The second half started differently, with Currie retaining possession in one particular passage of play when they carried the ball at least 80 yards -- from the left touchline horizontally to the right, and then straght back again to where it had started.. We forced the ball up field and gave away a scrum which Currie won, but the lad playing stand off dropped his pass over the line and Dylan pounced on the ball like Penny (the dog) on a juicy bone. Alistair shook his way through the Currie defence just at the end of the game, and was clear to score but was brought back for handing an opponent off. That, we learned, was an innovation too far. From the ensuing penalty the best Currie player ran 40 yards up his left wing to make the final score 4-1.

The second match began more scrappily from our point of view. Perhaps it just the effect of fresh legs against guys who had finished another game five minutes previously, but Currie ran through several tackles to score in the left corner after only one minute. A short while later, and with a precision which would have pleased Pythagoras, Dylan ran two sides of a right angled triangle (ignoring the more obvious hypoteneuse) and touched down in the corner. Currie had offered him several perfectly good tackles but Dylan didn't seem to be interested in submitting to any of them. Currie managed another try at the end of a particularly long half, leaving us 2-1 down at the break.

Right from the restart Dylan took the ball round the the blind side and was stopped just short of the line, managing to get a pass away to Alistair who broke though a tackle? ... no -- destroyed a tackle? ... no - contemptuously ignored a tackle and scored with style. Then again, after a strike against the head in one of the 5-man scrums which we were getting used to, Dylan, today's try-maker in chief got under the Currie radar and set up Nathan for his point on the left. Then, in moment reminiscent of last Sunday at Kinross, Matthew charged right through the middle and scored, then repeated the dose two minutes later on the non-camera side of the large field. Pity -- it would have been quite a photogenic try -- all mud and hopelessly sprawling defenders. Currie weren't a bad side, and it was only fair that scored again in the last move of the match to make it 5-3 for Dunfermline.

The coaches should be proud of these wins because the boys were putting into practice what they had been taught and were clearly enjoying the whole day.

Currie turned out to be the most hospitable of hosts, serving up a good hot lunch in a busy family-orientated clubhouse. That's the sort of thing which ends a good day well -- perhaps we could have a think about lessons to be learned. There may be more than just one reason why Currie have so many young players.

Written by John Fotheringham