Oban Lorne get season off to a good start
Oban Lorne Isle of Arran BT West Regional Shield OBAN Lorne played their first competitive game of the 2015/16 season on a beautiful sunny day at Glencruitten.
Isle of Arran RFC were the visitors for the West Regional Shield round one match.
After an erratic opening Oban sustained some early pressure leading to good field position and won a penalty for Arran not rolling away on the floor. Craig Wright slotted the kick over for a 3- 0 lead.
A rusty passage of play followed from the men in green meaning the link between forwards and backs being quite fractured, frustrating the home side’s progress.
Oban were guilty of trying to play too much rugby from their own half. This changed on 24 mins with a beautifully weighted kick down field by Finlay Carmichael allowing Craig Wright to outpace the defence and score his first try of the day. He then slotted the conversion with ease.
Oban stepped up the tempo of the game for the next 10 minutes and were rewarded with another excellent try by Alex Lawson on 34min. Some fine driving play by the forwards allowed the space for Dave McCabe to send Lawson in at the corner.
Oban seemed to take their foot off the gas as a speculative kick from the Arran fly half in behind the home full back caused confusion and the chasers were on hand to pounce to score Arran’s only try of the game.
This rallied the travelling team and after the break they were pressurising the Green Machine with renewed vigour, but the home side managed to absorb it and it was they who drew blood next. Craig Wright again had too much pace and was able to get in at the corner.
The sun continued to beat down on the players and spectators making the day a spectacle but it was certainly taking its toll on the teams. Oban continued to knock at the door but it wasn’t until the final play of the game that they would add to their tally for the day. David McCabe slipped a pass to Calum Maclachlan who bludgeoned his way over in trademark style from 30 metres out.
The game was over at a 27-7 victory and Oban Lorne are through to the cup quarter final and will face Paisley at home on Saturday September 19.
This Saturday Oban Lorne travel to take on Cambuslang in their opening West Division 1 fixture. Kick off is 3pm
Birkmyre Argyll and Bute BT Bowl Argyll and Bute’s first BT Bowl game came to a disappointing end with a heavy defeat away to West Division 3 side Birkmyre.
From the first set play of the game the visitors were on the back foot. Having some influential players not available and players in unfamiliar positions, Argyll and Bute always knew they had a hard game ahead.
Unfortunately they came up against a well- organised team in Birkmyre. The hosts eventually ran away with the game 69-3.
Next up for Argyll and Bute is Cowal RFC which will be their team’s first league game of the season and with the new team kit to be unveiled before the match, hopefully this will spur the team on to make up for exiting the BT Bowl at the first attempt.
The game will be played at Glencruitten with kick off at 3pm.