Blairgowrie RFC stars come close to scoring record
Game stopped early with 0-172 on scoreboard
Prolific Blairgowrie RFC racked up more than 100 points on Saturday - and came close to a scoreline record.
The team travelled to a foggy Cupar to face a hugely depleted Howe of Fife 2nds side.
Blair had built up an astonishing172 points after an hour, when officials decided to call time on the match in recognition of the fact Howe’s patched-up side included several young guns and a handful of veteran players.
The visitors had scored 21 tries, including two hat-tricks, four doubles and seven single efforts by the time the final whistle blew.
Blairgowrie grabbed a monumental 0-172 win from their Division 2 Midlands match against Howe of Fife 2nds on Saturday.
The scoreline could have been close to a record if the teams didn’t agree to sound the final whistle early owing to the hosts’ depleted resources.
The injury-hit 12-strong Howe of Fife squad were no match for the visiting opponents.
However, they were without a number of their usual players – some of whom had been called up to the club’s first XV for the weekend – and fielded a team made up of a mixture of youth players and veterans.
Blairgowrie scored 21 tries, including two hat-tricks, four doubles and seven single efforts.
The Blair team settled into the match quickly and Howe really had no answer to a very well disciplined and eager squad.
Tries came in thick and fast with great work from forwards Mark Reddin, Alan Walsh and Neil MacRae all beating defenders and creating gaps that Howe had no answer to.
Murray Davidson found himself with plenty of time at the back of rucks that were formed and put it good use by controlling many of the backs moves which resulted in tries for Mattey Michie, Arran Todd, Tom Helyer, John McLaren and Fin Ormiston.
The game - to Howe’s credit - was played in great spirits, the referee had an easy day with very few penalties conceded by either side.
Blair controlled the game from start to finish with John McLaren once again scoring seven tries to equal the record he set just a few weeks ago.
Arran Todd and Mattey Michie both scored their first hat-trick of tries for the club.
Hooker Paul Douglas ran in his first try for Blair.
Neil MacRae, Fin Ormiston and Davie Grieve all scored two tries
Alan Walsh, Peter Duncan, Tom Helyer, Andy McOuat, Mark Reddin, Euan Constable and Fraser Black all had one each. The final score was 0-172. The largest-ever winning margins in an international rugby fixture were when when Argentina beat Paraguay 152 - 0 and Japan defeated Taiwan 155 - 3, both in 2002.
The overall record was set in 2015 Royal Kituro beat Soignies 356-3 in the Belgian league, while Scotland’s biggest win is 100-8 v Japan in 2004.
Howe will visit JJ Coupar in Blairgowrie on March 4, and they will be well up for making amends as they are a generally a very good side that Blair have had great battles with over the past few seasons.
Blair arrived at Howe with the correct attitude and this bodes well for their next match which is at JJ Coupar against Panmure on Saturday, January 28.
Kick off is at 2pm and the team is keen to see as many supporters as possible there to cheer the boys on. There will also be an opportunity to sign up for the supporters bus for the cup final on February 11 at Forthill against the Dundee Medics.
Training continues on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7pm. New and former players are always welcome.
Squad: Dave Malloch, Paul Douglas, Peter Duncan, Mark Reddin, Alan Walsh, Regan Gordon, Neil MacRae, Andy McOuat, Russell Edwards, Murray Davidson, Fin Ormiston, Mattey Michie, Arran Todd, John McLaren, Tom Helyer, Fraser Black, Euan Constable, Davie Grieve, Kieran Hughes, Jordan Lynn, Kevin Brown.
Man of the match points: Arran Todd (one point); John McLaren (two); Alan Walsh (three). Howe’s number 10 received the top tackler award.