Bannockburn side run out of steam after lead in first half
BANNOCKBURN RFC ............................. 26 CRIEFF AND STRATHEARN ................... 50
It was a tale of two halves as Bannockburn fell to defeat against a well-drilled Crieff team.
Despite leading 19-17 at half-time, ‘Burn capitulated in the second half with Crieff making good use of their pacy backs.
Tries from Chris Ireland, Steven Flynn and a brace from captain Calum Bruce sealed a valuable bonus point for Bannockburn.
The opening half was a back and forth affair, with both sides trading tries through open, attacking rugby in a decent advert for the sport.
Number eight Chris Ireland replied to Crieff’s opening score with Bannockburn’s first home try of the new season – a powerful drive and dive over the whitewash.
Crieff soon scored their second, and Steven Flynn’s riposte was a true forward’s try – touching down through a crash ball.
A third Crieff try soon followed, and captain Calum Bruce hit back by scoring on the stroke of half-time to give Bannockburn a 19-17 lead.
Crieff looked dangerous when they had the ball, dictating the tempo of the game and showing good hands through their team.
The Perthshire men were quick to strike in the second half, scoring almost immediately from the Bannockburn kick-off.
Captain Bruce restored Bannockburn’s slender lead, sneaking through the Crieff defence to grab his second around the hour mark.
Bannockburn put in a great shift but ultimately ran out of steam as the match went on. The Crieff side’s fitness proved superior as they ran in four unanswered tries in the latter stages of the second half.
The‘Burn players have plenty to be positive about, holding their own for almost an hour. On the day they were simply undone by an excellent Crieff side.
Director of Rugby Jimmy Samuel took some comfort from how Bannockburn played, such as the team’s structure and well-organised defence. He said:“I felt we played our structure well.
“We matched them for the first 50 minutes or so, but our fitness and their attacking back line got the better of us.
“There’s still a lot of plus points for us to take into our next game against Waid Academy.”