Good win for Oban Lorne youngsters
OBAN Lorne U16s continued their winning ways with a fantastic team effort by the young Green Machine to overcome the much fancied Strathaven U16s away.
Oban started well with the wind and rain behind them with two tries by captain Tommy McQuade in the first 10 minutes, both miraculously converted from out wide by stand-off Angus Neil given the prevailing gale.
Half-backs Ben Findlay and Angus Neil let loose through the centres, with Conner Taylor and Blair MacFarlane slicing through the Strathaven midfield to release the back three of Ellis Hunter, Kyle Clark and Charlie Campbell-Roberts, who all made good ground on the wide outside again despite the conditions.
Great backing up from wing forwards Conner Dot and Kenny Gray saw Dot crash over for another converted try after great work in the loose by Jenson Binnie, John MacLeod and Harry Johnston.
From the resultant restart the ball was driven forward by Gray for Neil to drill a wind-assisted diagonal ball to the Strathaven corner flag which was well won by Ellis Hunter.
He popped the ball to Charlie Campbell-Roberts who passed to Conner Taylor to run in unopposed under the posts. A great team try.
In the second half, with the wind behind them, Strathaven rallied and pressed the Oban line for the next 10 minutes but great work from the tight five of Tommy Macquade, John Macleod, Ross McCaskill, Jenson Binnie and Harry Johnston in scrum, lineout and loose saw an excellent series of turnovers which allowed Blair Macfarlane to drill the ball into the Stathhaven half against the wind.
From the resultant lineout, Ross McCaskill stole the ball against the throw and with a powerful maul led by Macleod, Binnie and Johnstone, the Oban pack drove forward for McQuade to score in the corner from five metres.
Again Strathaven rallied with some raking wind-assisted kicking designed to turn the Oban defence, which instead was well fielded by the back three of Hunter, Clark and Campbell-Roberts, allowing powerful tighthead Ross McCaskill to produce a storming run from 40 metres before touching down.
From a scrum deep in the Oban half, centre Taylor made good yards assisted by the ever present Gray and Dot to set up a ruck on the Strathhaven 15-metre line which was swiftly moved by Finlay to MacLeod and Binnie close in for McQuade to drive over for Oban’s seventh try.
Chipping
The win was rounded off by a great individual try by captain Tommy McQuade, who turned the ball over on the Strathaven 10-metre line, breaking tackles to make good ground down the left wing before chipping the ball over the Strathaven winger’s head, gathering the fortuitous bounce and scoring in the corner.
A fantastic win from the young Green Machine.
However, more important than the scoreline was the performance which saw great teamwork, discipline, fitness, tackling and relentless pressure on the opposition giving great encouragement for the tough challenges ahead.
Eight tries, four conversions, great hands in a howling gale, and a great team win.