Lochaber RFC 71
Isle of Mull RFC 5
West Division 3
Lochaber Rugby Football Club (RFC) continued their recent dominant home form on Saturday with a crushing defeat of Isle of Mull.
Having brought the kick-off forward to 1pm to accommodate Mull’s request for an earlier finish to ensure they could get round the loch for the last ferry, the home team were raring to go early in the day.
However, as can be common in grassroots rugby, the away team were struggling for numbers, with only nine players able to make the trip across the Sound of Mull.
To account for this situation, the Scottish Rugby Union introduced the Game On! principles, allowing matches to proceed without the full complement of players.
As long as both sides agree, the game can start with matched teams of players below the usual 15 and a result can be determined following a minimum of 40 minutes play.
As Lochaber had a full squad and everyone was keen to play rugby, four players swapped black and yellow for black and white and it was indeed game on.
Playing with only 13 players each, it didn’t take long for the extra space on the pitch to be exploited by the home team, who ran in seven unanswered tries, mostly converted by captain Ryan Davies for a 45-0 half-time lead.
The second half continued in a similar vein, with a further four scores from across the team, with a solitary consolation score for the visitors following some lapses in concentration from Lochaber.
The team had no doubt hoped for another clean sheet but the 71-5 final scoreline will be a welcome boost to their points difference in a tight league.
Lochaber will no doubt be pleased with a variety of things from the match. Their set piece was dominant, winning numerous scrums and lineouts from opposition possession.
Great support play saw tries scored from positions across the team.
In all, 11 tries were scored by Freddy Fulford, 3; Finlay Stewart, 2; Josh MacKay, Douglas MacRae, Stuart Hinchcliffe, Hamish White, Koni Johnson and Hamish Shaw. Ryan Davies,6, and Rory MacKay, 2, added the conversions.
Thanks go to home team players Innes Ireland, Calum Ritchie, Ally Weir and Taogh McDonough for helping Mull in the match.
Lochaber RFC thank Isle of Mull for travelling to fulfil the fixture and wish them all the best for the rest of the season.
After two big home wins, Lochaber remain second in the table and travel to Glasgow this Saturday, October 7, to play Glasgow University Medics. Kick-off 3pm.
Featured image: Hamish White makes a run down the wing. Photograph: Iain Ferguson, alba.photos. NO_F40_LochaberRFCvMullRFC 05