Weekend Sport – Sat 10th March

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Rugby:  Stewart’s Melville RFC   17  GHA  31

It was something of a surprise that Saturday’s game took place at all.   Conditions were as bad as any seen previously for a match at Inverleith.   Visitors GHA adapted to the weather rather better to start with and opened up a 19 point lead before Stew Mel emerged from the mud to pull one back (above) before half-time (5-19), Ruaridh Stewart getting the touch down.  The second half was a more even affair with both sides adding twelve points – unfortunately for all their efforts Stew Mel finished up without any league points on a day when rivals Musselburgh collected five from their visit to Aberdeen.   Selkirk away on Saturday (3pm).

Hockey:  ESM Mens 1s recorded another big win – their second following the resumption post the winter break – defeating Greenock 5 -0.   The Ladies 1st team match with St Andrews University was a victim of the weather.

Weekend Sport – Sat/Sun 24/25th February

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Rugby:  No 1st XV rugby this weekend while everyone took in Scotland’s Calcutta Cup victory over England and the pre match lunch at MES.

From the wider Stew Mel perspective the notable achievement of the rugby weekend was the Scotland under 20s 24-17 win over England under 20s on Friday evening.  Wins for Scotland at this level have been as rare as those of the senior XV.   The Scotland team included SMC’s last two 1st XV captains Jamie Hodgson (2015/16) and Ross Thompson (2016/17).  Congratulations to both and hopefully their rugby careers continue to progress although both have university courses as a “distraction”.

Saturday’s 1st XV match is away to bottom of the league Falkirk with a 3pm start.

Hockey:  Hockey made its return from the winter break with two commanding wins – The Ladies 1st team defeated Dundee University 6-0 in NL2 and the Mens 1st team had a 3-0 success over FMGM Monarchs.

Football & Golf: They have been mentioned previously in our weekly reports so it did not go unnoticed that Euan Henderson started for Hearts at Ibrox on Saturday and Grant Forrest qualified for the final two rounds of the senior European Golf Tour’s Qatar Masters.  His rounds of 70,70,74,68 for a 6 under par 282 total earned him further “Road to Dubai” points.

Weekend Sport – Sat 17th February. Rugby

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Rugby:  Stewart’s Melville RFC     19     Dundee High    25

A last minute try (above) earned the 1st XV a bonus point against Dundee at Inverleith on Saturday but with the two teams immediately ahead of us in the league table, Musselburgh and Cartha Queens Park playing each other anything less than a win was likely to harm the team’s prospects of remaining in NL1.   As it happened Cartha won a high scoring game by 35-31 earning the winners 5 league points and Musselburgh two bonus points meaning more lost ground.   With five games left (potentially 25 points available) we are seven points adrift of Musselburgh but with both sides still to play Falkirk who are stranded at the bottom of the league it seems likely that nothing less than three wins and possibly four are required.

It was pleasing that the pre match lunch attracted around forty people to enjoy Joyce’s veggie soup and roast lamb including Alex and David Brewster who we haven’t seen for some time along with Alex’s son, former captain, Scott.   Having Alex and Dave along brought back memories of many front row battles of the past and of the different sort of rugby and the numbers following the club game we got then.

 

Weekend Sport – Sat 10th February. Golf, Rugby and Football

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Golf:   Strong performance by Grant Forrest in Australia

Grant Forrest in action in the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Tournament

Former pupil Grant Forrest’s first tournament of the year took him to the clear blue skies and warmth of Perth, Australia where he participated in the European Tour’s World Super 6s event where the initial field of 156 reduced to 8o after 36 holes strokeplay and to 24 after 54 holes.   The 24 qualifiers then played 6 hole matchplay golf on the fourth and final day.  Grant was in third place one shot behind the lead after 36 holes with a 68 and 67, before a par 72 qualified him in ninth place after 54 holes before going out by 1 hole to Australia’s Matthew Millar in the 1st round of the play-offs despite being one under par for the six holes.   This performance moved Grant up about 100 places in golf’s World rankings where he is now the tenth placed Scot.

Rugby:    Stewart’s Melville RFC    29    Penicuik     13

A strong performance in the early part of the second half  brought three tries and turned a 6-5  half-time deficit into relatively comfortable win at Inverleith on Saturday for the 1sts in the Quarter Final of the BT National League Cup against Peebles from NL2.   A fourth try took us into a 29-6 lead before Peebles reduced the deficit with a late score.   Kelso, Dumfries and Highland were the other quarter-final winners and one of them will stand between the club and a season’s end final at Murrayfield.

Football:  Just to complete the weekend news – 17 year old former pupil Euan Henderson was a late substitute in Hearts 3-0 Scottish Cup win over St Johnstone at Tynecastle.

 

Weekend Sport – Sat 3rd February. Rugby.

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Edinburgh Accies  34   Stewart’s Melville RFC  5

The 1st XV had an early kick-off at Raeburn Place on Saturday against table toppers Edinburgh Accies in a league match postponed from December.    As half-time approached Accies had been held to 12-5 but disappointedly they squeezed in for touchline try just on half-time.   Accies had almost continuous possession from the start of the second half and despite some great defensive work by Stew Mel they crossed for another three tries to take the score to 34-5 before ten minutes of concerted pressure by Stew Mel at the end failed to produce a score.  There was plenty of encouragement for the games to come.   Next Saturday we play Peebles in a cup match  at Inverleith.

Weekend Sport – Sat 27th January – Rugby. 1sts win in Aberdeen

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Big pitch action as 3rds take on Edinburgh Northern 2nds

Aberdeen Grammar 18  Stewart’s Melville RFC 22

After recent defeats I suppose the best the super optimists within the club might have surmised was that if the 1st XV could beat Gala at Netherdale then a win away to Aberdeen Grammar might be achievable too.  That’s exactly what happened with a 22-18 result in our favour which keeps us within six points of Musselburgh and Cartha Queens Park, the ninth and tenth placed teams in the league.  Leading 17-5 at half-time Stew Mel soon added a fourth try for a bonus point and a 22-5 lead.  The tweets became more frequent as Aberdeen chipped into the lead but with no further points conceded in the last ten minutes the boys returned with five valuable league points and raised hopes for the rest of the season.

While the big boys are away … the “mighty 3rds” took to the stand pitch at Inverleith (above) for their match with near neighbours Edinburgh Northern 2nds no doubt reminding some of the team of distant days when they played in the 1sts.   “The game’s the thing” at this level so a 33-38 defeat did not cause too much distress.

Weekend Sport – Sat 20th January – Rugby

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  Stewart’s Melville    5     Musselburgh    20

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not the outcome we were looking for.    After dominating the first half hour of play without scoring Musselburgh achieved that with about their first venture into Stew Mel territory.   Thereafter the game turned in the visitors favour and despite reducing the deficit to eight points with a try (above) with ten minutes left that was as close as we came to achieving a much needed win.

Next up is Aberdeen Grammar at Rubislaw on Saturday (2pm).

EROS Burns’ Lunch 17/1/18 (click for photos)

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The usual full house enjoyed the fifth EROS lunch of the season held at Inverleith on Wednesday with main speaker Chris Paterson, Scotland’s kicking coach/ambassador giving his views on the up-coming six nations matches. The occasion doubled as a Burns celebration with much haggis in evidence. Adopted Scot, great chieftan o’ the Irish race the Reverend Howard Haslett addressed the haggis in his inimitable style piped-in by John Murphy of Leith Accies. 

 Robert Clark
clarksoye@aol.com

Weekend sport – Sat 13th January. Rugby and Golf

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Rugby:     Jedforest   64   Stewart’s Melville   7

A difficult day for the 1st XV at Jed on Saturday after a scoreless first quarter.     While this match probably was not marked down in the survival plan for Championship rugby this Saturday’s match with Musselburgh at Inverleith (2pm) certainly is.   With ten games left Musselburgh are one place (10th) and six match points ahead in the league table.    Pre-match lunches (12.30pm) are available on Saturday – contact lindseygeddes@live.com  .

There is always something different about the 3rd XV when our Lions’ legend Finlay Calder is involved.  Saturday’s 3rds for their match with Penicuik 2nd XV included a guest appearance by fellow Lion and 51 times capped Scottish internationalist Gary Armstrong who to keep things fair changed sides at half-time.  Oh … and the 3rd XV won 78 – 35 according to Lawrance Reilly who is used to keeping cricket scores.  A full accounting by Lawrance can be found on the rugby club website.

FP Golf Club:    The club’s AGM has been arranged for Friday 23rd February (7.30pm) following a wine tasting event at 6.30pm masterminded by Jim Preacher and then followed by curry and beers. Please let secretary  tonykelly045@virginmedia.com know if you are attending.   There is a £10 charge for the curry.