Weekend Sport – Sat 15th Dec. Substantial win for 1st XV before Christmas break

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Stewart’s Melville RFC   58     Lasswade   7

Doug Randall crosses for Stew Mel’s second try

The 1st XV finished their pre Christmas National League 2 campaign in freezing cold weather and virtual darkness with probably their best performance of the season scoring nine tries with four converted maintaining third place in the league.   Two early scores the second by Doug Randall (above) gave Stew Mel an early 12-0 lead which was pulled to 12-7 after a Lasswade interception.  Three more tries with two being converted took the half-time lead to 31-7 but with the prospect of playing against the whipping wind in the second half.   Despite facing the wind Stew Mel continued their adventurous brand of possession rugby adding five more tries and a further conversion to make the final score 58-7 – a great way to finish the first part of the season.  With the other matches  in the league being cancelled StewMel closed the gap to second placed Highland to seven points though with a game more played.

Good too to see sixty guests attending the pre match lunch two weeks on from 120 attending the lunch before the Biggar match.

The season resumes on Saturday 12th January with a match v Preston Lodge away.   PL are doing a pre match lunch at Pennypit Park and anyone wanting to attend it should contact Bill McNie.   If there is sufficient take up the club will provide transport.

Weekend Sport – 8th December. 1st XV win in Glasgow

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Glasgow Academicals   8    Stewart’s Melville RFC    13

 

The 1st XV travelled to Glasgow to take on an Accies side who we had previously recorded a win against at Inverleith.    The weather conditions were rather different on this occasion and not conducive to a handling game.   Stew Mel opened the scoring with penalty and built on this lead with two unconverted tries by Freddie Roddick and Craig Davidson before half-time, 13-0.   The second half was a struggle to hold on as Accies clawed their way back into the game with a penalty and a try, 13-8 and that was how it remained to the final whistle.   The win and the four points keep us in third place in the league on 48 points  but two wins behind second placed Highland (60) and leaders Biggar (64), all from 14 matches.   The action returns to Inverleith on Saturday with a home match v Lasswade, 2 pm.   After that we have a Christmas break from league play until 12th January.

Weekend Sport – Sat/Sun 1/2 Dec. Rugby. 1st XV v Biggar. Golf – Grant Forrest’s 7th place in Mauritius

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Rugby:  Stewart’s Melville RFC    0     Biggar RFC    31


A clubhouse lunch for 120 former players and guests preceded Saturday’s match against NL2 league leaders Biggar and was thoroughly enjoyed by all with a prize raffle and heads and tails quiz included.

Things did not go quite to plan out on the field thereafter with Biggar opening the scoring with a converted try after only five minutes.   Stew Mel had a spell of territorial advantage and a fair share of possession thereafter without breaching Biggar’s strong defence before another converted try put Biggar 14-0 ahead at half-time  Five minutes after the break  Stew Mel extended the day’s hospitality to our visitors with an unfortunate gifted try, 19-0 down and  things looking as bleak as the weather.  Two more Biggar tries followed, the first being converted to take the score to 31-0.    Further Stew Mel pressure failed to produce any points leaving Biggar in a good place at the top of the league on 59 points, four ahead of Highland on 55 with Stew Mel still in third place but 11 points behind Highland on 44 after thirteen rounds of fixtures.   Next week’s match is away to Glasgow Accies at New Anniesland (kick-off 2pm).

Golf:    Good weekend on the European Tour for Grant Forrest

Grant Forrest in his second tournament as a full member of the European Tour had weekend rounds of 65 and 68 to finish in a tie for seventh place in the Mauritius Open with a 14 under par total of 274 after opening rounds of 70 and 71 saw him into the weekend with just one shot to spare.    Although he never threatened the winning score of 268 he picked up sufficient ranking points (and cash!) to take him into 15th place in the 2018-19 “Race to Dubai” points table.    This week he is in Johannesburg for the South African Open.   Former Open Champions Ernie Els and Louis Oosthuizen and former US Masters Champion Trevor Immelman as well as the 2018 Scottish Open Champion Brandon Stone are in the field.

Weekend Sport – Sat/Sun 24th/25th Nov. Rugby / Golf

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Rugby:    Aberdeen Grammar  31   Stewart’s Melville RFC  14   (National League Cup – Round 2)

 

Another long away trip for the 1st XV ended in another defeat at the hands of NL 1 side Aberdeen Grammar on Saturday ending our interest in the cup for National League teams for another year.

Link to Aberdeen Grammar’s report on the match https://www.aberdeenrugby.org.uk/aberdeen-grammar-31-stewarts-melville-14/

Saturday sees the return of league action with an important game against league leaders  Biggar at Inverleith (kick off 2pm).    The rugby club is holding a pre match lunch – contact Lindsey Geddes.

Golf:   Grant Forrest played his first event as a European Tour member in the Hong Kong Open qualifying for the weekend’s play and ultimately finishing in 36th place with a three under par total of  277 with rounds of 70,68,70,69.

 

 

Weekend Sport – 17th November – Rugby 1st XV win in Glasgow

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Rugby: Whitecraigs  22   Stewart’s Melville RFC   50

While the attention of the World was on Scotland’s efforts against South Africa at Murrayfield the 1st XV were in Glasgow notching another good result in their quest for promotion from National League 2.

Two early converted tries gave us a 14-0 lead and although the home side held their own thereafter another two scores late on earned the side an important win in maintaining their hopes for the season.

After 12 rounds of matches Biggar lead with 54 points, Highland are second on 50 points and Stew Mel in third place on 44 points.   On Saturday the 1st XV head for Aberdeen and a cup match with Grammar with the next home match being on 1st December v league leaders Biggar with a 2pm kick off.    A big support for that one would be welcome.

 

Weekend Sport – Sat 10th November. Rugby – 1st XV win at Falkirk

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Rugby:    Falkirk    25     Stewart’s Melville RFC    49

Congrats to the 1st XV in achieving a comprehensive win  in an early kick-off only hours after their annual shindig at Prestonfield House turning around an 18-12 deficit after half an hour’s play  (obviously took them some time to shake off the effects !)   In the context of the league table now at the half way point the other significant weekend result was unbeaten league leaders Biggar losing for the first by 10-7 to Peebles, a result which leaves them on 49 points with second placed Highland, big winners at Howe of Fife second on 45 points with Stew Mel in third place on 39 points.

A full match report will appear here.

Next Saturday it’s a visit to Whitecraigs (kick-off 1pm).

 

 

 

Weekend Sport – Sat 3rd Nov. Rugby – 1st XV return to winning ways / Golf

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Rugby:     Stewart’s Melville RFC     87     Howe of Fife    7

After two weeks on the road coupled with a couple of disappointing results the 1st XV were back on familiar territory and facing a Howe of Fife team with no bench to call on due to a catalogue of injured players which seems to affect all teams those days.   With the flow of the game going against them Howe of Fife were reduced to 13 players on the field before the first half was done and the score inevitably mounted before proceedings were brought to an early conclusion after about 70 minutes.   The result was a welcome boost to the team’s league position.  Next week its a visit to mid table Falkirk.

Kevin Murchie’s match report here  http://www.stewmelrugby.com/match-report-v-howe-of-fife-rfc-saturday-3-november-inverleith/ 

Golf:   Grant Forrest’s progress on European Golf’s Challenge Tour has been followed with interest.   A top ten finish in the tour’s final event of the season secured him seventh place in the end of season rankings and along with three other Scots in the top fifteen a place on the full European Tour next season which kicks off with five events before Christmas.   We all look forward to seeing him achieving further successes in his golf career.

Weekend Sport – Sat 27th Oct. 1st XV in Inverness

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Highland    36    Stewart’s Melville   RFC     5

A second successive defeat away from home at the hands of Highland means Highland stay in second place on 35 points from nine matches, six more than Stew Mel now in fourth place on 29 points, one point behind third place Falkirk.   Table toppers Biggar easily maintained their 100% record and  now have 43 points after defeating Preston Lodge 49-0.

This Saturday the 1sts are back at Inverleith for a home match v Howe of Fife with a 2pm kick-off.

 

 

 

Weekend Sport – Sat 20th October. Defeat for 1st XV at Dumfries

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Dumfries    41     Stewart’s Melville RFC    26

Our 1st XV headed for Dumfries with high expectations.   Only one defeat in seven matches and looking good in second place.   Such thoughts were soon dismissed when Dumfries took the lead with an early try.   Although the 1sts pulled that back to square the match again Dumfries thereafter steamed ahead building up a 41-5 lead before Stew Mel retrieved the situation somewhat with three converted tries.

Biggar still lead NL2, unbeaten with 38 points from 8 matches with our next opponents Highland now taking over second place with 30 points to our 29 with Preston Lodge close behind on 27.   Saturday’s match is up in Inverness where historically the club have found the going difficult although probably only older members remember when we last met in a league situation.

Link to Kevin Murchie’s report on Dumfries is here http://www.stewmelrugby.com/match-report-vs-dumfries-saints-20th-october-2018/

 

 

Weekend Sport – Sat/Sun 13th/14th Oct. Success in Rugby and Golf

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Rugby:       Stewart’s Melville RFC    22   Peebles    7

Another win for the 1st XV on Saturday, the sixth in seven games keeps them in second place in the NL2 table with 28 points, five behind leaders Biggar who maintained their 100% record.  Highland are third on 25 points and  Preston Lodge fourth with 22 points after securing a one point victory over Falkirk.

The link to the full match report is here  http://www.stewmelrugby.com/match-report-vs-peebles-rfc-13th-october-2018/

Golf:    Former pupil Grant Forrest secures playing card for main 2019 European Tour

Playing on Europe’s second tier Challenge Tour this season Grant Forrest achieved a third second place finish on Sunday in the Hainan Open played in China taking him up to seventh place in the tour rankings with two events left which with the top fifteen getting playing rights on the main tour for 2019 guarantees him that status at the season’s end.   In this event he got off to a flier with a 10 under par first round of 62 (28 for the inward half including eagles at two consecutive holes).    Ultimately he finished two shots behind the tournament winner with a 13 under par total of 275 failing to obtain the required birdie on the par 5 72nd hole which would have given him the win.

The European Challenge Tour includes events in Kenya, China and the UAE so this week’s tournament is also being played in China before the concluding event in the UAE.