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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Weekend Sport – 6th October 2018. Rugby – Big win for 1sts at GHK.

GHK     7    Stewart’s Melville RFC    46

For once the rugby club’s senior management of President Bill McNie and Vice-President Simon Breeze had a stress free afternoon as the 1st XV strode to their biggest win of the season by 46-7 having led 22-0 at half-time.

With league leaders Biggar defeating Highland, Stew Mel rise to the heights of second place in the league table on 24 points from with five wins out of six games.   Biggar having won all six matches played lead the way with 28 points.

On Saturday the 1sts entertain Peebles at Inverleith (3pm).

A full report will be available soon on the Rugby Club website.

 

Weekend Sport – Sat 29th Sept. Narrow win for 1st XV

Stewart’s Melville RFC   24   Preston Lodge  22

Seemingly winning comfortably by 24 – 12 with just 15 minutes to go our favourites contrived to lose a couple of scores in the next five minutes to leave home spectators biting their nails and encouraging the referee to end the game.    Eventually he did so giving the 1sts a fourth win in five league wins and holding on  to third place in the league with 19 points behind top team Biggar on 24 points (our one defeat) and Highland (21 points).

Full report:   http://www.stewmelrugby.com/match-report-vs-preston-lodge-rfc-29th-september-2018/  

On Saturday the 1sts visit GHK (the original team not the Hawks) and then on Saturday 13th have a home match v Peebles (3pm).   After that its away to Dumfries and then away to Highland the following week – best look out the Air miles !

Weekend Sport – Sat 22nd Sept. Rugby – Another win for 1sts

Lasswade  13   Stewart’s Melville RFC   17

A narrow away at Lasswade took the 1sts up to fourth place on 14 points in National League 2 after four matches in the current campaign.   Biggar lead the way on 19 points followed by Highland on 16 and Peebles on 15.

Match report here  http://www.stewmelrugby.com/match-report-vs-lasswade-rfc-saturday-22nd-september-2018/

Next up is Saturday’s home match v Preston Lodge, 3 pm kick-off.