A View from the Touchline –

Marr v Currie Chieftains 14 October 2023

Marr 34 pts (t 5, c 3, p g 1) v Currie Chieftains 28 pts (t 4, c 4)

A cold blustery northeast wind had blown some heavy morning showers away, but the blinding low afternoon sun was another hazard for the combatants; both teams coped well. For the first 10 minutes, Currie had little possession, and their defence was severely tested. Marr missed a shot on goal, and from that point forward the visitors started to take control. A fine Jamie Forbes penalty kick found touch 10 metres out; the ball was secured, and a patient buildup eventually led to a converted Rhys Davies try. The Chieftains continued to attack with DJ Innes, Cammy Gray, Ryan Daley, James McCaig and Sam Cardosi all looking dangerous as the ball travelled through safe hands towards the Marr goal line. A huge wind-assisted penalty clearance kick took play from one 22 to the other, and the robust, well-organised Marr pack drove over to level the scores.

The visitors were soon on the charge again, and but for a dropped pass only a few metres out, they would have restored their lead. More pressure followed as Currie tried to press home their territorial advantage, but unfortunately a loose ball was hacked down field, and the resulting penalty goal put Marr in front. As the break approached, Marr lost a player to the sinbin. Full back Sam Letto raced clear from his 22 for a sparkling counterattack. The exciting adventurous play was rewarded by the dancing feet of Ali Bain, who wrong-stepped the Marr defence and then headed diagonally for the posts; Jamie Forbes converted.

Halftime score – Marr 10 pts, Currie Chieftains 14 pts.

Now facing the sun’s rays, the Chieftains made a spectacular start to the second half. Sam Cardosi created the gap, and he passed inside to Ali Bain sprinting for the line. After only 2 minutes the shocked Marr crowd went remarkably quiet, however this was not to last. For the next 30 minutes, and following unfortunate injuries to Cammy Gray and James McCaig, the disrupted Currie team struggled to match a fiery Marr onslaught. In quick succession, and accompanied by some ineffectual Currie tackling, the home team rattled in two tries.

Even when the Chieftains were recovering from this wayward period, and stretching the Marr defence, they were surprisingly shown a yellow card for dangerous play; this completely changed the dynamic. With Marr making the most of their extra man and moving the ball quickly, two more tries were added to their total. When the visitors were restored to parity during the final 10 minutes, they took hold in Marr’s 22. A concerted team effort was rewarded with a bonus point try from Sam Letto; Jamie Forbes converted. Despite dominating play for the remainder of the match, with Ally McCallum, Courtney West and Ryan Stewart battering forward, the Marr defence proved impregnable. This was a much-better Chieftains performance after their disappointing showing at Hawick two weeks ago. Both Marr and Hawick are expected to make the League play-offs, and the Chieftains can get their revenge when these clubs visit Malleny Park during the next couple of months.

Storm Barbet, and an extreme wet weather warning may have an influence on rugby fixtures this weekend. The Premier League’s new boys, Kelso are at Malleny Park on Saturday. Apart from a couple of slip-ups, Kelso have made a spirited start to their campaign, and their young team, led by some experienced warriors must not be taken lightly. If the pitch is playable, kick-off is at 3.00pm.   

I.J.S. - 18.10.23.