Sunday 7th March at Haddington
Today’s matches saw Dunfermline P6 come up against Haddington and Murryfield Wanderers. Both games produced very good results but were achieved with very different performances.
Squad: Lewis, Jonathan, Euan C, Aidan, Cameron, Jake, Ben, Andrew, Cal, Sean C, Jackson and Ciaran.
Murryfield 1 V 3 Dunfermline
The first game saw the boys take on a Murryfield side that was made up of a mix of P6 and P7 players, some of their team must have had their feet in grow bags for the last few weeks. They were a big strong side who were very physical at the break down but they also had one or two skilful players especially in the middle. This was a game were the Dunfermline boys would have to put in a big performance and make their tackles count and once again they were more than a match for their opponents. Time and again Lewis, Jonathan, Euan and Ben hit the tackles and provided quick support to the break down winning the loose ball through Cal and Aidan. The pleasing thing for the coaches was the lack of handling errors that reduced the Murryfield team to limited opportunities to score. The first try was finished of by Jonathan after a neat switch ball from Euan, the other two try’s were ran in by Sean Clark who showed his marker a clean pair of heels.
Try scorers: Sean C (2) and Jonathan.
Haddington 1 v 7 Dunfermline
This was our first game against Haddington who started with a slightly weaker team as some of their player were playing for the P7 side. The boys were looking to put on a good display of running rugby. They got off to a flying start with Cal and Cameron bursting through the Haddington defence and running in two very good try’s. Ciaran decided he wanted a piece of the action and scored two cracking try’s turning the Haddington defence inside out. Euan , Jackson and Sean C finished of good moves to put the boys into a 7-0 lead at half time.
The second half showed the bad side of the Dunfermline P6 squad. The concentration began to slip and the boys were sloppy leading to a lot of unforced errors. Unlike the first game were the support play was quick and the ball was being played wide through the hands the boys reverted to the drive through the middle which proved to be unsuccessful and allowed Haddington to start competing for the ball which led to them scoring a well worked try. All in all it was a good day for the boys scoring 10 try’s and again proving we are becoming a hard team to break down.
Try scorers: Ciaran (2), Sean C, Cameron , Euan C, Cal, Jackson
The boys would like to thank Haddington for today’s games as well as all those who turned up to support them.
Sunday 7th February at home to Creiff
Dunfermline P6 squad had a rare home fixture that allowed the coaches to field two teams, the opposition this week was Crieff who always provide a good test for the boys .
Dunfermline also had to deal with suspensions with Cal and Sean C both serving one match bans.
Squad: Lewis, Jonathan, Euan C, Aidan, Cameron, Jake, Andrew, Sean R, Jackson and Ciaran.
Dunfermline 10 v 2 Crieff
The game started off at walking pace with the Dunfermline boys going through the motions without any real effort. After a few quite words from the coaches they started to play the way they have become accustomed too. Crieff fought hard around the ruck and loose ball area but the Dunfermline boys were either too quick or too strong for them and the boys took a five – nil lead into half time. In the second have the boys stepped it up a gear and played some good passing rugby which led to five more well worked try’s. the pick of the try’s was the last with Crieff having a tap start on their own 5 metre line the boys put the pressure on straight from the tap, mauling Crieff back over their own touch line and Ciaran reacting quickest to the loose ball to score the try.
Try scorers: Ciaran (2), Cameron (2), Sean R (2), Lewis (2), Jake and Jonathan.
Dunfermline at the breakdown
In the second game the coaches were able to give the development boy some much needed game time
Squad: Mark, Ryan, Jay, Euan D, Sean C, Cal, Lewis, Jonathan, Euan C, Aidan, Cameron, Jake, Andrew, Sean R, Jackson and Ciaran.
Dunfermline 9 v 6 Crieff
Dunfermline started the game with Ryan, Jay, Mark and Euan D getting a start for the P6 squad. The boys started well and a good try was scored after Jay and Mark linked up to release Sean C to score the opening try. Crieff then exploited the weaknesses in the Dunfermline defence with the boys missing a few tackles and spilling the ball in the wrong areas. Crieff took control of the first half and took a four- two lead into half time. The coaches made a few changes to shore up the defence and the boys stopped the handling errors and this allowed the boys to rack up a few try’s, with the pick of them coming from Ciaran who finished of a good move in the corner.
Try scorers: Sean C (5),Cameron (2), Ciaran, Euan C and Jonathan. The boys would like to thank Crieff for today’s games as well as all those who turned up to support them.
Sunday 24th January at Kirkcaldy
Dunfermline P6 squad returned to action today after the enforced winter break and the boys were looking forward to playing in the baking 5 degrees heat. This week saw the boys match up with Kirkcaldy and Perth two of the more physical sides we have encountered.
Squad: Lewis, Jonathan, Euan, Sean C, Ben, Aidan, Cameron, Jake, Andrew, Sean R, Jackson and Ciaran.
Perth 1 V 6 Dunfermline
First up was Perth and the boys were straight out the traps and put in possibly the best half of rugby they have had over the last 3 years. Perth had no answer for the passing game the boys produced and when on the odd occasion Perth were in possession they found the Dunfermline boys could also put themselves about in the tackle when needed.
Defending versus Perthshire
Dunfermline raced to a 5-0 half time lead but took the foot of the gas a little in the second half and got involved in a bit of a battle for possession of the ball. One more try was added but the disappointing part of the match was losing the try at the end. After Perth going through around 15 phases of play inside our 5 metre line the boys were putting in tackle after tackle unfortunately they seemed to forget that the object was to win the ball and settled for tackling the man when the ball was loose on the ground “ Crazy passage of play” Although the tackling was very impressive.
Try scorers: Lewis, Sean C, Ben and Cameron (3)
Kirkcaldy 0 V 6 Dunfermline
Dunfermline always knew this was going to be a very physical game and Kirkcaldy did not disappoint. The tackles were flying in from Lewis, Jonathan, Cameron, Jake and Sean R which lead to a lot of loose ball which Dunfermline took good advantage of with Aidan and Ben creating chances by playing quick ball out wide. The first half try’s were well worked and again the ball was put through the hands at pace and this proved to be the difference between the side’s with the boys taking a 3-0 lead into half time.
P6s versus Kirkcaldy
In the second half the boys racked up another 3 try’s but unlike the Perth game they were able to keep Kirkcaldy out and stop them scoring a try. The most pleasing part for the coaches was the performance especially in the tackling department form Sean C, Jackson, Ciaran and Andrew, albeit there is room for improvement this was a very good start.
Try scorers: Jake, Cameron, Lewis, Jonathan and Sean C (2).
The boys would like to thank Kirkcaldy and Perth for today’s games as well as all those who turned up to support them.
Sunday 20th December – Christmas fun day
The P6 Squad held their fun day at Delta Force Paintballing in West Lothian. The boys turned up with thoughts of payback on their minds for all the hard training they have endured throughout the season so far.
On arrival we were split into a Blue team Captained by Malcolm and a Red team Captained by Andy.
The first game involved each team trying to secure 4 bases, the Red team won the first game 3-1 and the blue team won the second 3-1.
After a short break and with the scores level the Blue team had to defend the fort and prevent the Reds from blowing up the fort with dynamite, this was when the serious business started with the coaches using smoke bombs and grenades. The Blue team managed to defend the fort and were also successful in attacking the fort in the rematch.
After all the games were complete the boys still had some ammunition left so they decided that the coaches and dads would hide (with no guns) and the boys could fire at will (will did not turn up so David, Tom , Gary, Andy, Malcolm and Jim got it). There will be a few bumps and bruises being attended to tonight but I think that everyone who joined in had a brilliant time and hopefully a rematch can be arranged for next year,
The boys and the coaches would like to wish all their supporters a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year
Sunday 13th December at Stewarts Melville
Team: Euan, Cameron, Aidan, Lewis,Jonathan, Andrew, Jackson, Jake, Sean C, Cal, Sean R and Ben.
Biggar 0 V 2 Dunfermline
Today’s matches were more suited to Polar bears and Penguins with the Artic conditions but both sides were able to put on a good game of Rugby.
Because the conditions were so cold the coaches from all 3 teams decided that we would play 10 a side with 5 man scrums, This was a first for our boys but once again they were able to adapt quickly and play in a well organised way. The boys took an early lead through Sean Clark who finished off a try that came from several phases of good play. Although the conditions were heavy the team were still attempting to play the ball through the hands, Most pleasing for the coaches was the defensive display and the discipline in the defensive line that saw tackle after tackle being put in to great affect. The coaches have been working hard in recent weeks on getting the boys to ruck properly and win more loose ball, today they were given the chance to put their rucking skills into practice and it has to be said that they were very impressive. The boys always looked in control of this match but it took until the end of the match to score the second try against a stubborn Biggar defence, the second try was finished off by Jake again resulting from some fine build up play.
Stewarts Melville 2 V 0 Dunfermline
Games like this one are the reason that we are all involved in kids Rugby. This was a game that every boy showed that they had the heart and passion to play for Dunfermline Rugby Club, Albeit we went down 2 tries to nil the boys competed for every ball, the tackling was of the highest standard putting the Stewarts Mel boys on the ground time and time again. On another day Dunfermline would have won this match but for some bad luck and a touch of frustration creeping in from time to time. The game was a very hard fought match that saw Dunfermline twice coming up just short of the try line, however when the last ditch tackles were made by Stewarts Mel our boys just needed to be a bit quicker in support. Again the positives from this game was the defensive line and the strong tackling that was the reward for weeks of hard training sessions. The disappointment in losing this match was clear to see on the faces of all the Dunfermline players, However as they were told by the coaches at the time they should be very proud of themselves and hold their heads high as this was probably the best team performance they have had together.
Thank you from the boys for all the support they received today.
Sunday 29th November at Livingston
Team: – Cammy, Jake, Andrew, Aidan, Euan, Ben, Cal, Lewis.
It was good to have a game after the weather-affected fixtures of the last few weeks. The boys had to deal with a few late calls offs due to injury the most bizarre of which was James who managed to jam his thumb in the car door as he arrived and had to make a trip to hospital instead of play. The calls off meant that we were down to 8 kids so had to play with no subs.
We played two games against Livingston in very cold and wet conditions. The boys started the first game well, against what was a much improved Livingston team, and managed to go into a 2 try lead through some good support play. They then let themselves down with some poor tackling that allowed Livingston to get back into the game. After a half time pep talk the boys ran in a few quick trys and displayed some very good rugby both in attack and defence. The final score was Dunfermline 6, Livingston 2
The second game was shortened due to the cold and was a bit more of a one sided affair. The boys again showed some fine attacking play but did let themselves down with their defensive tackling with the first hit more often than not putting the opposition on the ground. Final score was Dunfermline 4, Livingston 0.
A big thanks to Livingston for putting on the game and also to the parents who supported the boys.
Sunday 8th November at DHS versus Madras
Dunfermline 5 v 3 Madras
Team: Euan, Cal, Aiden, Jonathan, Jake, Sean C, Cameron, Andrew, Mark, Lewis, Jackson, Jay, Jack and Ryan.
Today’s game against Madras was a rare home fixture for Dunfermline and was played at Dunfermline high school. This was to the first of three big games for the boys before Christmas. Madras has always been a difficult game for our boys and this proved to be no exeception. Madras played some great attacking rugby in the first half and they were also strong in the tackle and very quick to the break down. This led to them taking a 3-0 half time lead. In the second half Madras made some changes and this allowed the Dunfermline boys to mount a come back. Sean Clark put Dunfermline level with 3 individual tries where he showed the opposition a clean pair of hells. Jonathan gave Dunfermline the lead after several phases of attacking play finally driving over the line, and Andrew sealed the win with a fine try.
Tries: Sean Clark (3) Jonathan and Andrew.
Dunfermline 1 v 6 Madras
The second game saw Dunfermline give some of the development players a chance to shine, however Madras were just too strong for the boys and ran in 6 tries and controlled the game with ease. The development boys have a lot of hard work in front of them in training if they are going to push themselves to be considered for selection. The highlight of the game was a try scored by Lewis who showed some great strength and aggression to bundle the ball over the line.
Tries: Lewis
Dunfermline 1 v 3 Madras
The third match was a hard fought game with both side evenly matched. Madras were now proving to be more than a match for Dunfermline who struggled to keep up with the physical side of the game. This is something that the boys will need to work on in the coming weeks. On a positive note Sean Clark was once again able to help himself to his trademark try. The boys will need to practice the tackling and rucking parts of their game and be more direct if they are to compete with Howe and Stewarts Mel.
Tries: Sean Clark.
All in all it was a bit of a wake up call for the Dunfermline boys and a big thanks to Madras for providing the boys with some strong opposition.
Sunday 25th October at Dundee
Dundee 7 V 18 Dunfermline
Team: Euan, Aidan, Jonathan, Jake, Sean R, Andrew, Mark, Lewis, Jackson, Cameron, Ryan and Sean C.
Today’s game at Dundee saw the P6 Dunfermline squad become increasingly frustrated at the lack of opposition from other clubs with Glenrothes unable to field a P6 side and Dundee only able to field 8 players for a home match.
Four of the Dunfermline boys (Ryan, Jackson, Andrew and Lewis) helped Dundee out by playing a half each and it proved to be a good bit of game time for them, especially Andrew who ran in 3 in tries for Dunfermline in the first half and 4 tries in the second half for Dundee.
The first half was a typical Dunfermline performance, strong in the tackle and a powerful attacking display backed up with great support play and passing skills. Cameron made his come back from a long knee injury and helped himself to 6 tries that were created from some great build up play.
There was a solid midfield performance from Jonathan, Aidan, Lewis, Euan and Mark who were putting in the tackles and turning the ball over to create the attacks. Jake and Sean C put in a lot of running and caused Dundee trouble time and again.
The score at half time was 12- 0 but the introduction of Andrew and Lewis for Dundee combined with Dunfermline making lots of substitutions let Dundee into the second half and they were able to score 7 tries against us which has not happened for some time.
Jenna made a guest appearance for Dunfermline; she didn’t really do much although she reckons she put in two big tackles.
Again another good display from the boys but they need a stronger challenge and with Madras, Howe and Stewarts Mel coming up in the next few weeks it will be a good opportunity to assess just how much the boys have progressed.
The tries were scored by: Cameron (6), Sean C (4), Jake (3), Andrew (3), Lewis (1) and Aidan (1).
The boys and Coaches would like to thank everyone who came along to support the team.
Sunday 4th October at McKane - Dunfermline Tournament
Dunfermline P6 win their home Tournament.
TEAM: Capt: Euan Colston, Jonathan Scott, Aidan Reddick, Lewis Cook, Jake Ferguson, Sean Clark, Cal Clarke, Andrew Waterworth, James Collyer, Ben Dollery, Jackson Moyles and Sean Ramsay.
Today’s matches saw Dunfermline P6 play 4 games against Crieff, Kirkcaldy, Perth and Ellon in a winner takes all league set up. It was to be a day when the physical challenge from the other side’s proved to be the main concern for the boys, again the boys showed that they were more than up to the challenge
Dunfermline 4 V 0 Crieff
The boys have now played Crieff 3 times in as many weeks and they were to come out on top again. It has to be said that the Creiff team did a really good job of containing us at times and it was clear to see that their coaches and players are working very hard to raise their game to put up a challenge to Dunfermline. Again it was a strong defensive display that built the platform for the boys to be able to attack and play the ball through the hands which in turn led to some cracking try’s being scored. Try scorers: Sean C (2), James and Ben.
Dunfermline 6 V 0 Kirkcaldy
Dunfermline were again playing a Kirkcaldy side that they beat last week at Kinross. This was a game when the boys were able to show their attacking skills. The boys started this match really well and put Kirkcaldy on the back foot straight away with their passing skills and moving the ball wide quickly to allow Sean C to run in a quick hat trick of try’s. This game was also a very physical game with the tackles flying in but Dunfermline were able to control the ball and the game and go on and score 3 more well worked try’s. Try scorers: Sean C (3), Ben, Euan and Jackson.
Dunfermline 10 V 3 Perth
Perth were limited to playing only 7 players due to players not turning up and in their first two games it looked as if they were going to be the team that would be the threat to Dunfermline, But as with the other games the lads were able to up their game another gear and they took the game to Perth scoring 10 try’s whilst sharing them throughout the team. This was a game when the boys had to stand up to the physical challenge of Perth but the boys responded well. Try scorers: Sean C (2), Jake (2) Euan, Aiden, Cal, Andrew, Sean R and Jackson.
Dunfermline 4 V 1Ellon
Another game, another win and another physical affair. The boys must be going home black and blue after 3 hard hitting games on the spin. Ellon have always been one of the team’s who give Dunfermline a good game but some high tackles were creeping into the game which the lads had to contend with. Dunfermline ensured that they did not get involved and continued to pass the ball around and finished off a very good run of results. Try Scorers: Sean C (3), Euan.
The lads have now won the last 3 tournaments they have entered, Glenrothes, Kinross and Dunfermline. Long may the hard work and good rugby skills be rewarded. It proved to be a very enjoyable day with Dunfermline putting on an excellent and well run tournament and the BOYS, COACHES AND PARENTS would like to thank everyone who helped (especially the P7 Squad) for their effort.
WELL DONE BOYS.
Sunday 27th September at the Kinross Tournament
Dunfermline P6 win Kinross Tournament.
TEAM: Capt: Euan Colston, Jonathan Scott, Aiden Reddick, Lewis Cook, Jake Ferguson, Sean Clark, Cal Clarke, Andrew Waterworth, James Collyer, Mark McAdams, Jackson Moyles and Sean Ramsay.
Dunfermline 3 V 0 McLaren
The boys started slowly and made hard work of a game that saw McLaren field a mixed side of Kinross and Glenrothes players. There were far too many handling errors and the game was one of the poorest performances our boys have had.
Try scorers: Sean C, Euan and Jonathan.
Dunfermline 5 V 1 Kirkcaldy
Dunfermline were forced to up their game by a very physical Kirkcaldy side. This was a game when the boys had to stand up and be counted and they responded in the best possible way. The boys started to play for each other and the team spirit shown in previous weeks was back and they made Kirkcaldy pay with some cracking try’s being scored. In attack Aiden and Sean C proved to be a handful but it was in defence that Jonathan and Euan stamped their mark on the game with several big tackles that led to the ball being turned over.
Try scorers: Jonathan, Euan, Sean C, Jake and Cal.
Dunfermline 6 V 1 Howe of Fife
This was by far the best team performance the boys have had in the 2 and a half years they have played together. Straight from the start Dunfermline scored a great try that put a strong Howe side on the back foot. The boys were relentless in the tackle and ruck situations, with the ball being turned over time and time again. The most pleasing thing about this game was that players like Andrew, James, Mark, Sean R, Lewis and Jackson are now starting to get more game time against better teams and they look as if they are enjoying the challenge. This was the game that now makes the Dunfermline boys the team to beat.
Try scorers: Sean C (2), Euan, Aiden, Cal and Jonathan.
Dunfermline 3 V 0 Crieff
After all the effort the boys put into the Howe game the boys must have thought they needed a rest in what turned out to be a very scrappy and broken up game. The highlight was Adien’s 2 great jinking individual try’s that were the difference between the two sides.
Try Scorers: Aiden (2), Sean C,
The Final
Dunfermline 3 V 1 Kinross
The boys won this game and deservedly so. They are now playing as a team and with the team spirit the boys have they are proving very hard to beat. Kinross had a very strong side and looked very good against the other sides, however when it came to Dunfermline’s turn the boys were just too strong. Again it was the tackling and rucking play that separated the sides with Euan, James, Aiden, Jonathan and Sean Ramsay putting in strong tackles to win us the ball. Three great try’s were scored for Dunfermline before Kinross responded right at the end of the game.
Try scorers: Jonathan, Sean C and Jake.
All in all it was a great day for the boys and a good confidence booster for next week at our Dunfermline tournament.
WELL DONE BOYS.
Sunday 13th Septmber at Crieff
Today’s game at Crieff saw Dunfermline take to the pitch without 4 first team regulars, this however led to pleasant surprise for the coaches and parents who came along to support the team. The boys who came into the squad (Andrew, Mark, Sean R, Jackson, Ciaran and Ryan) all played very well whilst fitting into the team without any problem. This reinforced by the Crieff coach’s comments that the boys were “well organised and very strong especially in the tackle and ruck”.
Crieff 1 V 7 Dunfermline
Team: Euan, Aiden, Jonathan, Jake, Sean R, Andrew, Mark, Lewis, Jackson, Ciaran and Ryan.
Dunfermline were up for the game from the very start with the emphasis being on teamwork and quick support play. The boys put in a powerful attacking display of rugby that led to some very impressive try’s being scored. There was also a lot of strong tackling and rucking in the middle from Jonathan, Euan, Aiden, Lewis and Jake which led to the ball coming out on the Dunfermline side time after time. The try’s were scored by: Euan (2), Jonathan (2) Aiden and debut try’s for both Jackson and Ciaran.
Crieff 3 V 12 Dunfermline
The second game was a carbon copy of the first with the boys playing well within themselves and spreading the passes around which gave all the boys a chance to get on the score sheet.The try’s were scored by: Jake (3),Lewis (2), Jonathan (2), Sean R (2), Aiden, Jackson an Ciaran.
Thanks to everybody that made the trip to Crieff and witnessed an excellent team performance.
Sunday 6th September at McKane
Dunfermline 19 V 1 Livingston
Team: Aiden, Euan, Cameron, Jonathan, Cal, Jake, Sean C, Ben, Lewis, Mark, Andrew and Sean R.
After the summer break it was great to be back playing competitive matches again. Livingston provided the opposition with a mix of P6 & P7 players. This was a big step up for the boys as the pitch size is increased to 70m x 35m and also the srum and kicking being introduced this year.
The boys were straight out the traps and scored a try from the tap start. Although the Livingston players looked big and strong they were lacking in match practice and the Dunfermline boys were able to take advantage of this throughout the match. In the first half there was the usual strong tackling and support play from the boys, although most of the try’s were individual efforts that gave them an 8-0 half time lead. At half time the boys were encouraged to pass the ball through the hands more and bring others into the game. This was when the boys began to show their strengths.
Try’s were scored by: Cameron (8), Sean C (4), Jake (3), with Euan, Andrew and Ben all scoring once.
Thanks to all the players and parents who supported the boys.
