Stewartry and Loch Lomond under-16s play out thrilling 36-36 draw

Spectators were gripped by a scoring rate of nearly a point a minute

Stewartry and Loch Lomond played out a thrilling draw in the first round of the National Youth Bowl.

The visitors brought a large squad down to Greenlaw, spectators being gripped by a scoring rate of nearly a point a minute.

Stewartry kicked off and Loch Lomond fielded it neatly. After a couple of passes they went the length of the field to score after only a minute of play. It was not a great start for Stewartry, but it did energise them to start to play with more spirit.

Fraser Davies used the wind well to kick Stewartry into attacking positions and from a tapped penalty Carson McCallum made ground, handed it on to Arthur Moodie and then Jamie McIvor who finally got it back to Davies to score.

Swapping another two tries each, both teams had periods of pressure. Luke Wallace scored a try which stemmed from an excellent kick chase by Ramsay Wilson and Moodie. McCallum and Finlay Campbell won the ruck and quick hands put Wallace in in the corner. Another steal by McCallum allowed McIvor to feed Moodie a scoring pass, converted by Davies. At half-time the score was one conversion in Stewartry’s favour, but the second half would be up the slope and without the wind assistance.

Clarke Bryson scored first after half-time after good off-loading approach work but Loch Lomond hit back, stealing a lineout and once again getting the ball out wide where the Stewartry defence was shakiest. Loch Lomond then got their noses in front with a try from a series of close quarter drives where their big players made the difference.

Stewartry then applied the defensive pressure they have been working on, with Owen Bryson and Joe McIvor both pressuring the Loch Lomond half backs after their lineout, and turned over ball in the red zone. After confusion about whether a try had been scored or not, McCallum played to the whistle, seized the initiative and gave a scoring pass to Wallace who capped an impressive game with his second try.

From the kick-off, Wallace caught the ball and set up a ruck. McRobert, belying his inexperience at scrum half, sniped forward and fed Davies who then went 60 metres to score. Advantage Stewartry with five minutes to go. Trying to maintain a high tempo, off-loading game, Stewartry then tried to run out of defence but coughed the ball up and Loch Lomond gratefully accepted the chance to score under the posts – drawing the game with a couple of minutes to go.

Stewartry thought they still had a chance, especially as Loch Lomond lost a player to a yellow card for denying a scoring pass. Pressing hard and forcing several rucks in a central position they just could not convert their chances and so an honourable draw was the result. Both teams will rue missed opportunities, particularly Riley Pflanz and Noah Gilbert who both came agonisingly close to tries on their wings, but once again any spectators were rewarded with a real rugby treat.

Coach David Nelson had so enjoyed the game that while running touch he had raised his flag in celebration as Moodie scored and then had to persuade the ref that he wasn’t signalling “in touch” and that the try should still stand.

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