Watsonians picked up the Murray Cup for the first time in their history by defeating the host team in the final. Neilson Park was basked in sunshine on Saturday and a large crowd had turned out to cheer on the Home side in what has been a memorable season for them. Both teams had looked comfortable in their previous ties leading up to the final and it was anyoneâs guess as to who would take home the Cup. Watsonians sent their strongest Seven to Haddington and overcame Dunfermline, Melrose and Currie in the top half of the draw, while Haddington disposed of Preston Lodge, Presidents VII and Kelso in the bottom half to set themselves up against the Premier One side.

The final turned out to be one of the best seen in years and was a tremendous advert for Club rugby with skill and pace aplenty from both teams.

Haddington started well and pressed for an early score, however, it was Watsonians that broke clear to score the first try and lead 7 - 0. Haddington had plenty of possession in the first half and scored two tries of their own to only trail by 19 - 12 at the break. Watsonians looked to have clinched the match late on in the second half when they scored a second try going into the last minute of normal time, however, Haddington would not accept defeat lying down and straight from the kick-off Sam Johnston broke free to score a cracking try near the posts and as the clock ticked down, Donald Snodgrass stepped up for the conversion that would take the match into overtime, only for it to slip agonisingly past the uprights and the final whistle blew to finish a pulsating match by the slenderest of margins. Final Score 31 - 29.

Haddington Squad - Neil Watt, Andy Douglas, Donald Snodgrass, Sam Johnston, Mark Morrison, Craig Harrison, Graham Dykes, Paddy Brown, Ian Henderson, Rhodri Thomas.

Watsonians Squad - Will Rowley, Gav Brown, Doug Brown, Mala Mialo, Murray Bringhurst, Mike Kerr, Andrew Skeen, Ali Rowe, Craig Sorbie, Rohan Steyl.

April 02, 2007
Dunfermline v Haddington Match Report (L)

Dunfermline 13 v Haddington 40

Haddington were deservedly crowned Premier 3 champions on Saturday at Dunfermline with a solid performance, but without ever really firing on all cylinders. Since a shaky period back in October when three matches were lost on the trot, the team has grown in confidence and self belief to answer any doubters that questioned their title credentials. The last five months of league action has thrown up some serious challenges by the other promotion hopefuls and each time Haddington has responded by overturning those defeats with convincing wins.

The stage was set for the final league game of the season with Haddington going for the title and Dunfermline still in the hunt for promotion, although they could not afford to lose today’s game. You could feel the buzz of anticipation before kick-off with a massive travelling support arriving to the sound of a mobile disco at pitchside cranking up the atmosphere.

The match kicked off in glorious conditions and within two minutes you could tell the Scarlets were up for the game with some strong ball carrying from the Forwards and some great line breaks out wide by the Backs. Dunfermline could only contain the Scarlets for four minutes before Jamie Peters had kicked a Penalty to go 3 – 0 ahead. Minutes later the Scarlets again showed their attacking skills when a heel against the head was quickly moved wide, Mark Morrison was on hand to support the ball carrier before creating the space for winger Neil Watt to romp home for the first try of the day. Jamie Peters missed the conversion but it was now 8 – 0 after 5 minutes and the Scarlets were looking good. A Penalty by the home stand off reduced the deficit to 8 –3 ensuring Haddington couldn’t afford to get complacent, although this was never likely to happen as they continued to keep the pace of the game up. Haddington created several scoring opportunities by stretching the home defence from side to side, but opportunities went a-begging as the Scarlets possibly tried to force the final pass, which was hardly surprising with so much at stake.

The next score eventually came after a great take at the lineout by Ross Martin released quick ball out to the Backs where Captain Rhodri Thomas drew the cover defence to allow Neil Watt the space to score his second try. The conversion was too far out and was missed again but Haddington had stretched their lead to 13 – 3 after only 20 minutes. Haddington had their worst spell of the match for the next 10 minutes when they possibly thought the job was done and they allowed Dunfermline back into the match with firstly a Penalty and then a converted try from a missed tackle which levelled the scores at 13 – 13. This spurred the Scarlets into action and just before half time centre Graham Dykes was the creator as he broke back infield to run over a few would-be tacklers before releasing Sam Johnston to power over in the corner to restore the lead. The conversion was missed to leave the Half time score 18 – 13.

The second half was all one-way traffic for Haddington and it was South African No.8 Shaun Botha who got the next try after he eventually ploughed over following several attempts earlier by his colleagues. Unfortunately for Jamie Peters the try scorers were not helping him by getting near the posts and the conversion was again missed meaning the score now stood at 23 – 13. As the match started to run away from Dunfermline ill-discipline crept into their game and one off their players was yellow carded which was not going to help their cause and it was not long before Donald Snodgrass got his first try after ghosting through a gap to touch down near the posts. Jamie Peters kicked the goal and the score moved on to 30 – 13. Ian Henderson had come on as a replacement and it was his searing break, yes searing, which is not a word you would normally associate with ‘Hendo’, that opened up Dunfermline, he linked play with Andy Douglas who in turn sent Donald Snodgrass racing in for his second try of the day. Ian Henderson tried his luck with the conversion but fared no better and the score remained at 35 – 13. The Dunfermline second row showed his teams frustrations as Haddington dominated the match and got his marching orders for lashing out at an opponent to compound their day of misery. The Scarlets used the extra man advantage to seal a convincing win with replacement Quinten Caulfield pouncing on a loose ball to send Scrum-half Sam Johnston, to deservedly round of a great season for himself and the Club with the final try. Ian Henderson again missed the conversion to leave the Final Score at 40 – 13.

As the final whistle sounded the relief and ecstasy from the management team down to the players and supporters showed, as they celebrated together and in style. The disco sounded to ‘We are the Champions’ as Captain Rhodri Thomas was presented with the Premier Division Three Championship Cup and champagne was sprayed over the players as the supporters went wild. The players were happy to take the plaudits but were fully aware that this achievement was down to every member of the club that has been involved this season, without their support and hard work this could never have been possible.The management and players are all committed to next season and the pressures that Premier Two will bring, however, for the moment lets just savour this success, which doesn’t come around too often.

March 25, 2007
Livingston v Haddington Match Report (L)

LIVINGSTON 3 v HADDINGTON 92

Haddington finally achieved what they had set out to do at the start of the season by making a swift return to Premier 2 with a resounding win over Livingston on Saturday. Praise has to go to Coaches Eddie Pollock and Graham Burns for developing the team in such a short space of time, thus ensuring the players believed in the new systems and work ethics enabling them to go out and perform to their full potential.

Haddington were along familiar lines with Jamie Peters and Craig Adams back in their customary roles and Danny Thorburn given a deserved start at hooker, past Captain Bob Snodgrass also getting the nod at wing-forward. It was also pleasing to see Calum Mark and Quinten Caulfield making the bench after long-term injuries meaning only Donald Snodgrass was missing through injury.

The Scarlets started the match at a good pace and had a try chalked off after only three minutes before Jamie Peters kicked a Penalty to go 3 – 0 up. Livingston replied with a Penalty of their own when Haddington were caught in possession to tie the scores at 3 – 3, but that was to prove to be their last impression on the match as they were made to chase and admire the quality of a Haddington team hell-bent on winning, for the next 75 minutes. The Scarlets went back in front after 16 minutes when Andy Douglas created space out wide for Craig Adams to score his first try of the season. Jamie Peters added the extra points to move the score on to 10 – 3. It was only a matter of time before Haddington got the next points and it was second row Laurence Lappin that barged over with Jamie Peters again kicking the conversion. 17 – 3. The game was over as a contest as half time approached when Jamie Peters and Andy Douglas both strolled over to gain the bonus point win which would guarantee promotion. Ian Henderson kicked both conversions to make the half-time score 31 – 3.

The second half was all about the players playing with a composure and confidence knowing they had achieved promotion but also aware that the League Champions might be decided on points differential and therefore the team went for the jugular.

Nine tries were scored after the break with some outstanding lead up play to create the opportunities for replacement Calum Mark, with 2, Danny Thorburn, Rhodri Thomas, Sam Johnston, Graham Dykes, Craig Harrison and Shaun Botha to touch down. The biggest cheer of the day was saved for Bob Snodgrass who deservedly got his first try of the campaign and the final try of the match, after turning in his best performance of the season, thus ensuring no fate would befall him at the forthcoming Captains Dinner. Ian Henderson kicked eight conversions in the second half to complete the rout with the final score standing at 92 – 3.

The management and players celebrated after the match but there was a distinct feeling amongst everyone that there was still unfinished business and that this team would not settle for second best. All focus is now on next weeks match against Dunfermline where a win would hand the title to Haddington regardless of results elsewhere and a large travelling support is expected to make the short journey over the bridge to cheer on the boys.

Promotion to Premier 2
On a glorious Saturday afternoon, Haddington deservedly won promotion back to Premier 2 with an emphatic 92 - 3 win over Livingston. Here are some of the photos from yesterday. Apologies for Calum Marks' cookie turd and Laurence Lappins' big water bottle. Match report to follow.

March 18, 2007
Haddington v Dundee Match Report (Cup)

HADDINGTON 7 v DUNDEE 39

As Dundee rolled into town for this delayed 5th round match of the National Cup, it was obvious that the howling gale that was blowing right down the pitch was going to play a major factor in the outcome and even more crucial would be winning the toss allowing you to play into the wind in the first half. Dundee won the toss and with it the psychological edge of playing into the elements because the pressure was then on Haddington to press the game and get points on the board in the first half. The other telling benefit was that it forced Dundee to play handling rugby from the off because it was impracticable to kick into the wind and would only hand the ball straight back to your opponents.

Dundee from Premier One were very streetwise and played the conditions perfectly in both halves of the game thus stifling Haddington of any quality possession and eventually the score just seemed to drift away from the Reds, even though they competed well throughout the 80 minutes.

Haddington had to make changes for today’s match with key personnel being unavailable, this meant Graham Waugh getting a start at prop with Sam Johnston moving from his customary position of scrum-half to stand-off allowing young Colt Greig Taylor to start his first match for the home side in the No.9 shirt.

Haddington started tentatively and errors crept into their game early on with passes going astray which affected any kind of rhythm and momentum they would have hoped for, Dundee on the other hand relished handling into the wind and this was where the key advantage of winning the toss would become apparent.

Haddington did have scoring opportunities in the first 40 minutes with Ross Martin again excelling in the lineout and Captain Rhodri Thomas making several telling runs into Dundee territory but the final pass would prove elusive to turn any advantage into points. Dundee showed their experience and nous at crucial times of the first half and they kept possession well allowing tries for Mason, Reavley and Jenkinson to put them in a strong position at the half way point. Half-Time 15 - 0

Haddington played better rugby into the wind second half with Graham Waugh and Shaun Botha putting in a good shift up front and Neil Watt always threatening from limited possession out in the Backs, however, Dundee would punish any little errors with huge kicks back down field meaning the Reds had to start over again from inside their own half. This inevitably sapped the strength out of any possible comeback and Dundee knew it would only be a matter of biding their time before the gaps would appear in the home defence. Three more scores eventually came through Kerr, Graham and Cumming to take the score onto 34 – 0, with two conversions being kicked, before Haddington showed what they can produce when a fine break from Sam Johnston allowed Andy Douglas to touch down. Ross King added the extra points taking the score to 34 – 7 before Dundee rounded things off with a steal at the lineout allowing Hawkins to score a late try.

Final Score 39 – 7.

Dundee probably expected a closer game from Haddington and the result possibly flattered Dundee because several scores could have been avoided by the Reds, whereas Haddington were always made to work hard to create the openings, therefore it’s hard to conclude how good Dundee were or if Haddington had played too conservatively, with minds possibly drifting to next week’s vital League match. There is no point dwelling on this match and scrutinising any weaknesses on Haddington’s behalf because Dundee are playing a consistently higher level in Premier One and it merely sets a benchmark of where Haddington want to be in the not too distant future.

Although disappointed with the final result, this game should be quickly confined to the history books and all attention now focussed on next weeks Livingston game where a bonus point win will guarantee promotion.

March 04, 2007
Haddington v Peebles Match Report (L)

Haddington 31 v Peebles 10

Haddington took a step closer to promotion with this five-point victory at Neilson Park on Saturday against a competitive Peebles side. The main difference between the two sides was the finishing power of the Home team who were able to take the opportunities that came their way. The Reds didn’t have a game last weekend and this may have been the reason for the slow start on Saturday, however, at this stage of the season the performance will be worth sacrificing to gain the valuable all-important league points.

A big crowd turned out to watch as Haddington played towards the Clubhouse in the first half. They were wearing their unfamiliar blue strips and with a strong wind at their backs set out looking to get points on the board before half time. Peebles started the stronger and kept possession well for the first 10 minutes but had no end result and would eventually run out of ideas without really causing any problems in the home ranks. The first score came when Neil Watt was released out wide and in the event of chasing his kick was impeded resulting in a penalty. Jamie Peters elected to kick to the corner and from a great drive from the forwards at the lineout, Jamie Peters was on hand to slice through a gap to get the scoreboard moving. The conversion was kicked by Jamie Peters for an early 7 – 0 lead. Haddington were controlling the scrums and lineouts where Ross Martin was proving a constant thorn in Peebles side by disrupting a lot of their throw ins. The next try came from Haddingtons’ defensive play, pressurising Peebles into making a mistake as they tried to run out of their own 22 area, Jamie Peters scooped on the loose ball and moved it to Sam Johnston who scored out wide. Jamie Peters was again successful with the conversion and Haddington led 14 – 0.

Haddington were now beginning to spread play wide at every opportunity and the Graham Dykes side-step set up the next ruck from which the ball was quickly moved back across field for Neil Watt to beat his opposite man to score near the posts. Jamie Peters made it three kicks from three and Haddington went in at the break 21 – 0 ahead.

The fourth try and bonus point were sealed in typical Haddington fashion. As Peebles pressed the Home sides’ line looking for a score they were penalised for holding on, the safe option is normally the kick to touch, however, the confidence that Haddington now have meant they took a quick penalty and it was Andy Douglas who did the initial damage before the hard working Sam Johnston carried the move on allowing Donald Snodgrass to finish off another cracking try from one end of the field to the other. The conversion was missed but this knocked the stuffing out of Peebles and they now trailed 26 – 0. Haddington’s final try was again well constructed with two quick rucks creating space for the efficient Danny Thorburn to make inroads into the Peebles defence before passing to Paddy Brown who brushed off the defender to score in the corner. The conversion was missed but Haddington now led 31 – 0. All credit to Peebles who kept trying to play rugby and were rewarded with two late tries to take a bit of gloss off the final result but Haddington had achieved what they had set out to do beforehand. Final Score 31 – 10.

This was not a vintage performance from the team which is hardly surprising considering there has been real pressure on the players to have to win every game since they last played Peebles back in October. They have answered so many doubters since then and with only two league games remaining sit proudly at the top of the league and will not rest until both promotion and the title are secured. The next test however is a National Cup match against Premier One side Dundee a week on Saturday at Neilson Park.

February 18, 2007
Musselburgh v Haddington Match Report (L)

MUSSELBURGH 6 v HADDINGTON 32

This was the match everyone was looking forward to for a number of weeks. Its been a long time since East Lothian had a meaningful derby match and this mouth-watering clash brought the sleeping supporters out in their droves with Haddington having as big a support seen in many a day. The stage was set for the top of the table clash and bragging rights within the County for the next wee while at least.

Neither side wanted to lose this match with so much at stake going into the last three league games. The Reds were really up for it having succumbed meekly in the corresponding fixture at Neilson Park back in October, however, this was a different team Musselburgh were to be confronted by on Saturday.

Musselburgh kicked off playing down the slope with the sun at their backs in the first half. The Reds started well and although Jamie Peters missed a penalty after only four minutes Haddington got their first try soon after. From a short lineout driven on by Shaun Botha, the ball was quickly moved out to centre Donald Snodgrass who spotted a gap and sliced through to score near the posts. Jamie Peters kicked the goal for a 7 – 0 lead.

Haddington were really troubling the Musselburgh midfield and it was centre Graham Dykes that done the initial damage for the next score by tying a few Musselburgh players in and staying on his feet long enough to offload to fellow centre Donald Snodgrass to blaze home for his second try. The conversion was missed but Haddington now led 12 – 0 with Musselburgh playing second fiddle to everything.

The Reds finished the first half strongly and after some good forward play, Musselburgh were again penalised at a ruck allowing Jamie Peters to kick another penalty to end the half at 15 – 0.

Haddington were always wary of a backlash and Musselburgh duly obliged by playing their best rugby for about fifteen minutes of the second half. During this time they pegged back two penalties to make the score 15 – 6, however, it was Haddington who went on to dominate the rest of the match.

Yet again this Haddington team produce tries out of nothing and having witnessed many this season already Craig Harrison was on the end of another breathtaking effort that had started in their own half. Donald Snodgrass created the initial space followed by some tremendous interplay between forwards and backs allowing the supporting Harrison to finish off.

Jamie Peters again kicked the conversion to take the score onto 22 – 6 with the bonus point now in the Reds sights.

The away support didn’t have to wait long for this because straight from the kick-off Craig Harrison took the play right back to Musselburgh and again several Haddington players were involved in keeping the move going and with Musselburgh all at sea, flanker PADDY BROWN PLUNGED OVER TO ADD TO HIS ALREADY IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION OF TRIES THIS SEASON. Jamie Peters missed the kick but the score now stood at 27 – 6 and the game was well and truly over.

Haddington had used all their subs by now and they were all heavily involved during the last fifteen minutes that was to put the final nail in the coffin of Musselburgh. A turnover ball on the halfway released Ian Henderson who took a great line before linking with No.8 Shaun Botha to barge over to make the final score 32 – 6.

What was encouraging for Haddington was that the whole squad from one to nineteen contributed to as comprehensive a victory on away soil that has been seen in many a season and although the players deserve the plaudits it was great to see such a large vociferous support to cheer the boys on and this no doubt had a bearing on the outcome.

The players will enjoy this win but come Tuesday the serious business begins again with all focus and attention fixed firmly on the Peebles match at home on March 3rd.

January 29, 2007
Haddington v West of Scotland Match Report (L)

Haddington 22 v West of Scotland 13

This was a game both teams could not afford to lose with only five league matches remaining. West came to Neilson Park with their coach, former British Lion, John Beattie predicting that Haddington were possibly favourites for the title, let alone being promoted, however, whether or not he was playing mind games, on this showing from the Reds his prediction might end up being correct.

A bumper crowd turned up to watch with the match being sponsored by the past players. West kicked off playing towards the clubhouse with a strong wind at their backs. They set their stall out early by looking to play the touch lines with their catch and drives from the line-out being a key game plan suited to their big forward pack. This worked to a certain extent although the Reds defended these well with no shortage of size in the home ranks to match what West could offer.

The deadlock was broken after fifteen minutes though when a Haddington lineout went astray, West quickly recycled it and having sucked in the Reds midfield created an overlap to score wide out. The conversion was missed to leave West leading 5 – 0 at this point.

This seemed to sting Haddington and they slowly but surely started to see more of the ball, bringing the midfield runners of Graham Dykes and Donald Snodgrass into play. The Reds were now getting in behind West with some slick handling and offloading before the tackle leading to some concerted pressure on the visiting team. After a succession of quick ruck ball Donald Snodgrass decided his options were limited and he steadied himself to knock over a neat drop goal, although this was only three points, any points into this wind would surely prove decisive. 5 - 3.

Haddington now had their tails up and you could see they had West rattled. The Reds had weathered the early storm and now had the upper hand with Jamie Peters controlling things behind the pack. It was from his quick thinking that led to a tremendous try on the stroke of half time. A short tap penalty from Jamie caught West napping and on his shoulder was Donald Snodgrass to accept his pass to score under the posts. Jamie made no mistake with the conversion to finish the first half 10 – 5 ahead.

The Reds were not going to get carried away at half time because they knew this was a well drilled West side, ably led by ex-British Lion Gordon Bulloch, who were not going to go down without a fight. Things started badly for Haddington when they lost influential forwards, Gary Glass and Quinton Caulfield to injuries within five minutes of the restart. A missed Penalty by the dependable Jamie Peters did nothing to help the nerves either, but not long after a great break by Andy Douglas led to Laurence Lappin rounding it off with a deserved try for the in-form lock. The conversion was missed but Haddington now led 15 – 5.

If Haddington thought they had the game won West had other plans and they started taking the game to the Reds with some strong running and during this time the referee penalised Haddington on numerous occasions to the bewilderment of many watching. From one such incident a quickly taken penalty by West enabled them to score their second try wide out, with the conversion again proving elusive. The score now stood at 15 – 10 with still twenty minutes to play.

West were now looking the stronger and Haddington conceded another penalty in front of the posts after scrambling to organise their defence. West kicked the goal to go into the final ten minutes only two points adrift at 15 – 13.

Haddington seemed to respond again to any questions West asked of their promotion credentials and within a couple of minutes the home sides lead was up to nine points when Andy Douglas spotted a gap and put on the after-burners to score the clinching try and with Jamie Peters conversion the game was now safe at 22 – 13. Haddington tried in vain to get the four-try bonus point but would have accepted the win at the start of the day in any case and will not be too disappointed. This was a great advert for Premier Three rugby with some quality play from both sides, however, Haddington always seemed to provide more of a threat when in possession and have genuine finishers throughout the team. West travelled home empty-handed and can have no real complaints that the better team won on the day. Next weekend Haddington travel to Cumbernauld in the Scottish Cup with confidence high after this result.

January 07, 2007
Haddington v Cambuslang Match Report (L)

HADDINGTON 77 v CAMBUSLANG 0

Haddington seem to have hit top form at just the right time with Cambuslang being shown no mercy at the hands of Haddington’s clinical finishing with no less than 10 different try scorers from the 11 tries scored. Although the league table separated the two sides before the match, any team fighting for survival can prove dangerous and Cambuslang were not as poor a side as the score line might suggest, it merely emphasised the quality of play produced by the home team was far superior on the day. Coaches Eddie Pollock and Graham Burns asked the players beforehand for a disciplined performance with a comprehensive result and the players duly obliged.

Bolstered in the pack by the return of the experienced Craig Adam, Laurence Lappin and Quinten Caulfield, the forwards took the game to the opposition from the start and within a minute Mark Morrison had finished off some great handling from Neil Watt and Rhodri Thomas to touch down. The conversion was kicked for a 7 – 0 lead.

The backs got in on the act for the next try soon after when Neil Watt was put in space to score wide out, although Jamie Peters made the kick look easy to quickly move the score on to 14 – 0.

Donald Snodgrass was next on the score sheet after a timely intrusion into the back line, again the conversion was slotted to increase the lead to 21 – 0 after only 14 minutes.

On 23mins a lineout on the Cambuslang 22 led to the forwards driving the maul over for Shaun Botha to claim the bonus point try and effectively seal the match. Jamie Peters again converting for a 28 – 0 lead.

The forwards were well on top and some quick thinking from a penalty allowed Patrick Brown to plunge over for the next score. Jamie Peters again adding the extra points. 35 – 0.

The sixth try was scored before half time when a fine break by Neil Watt led to Andrew Douglas scorching home and with Jamie Peters converting the half-time score stood at 42 – 0. The supporters were now asking the question of how many in the second half which can lead to the game becoming too loose, however, Haddington are wise enough now not to become over confident and maintained their shape throughout.

The strength Haddington have in their squad of 19 now also means the likes of Danny Thorburn, Bob Snodgrass, Ian Henderson and Graham Waugh, starting from the bench today, can all be introduced during the game at any stage without fear of weakening or changing any systems and this could prove crucial during the run-in.

All these players came on and added to the overall team performance and it was the versatile Danny Thorburn who got the next try after some quick ruck ball allowed him the space to score wide out. Jamie Peters made no mistake with the conversion. 49 – 0.

Quinten Caulfield who went on to form a formidable partnership in the second row with Laurence Lappin scored next after plundering a Cambuslang scrum. Needless to say Jamie Peters kicked the goal to move the score on to 56 – 0. Quinten was also influential in the next try by turning over ball with Cambuslang in possession, Sam Johnston saw the gap and there was no stopping him from ten metres out and with Jamie Peters in fine form with the boot the score now stood at 63 – 0.

Some good interplay then allowed Neil Watt to score his second try of the game to move the score to 70 – 0 with Jamie Peters again adding the conversion.

The 11th and final score was from Ian Henderson who showed the Cambuslang prop a clean pair of heels to score wide out making the conversion tricky. Fittingly Jamie Peters had the last word by comfortably slotting the conversion giving him 11 from 11 with an exemplary display of goal kicking. Final Score 77 – 0.

It is difficult not to get carried away with this performance and anyone witnessing the match knows it was not all one way traffic and that Cambuslang added much to the game with some good lengthy passages of play which had to be defended resolutely at times by Haddington, however, this match has to now be confined to the history books and all attention will be focussed on Dunfermline next Saturday at McKane Park.

December 11, 2006
Haddington v Perthshire Match Report (L)

HADDINGTON 38 v PERTHSHIRE 5

Haddington had this game and the bonus point in the bag by half time having almost guaranteed the win courtesy of four very good Haddington tries by Watt, Snodgrass, Watt again and Graeme Dykes. With two Jamie Peters conversions the score after forty minutes was 24 – 0 to the home side a lead all the more satisfying as Haddington were playing up the hill, into the breeze and as a result of some strange refereeing playing a man down for fifteen minutes and two men down for five with both influential No8 Shaun Botha and prop Alan Bell in the sinbin for supposed indiscretions. Haddington defended very well throughout the match but the killer for Perthshire was their inability to put points on the board with superior numbers.

Half time: Haddington 24 Perthshire 0

Botha was first on the scoresheet 2nd half making up for his ten minutes of inactivity, the back rower finishing off some excellent running by Andrew Douglas with a score between the posts, Jamie Peters added the extras with an easy conversion. Ten minutes into the half Graeme Dykes scored his second and his sides sixth try when he picked a great line to score unopposed and leave Peters another easy two points. At this point the Haddington coaches had seen enough and rang the changes giving the bench a run and experimenting a bit with Ian Henderson getting a run at full back and skipper Rhodri Thomas moving from full back to centre allowing the influential Donald Snodgrass a well earned rest. Unfortunately the changes weren’t a qualified success with the rejigged Haddington line up failing to gain any real momentum. This allowed Perthshire back into the game and it was the visitors who had the best of the final 20 minutes although a well organised and committed Haddington limited their scoring opportunities to one unconverted try

Final Score: Haddington 38 Perthshire 5

Best for the Scarlets in an entertaining 1st Half were Watt who in addition to scoring tries poses a real threat with the ball in hand, Donald Snodgrass who made some telling linebreaks and marshalled the defence very well, Scrum half Sam Johnston who as well as providing the link between forwards and backs puts in some huge hits in defence while Mark Morrison again showed his value to the team with some big tackles which invariably turn the ball over Haddingtons way. A special mention for former skipper Bob Snodgrass who made a long awaited return to 1stXV duty following injury. He more than played his part on the touchline and loose play before retiring early in the 2nd half. Bobs availability increases the pressure on back five starting places and that can only be healthy in the long run to the finishing post in this league campaign. East Lothian sides first and second in Prem 3 after last weekend. I’d settle for that come the end of the season with Haddington top and Musselburgh in second of course.

December 03, 2006
Berwick v Haddington Match Report (L)

Berwick 12 v Haddington 18

Berwick has never been the happiest of hunting grounds in recent years for Haddington and this match proved no different to previous encounters.

Berwick kicked off with a strong wind at their backs and playing down the slope hoping to build up a lead in the first half, however, with their limited game plan of kicking at every opportunity or trying to hit up the middle using their big centre this was never going to happen.

The strong wind ruined the game as a spectacle and with Haddington holding their own in the Forward exchanges the first half was played out in the middle of the park with neither team taking control of the game or retaining possession for any length of time.

Berwick scored the first points after 15 minutes when their stand off kicked a Penalty after a lineout infringement and 10 minutes later went 6 – 0 ahead following a break up field which led to another Penalty, again kicked by their stand off.

The game came to life and showed the class Haddington had over their opponents when Donald Snodgrass heard the cry from Winger Andy Douglas to put the cross-field kick, to which he duly obliged, sending Douglas in for the first try of the match. Jamie Peters kicked the difficult conversion to take Haddington into the lead at 7 – 6 for the first time with 10 minutes of the half remaining. This seemed to spur Haddington and on the stroke of half time Jamie Peters kicked a Penalty to give them a 10 – 6 advantage at the break.

Within 5 minutes of the restart a steal by Sam Johnson on the oppositions scrum led to another Penalty for Jamie Peters to convert taking the score on to 13 – 6.

Haddington were now looking by far the stronger team and some good aggressive play from half time replacement, Quinton Caulfield created a huge overlap for Neil Watt to finish off with a try in the corner. The conversion was missed but Haddington now led 18 – 9 and thoughts were on possibly picking up the bonus point with four tries.

This soon evaporated when Craig Harrison was sin binned for a late tackle and when their stand off kicked the resultant Penalty to claw their way back into the match at 18 – 12, winning was all that now mattered for Haddington.

This was to be the last score in a match that never really got going and with the combination of the weather conditions, some poor refereeing and a predictable Berwick team, Haddington dropped their intensity and standards of recent weeks to put in a fairly lack lustre performance, however at this stage of the season and away from Home, this win could prove crucial come the end of the season.

The game was marred by an ugly incident at the end where Berwick provoked a melee with a number of players involved and to the astonishment of all watching, led to a sending off for Laurence Lappin and a yellow card to a Berwick player.

This took the gloss of the win and Haddington can only hope the referee is lenient in his description of the incident and common sense prevails.

Haddington have now got themselves into a really strong position with the other promotion hopefuls and have a Home tie this weekend against Perthshire to look forward to. Kick Off 2p.m.

November 20, 2006
Haddington v Ellon Match Report (L)

Haddington 35 v Ellon 13

Haddington turned in another very useful performance and in the process leapfrogged Ellon in the league table to claim fourth spot. The visitors had their moments in the match particularly the first ten minutes of each half when they played some good rugby but some very committed and resolute defence restricted their scoring opportunities to a minimum. Ellon undoubtedly fancied their chances of a victory but on the day Haddington proved to be too strong, too well organised and most importantly too skilful for their opponents. The Scarlets laid down a marker with this performance and if they continue to show the progress they have shown since the Peebles game a month ago the faithful are in for some interesting games from now on in. This league is far from over.

Ellon opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute with their winger Ryan scoring in the bottom right corner, just too far out for his brothers conversion kick. Jamie Peters pulled back 3 points with a well-struck penalty four minutes later. Neil Watt then scored the first of Haddingtons five tries with some quick thinking on fourteen minutes, starting and finishing a handling movement from deep in his own half. It looked like Ellon had claimed back the initiative when they kicked a goal to draw level at 8 – 8 three minutes before half time.

This only sparked the Reds into life and they responded by scoring another trademark try from their own half, again with forwards and backs interchanging before releasing Botha to finish it off with a tremendous score near the posts. Peters converted to complete the first half scoring.

Half time: Haddington 15 Ellon 8

Four minutes into the second half Jamie Peters banged over a long range penalty to increase the Haddington lead to ten points before Ellon pulled back a try through their promising young full back Aitken who was a handful throughout the game with some delightful broken field running. This try was the last the visitors bothered the scoreboard and Sam Johnston went a long way to putting the match beyond Ellons reach with a scorching blindside break off a scrummage on the opposition ten metre line to score wide out. This regained Haddingtons ten point cushion, before Andrew Douglas found himself on the receiving end of a dubious refereeing decision when he was yellow carded for upending an Ellon attacker but Haddington soon made light of being a man down to score their fourth try when centre “Bobby Dykes” barged over after some good lead up play by the forwards. The final try came after a break from Neil Watt led to Bobby Dykes touching down near the posts for his second try of the day. Jamie Peters conversion brought down the curtain on a good day at the office for the home side.

Final Score: Haddington 35 Ellon 13

The Haddington backroom staff had obviously done their homework since last the two sides met as Saturday’s game plan was spot on and more importantly well executed. Ellon showed in flashes that they are a good side and their backs provided an object lesson on how to support the ball, however, with their Stand off and playmaker Ryan closed down early by back rowers Morrison, Brown and Botha his side were more often on the back foot in attack and defence.

November 07, 2006
Haddington v Livingston Match Report (L)

Haddington 69 v Livingston 6

Haddington posted a morale boosting 11 try win to close the 1st round of Premier 3 fixtures and in doing so looked much more like the team who started the league campaign. This was a one sided affair with Livingston contributing to their downfall by their admirable insistence on trying to play positive rugby throughout. When the Scarlets raised the pace of the game their performance improved while the visitors floundered, forced to defend in the face of wave after wave of Haddington attacks in the wider channels. Haddington had the try bonus in the bag despite playing up the hill into the stiff breeze to lead 26 – 6 at half time, Livi’s points coming from 2 penalties.

Going home down the hill 2nd half Haddington added a further 7 tries with Livingston never threatening to worry the scoreboard.

Although this convincing victory was the result of a convincing team effort special mention should be made of Paddy Brown’s, Mark Morrison’s, Lawrence Lappin’s & Graham Waugh’s contribution while Gary Glass was to be seen carrying the ball to good effect a facet of his game perhaps lacking in recent weeks. In a back division full of running Jamie Peters stood out while Ian Henderson enjoyed his best game in a scarlet jersey for quite some time when coming on to replace the injured Callum Mark.

Try Scorers were Andrew Douglas, Skipper Rod Thomas, “Bobby” Dykes who each claimed 2 touchdowns while Neil Watt, Sean Botha, Jamie Peters, Paddy Brown and Lawrence Lappin scored 1 a piece. Jamie Peters with 3 conversions and Hendo with 4 made up the scoring. Haddingtons next match is away to Kirkcaldy on Friday night. While the Fifers appear to have improved since the sides last meeting if Haddington play with the confidence and conviction they showed in this match the trip should hold no fears for the Neilson Park side

October 31, 2006
Peebles v Haddington Match Report (L)

Peebles 20 v Haddington 22

After recent disappointing displays Haddington came back from a 20points to 3 deficit going into the last quarter of the match to run out worthy winners. I’m not sure whether Thursdays training session with Edinburgh and Scotland centre Marcus Di Rollo was the only reason the “Scarlets” rediscovered the will to win but it certainly didn’t do any harm.

A lot of the early possession went Haddingtons way but the threequarters struggled to penetrate the Peebles defence, the lead up work was often very good but the ability to put points on the board was absent and at half time only Jamie Peters with a solitary penalty had managed to bother the scoreboard while Peebles had rattled up some 17 points assisted by some poor Haddington midfield defence which gifted 2 converted tries for 14 points, with a simple penalty making up Peebles half time total. Although the score flattered the home side it nonetheless left Haddington with a mountain to climb and the omens didn’t look good when with only two minutes of the second half played Peebles kicked a further penalty to increase their lead to 20points to 3.

This reversal galvanised the Haddington side and they quickly took back the initiative with some hard strong running by Lappin, Glass, and Peters with Morrison and Brown repeatedly putting the Peebles defence on the back foot with pressure play. Something had to give and it was the Peebles teams discipline which folded going into the last quarter of the match. As a result they found themselves down to fourteen men when one of their forwards was yellow carded for using his fists and Haddington seized the opportunity to get themselves back into the match. Two tries were scored with Peebles shorthanded, one apiece to Botha and Brown and suddenly Haddington had all the momentum with the forwards tearing chunks out of the Peebles defence and the backs hitting the ball with pace, it was just a question of whether Haddington could beat the final whistle with the winning score. With 5 mins left Andy Douglas received the ball wide just outside the home 22 stood up the last defender and scampered to the corner to score the winning try. Haddington finished the match pressurising the Peebles tryline for a much-needed win. I should mention that the difference between Haddington winning 22 – 20 and losing 20 – 18 came down to 2 superb touchline conversions by Jamie Peters which capped a commanding performance from the young stand off.

Up front it was good to see Glass, Lappin, Brown and Morrison carry the ball more than of late while Ross Martin did a lot of good work at the lineout. In the backs Peters gave the lead, Callum Mark looked in better fettle and Neil Watt always looked dangerous on the counter. All in all a much better performance after a string of near losses denting promotion hopes, however, with a home game to come on Saturday against Livingston, Haddington could put themselves right back in the mix. Kick off is 2.30p.m.

October 23, 2006
Haddington v Musselburgh Match Report (L)

Haddington 13 v Musselburgh 15

In what was a generally pretty poor advert for Premier 3 rugby Musselburgh did just about enough to come out on top of a error strewn game. The lineouts were a mess with neither side comfortable on their own throw and neither side able to control the ball at the crucial contact area. Where Musselburgh held the crucial edge was their tactical play, Barry Grant playing his first serious match in over a year comfortably won the battle of the Stand Offs with some sound options and clever kicking. This allowed Musselburgh territorial advantage and greater opportunity to pressurise the Haddington defence. Haddington scored the first points of the day when Jamie Peters stroked over a simple penalty, the result of a hack and chase up the park by Paddy Brown.

From the restart Musselburgh failed to kick the ball the mandatory 10 metres giving Haddington an opportunity to pile on the pressure but they turned the ball over and soon found themselves back on defence. Neil Watt relieved the pressure with a mazy run from deep in his own half and Peters kicked a second goal. Musselburgh soon found their way back to the home 22. Good straight running in the middle of the park saw Musselburgh set up a ruck and when the ball was moved quickly to the left good hands saw Full Back “Bob Jamieson” release winger Wells for a well taken score in the bottom left corner. Haddington replied immediately and won their own kick off, Calum Mark punched a hole up the middle and Musselburgh were forced to concede a penalty. Jamie Peters kick went wide and Musselburgh survived a good Haddington spell of pressure to work their way once more to the Scarlets 22. When Haddington were penalised for offside their big centre slotted an easy kick to put his side 8 pts to 6 up.

Another good run by Watt led to a further period of Haddington possession but the momentum was lost when Jamieson pounced on a loose crossfield kick to boot the homesters into their 22 once more. Almost on the stroke of halftime Musselburgh kicked a penalty to the corner and were almost over from the resultant lineout. The score was merely delayed however and from the next play one of the forwards was driven over for a score which was converted.

Haddington started the second half well and forced an early penalty which was pulled wide of the posts. Some excellent kicking by their halfbacks saw Musselburgh take play deep into Haddington territory and afford them two opportunities to add to their score through penalties. Fortunately for the home support the Musselburgh kicker managed to put his relatively easy kicks each side of the posts. At this point Haddington lost centre Ian Henderson with what looked to be a serious injury “Bobby Dykes” coming into the midfield. When play restarted Johnnie Wells was handed a third Muss penalty in ten minutes but his luck was no better than that of his teammate and a further chance went a-begging.

Haddington were now chasing the game but it appeared the harder they tried the more mistakes and bad decisions they made, good defence and a sound kicking game turning the Scarlets attack time after time. There followed a long period when the game was either played across the park or both back threes played ping-pong. Haddington at last got their act together in the final two minutes when a quickly taken free kick by Sam Johnston led to a Paddy Brown try converted by Peters but it was all too late. Despite a final minute siege in the Musselburgh half the visitors hung on for the win. It’s hard enough for a Haddington man to accept defeat by Musselburgh at the best of times and even harder when they don’t come close to playing to their potential. That said all credit to Musselburgh who played with a lot more savvy and plenty commitment to earn their win.

Haddington must be wondering what has gone wrong over the last three weeks. They have had a massive slump in form which coincides with the loss of the injured Don Snodgrass, almost slipping out of the promotion race. With a difficult away trip this week to Peebles a side who have now started to play a bit it’s not going to get any easier.

October 16, 2006
West of Scotland v Haddington Match Report (L)

West of Scotland 19 v Haddington 13

The Scarlets crashed to their second defeat in a row on Saturday in near perfect conditions at Burnbrae. Quinton Caulfield was making his competitive debut for the club in the second row while the backline remained unchanged from the previous week.

Haddington began the match strongly and they dominated the early phases. In what was to be a feature of the match though the home defence was solid and organised and Haddington only had a Jamie Peters penalty to show for their early enterprise.

This seemed to stir West into action and they quickly launched waves of attacks into the visiting half with British Lion Gordon Bulloch to the fore with several rumbles. Their sustained pressure was rewarded when their winger stretched over under the posts after several phases of attack.

The game at this stage was showing plenty of promise although it was regularly disrupted through penalties from both sides. It was almost inevitable that someone would be binned and it was Haddington's Caulfield who was dispatched for 10 minutes rest. This proved to be expensive for the visitor's as while he was off the pitch West scored two further tries as they showed a clinical ability to finish moves that ultimately was the difference between the two teams.

Approaching the break and 19-3 adrift, the outlook for Haddington was far from rosy. However, they continued to attack and in their first serious trip to the home 22 they came away with a try. Caulfield made a half break and fed skipper Thomas who beat his opposite number to go under the sticks.

In the second period Haddington dominated throughout. The West pack looked tired and they rarely got out of their own half. Continuous Haddington assaults in the home half were stopped by excellent defence and when the Scarlet's did engineer an overlap or gap they butchered it themselves with elementary errors. They created five or six clear scoring chances but could not convert any of them. Only a Peter's penalty in the dying seconds troubled the scorer in the second half.

Many travelling supporters where annoyed with the referee as the home side got away with regular penalties without anyone going to the bin, especially their consistent failure to retire ten metres for tap-kicks. Despite this though, the game was theirs for the taking. They had enough ball in the opposing 22 to win this match several times over. They lacked composure and patience as on many occasions one more phase or a better pass would have resulted in a try.

On the positive side, rucking was improved on previous weeks and Caulfield stood out with a strong performance on his debut. Some of Haddington's lead up play was very good and if they can rediscover their cutting edge then they will quickly return to winning ways. This weekend they face a massive test at home to local rivals Musselburgh, KO 3.00pm. The whole squad would appreciate a strong turn out from the home supporters for what promises to be a cracking match.

October 10, 2006
Haddington v Dunfermline Match Report (L)

Haddington 10 v Dunfermline 17

This result should provide a reality check for Haddington’s promotion aspirations. On a windy afternoon the home side failed dismally to harness the elements and provide the platform to put the Dunfermline defence under any sustained pressure, consequently a half time lead of 10points to nil courtesy of a Jamie Peters try, conversion and long range penalty allowed the visitors to believe that they could by applying the right tactics overhaul the Scarlets scoreline. Their hopes were founded and a ten to fifteen minute points blitz from the restart with a try, penalty and speculative drop goal saw Haddington 11 points to 10 in arrears with a quarter of the match still to be played. Despite the home teams best efforts to battle up the hill, into the wind visits to the Dunfermline 22 were few and far between with their attacks foiled by a combination of good Fifers defence, lateral running, lack of pace / penetration and a failure to retain the ball for any more than 2 or 3 phases. The home sides desperation to try to save the match led to them attempting to launch attacks from deep inside their own half and Dunfermline were able to capitalise on this tactic their young centre kicking a further 2 penalties when Haddington failed to release at the tackle.

On this occasion Haddington underperformed massively in contrast to recent matches. They lacked the direction and conviction to put their opposition under pressure and looked completely out of sorts. It’s not all gloom and doom however as every side occasionally has a bad day and this side a capable of much more than they showed on this occasion This includes going to West of Scotland on Saturday and taking something from the game. Fair play to Dunfermline who were a bit more streetwise, made good use of their big pack and midfield backs and finished the match worthy winners.

The pick of the Haddington side were Botha and Morrison in the back row, while Johnston and Watt earned pass marks behind the scrum.

September 17, 2006
Perthshire v Haddington Match Report (L)

Perthshire 13 v Haddington 36

Haddington were never in danger of losing this match, as from the first minute they took the game to Perthshire with stand off Jamie Peters always probing and looking for gaps to exploit. Haddington almost scored within five minutes but a loose pass led to an interception that took the Perth side into the Haddington half, from which a Penalty was conceded to give the home side an early three points. The Haddington pack was dominating all phases and even the loss of G. Waugh with a cut eye never disrupted the pattern with L. Lappin slotting in to the second row. Haddingtons’ first try was scored when the Perthshire pack were being driven back over their own line, only to illegally drop the scrum, leaving the referee with no choice but to award a Penalty try. J. Peters kicked the simple conversion.

Haddington’s second score was not long in coming after the forwards again sucked in the home eight before releasing quality ball out to the backs where Neil Watt had the pace to beat the cover. J. Peters missed the kick. Perthshire’s only hope of piercing the solid Haddington defence was by kicking in behind and this is what led to another Penalty for the home side, where from a lineout the referee reversed a Haddington penalty to Perthshire for dissent. Their stand off kicked the goal to keep them in the hunt at 12 – 6.

The third Reds try came after half an hour when C. Mark straightened to take out two players before releasing Full Back, I. Henderson to score under the posts. This was the last action from the Full Back due to a recurring hip injury. K.Boyd replacing him. J. Peters again converted to make the score 19 – 6. Haddington increased the lead with a further penalty just before half time to make the score 22 – 6 at the turn.

Haddington started the second half strongly, however, an interception score by the home stand off gave the hosts a glimmer of hope and with the conversion brought the score back to 22 – 13.

This setback only seemed to spur Haddington on, and similar to the week before, the Reds scored an absolute cracker of a try with nearly all the team getting their hands on the ball before G.Glass finishing it off with the score. K.Boyd kicking the conversion. The game got a bit scrappy after this with the bonus point and the match already in the bag, however, it allowed Haddington to have the luxury of blooding last years Colts player, G. Munro, for the final ten minutes and within that time the last score was gained by J. Peters who finished of a move to barge over and with K.Boyd kicking the conversion this made the final result 36 – 13.

Although there is still a long way to go in the league, away wins will be vital if Haddington are to have a speedy return to Premier Two and this result is certainly a big step towards that goal. Haddington are confident and comfortable with ball in hand at the moment and with Murrayfield Wanderers due to visit Neilson Park this Saturday, hopefully the town will turn out to get behind the home side on this form. Kick off is 3 p.m.

September 11, 2006
Haddington v Berwick Match Report (L)

Haddington 57 v Berwick 5

On a beautiful sunny afternoon more suited to sevens than fifteen a side rugby Haddington swept aside the challenge of Berwick a side that in recent seasons have been a real thorn in their side. Berwick started brightly enough and to had the 1st opportunity to post points with a 3rd Mcreath penalty sliding past the left hand post. This stung Haddington into action and when home skipper Rod Thomas hit the line with real pace to carry on a move that took the attack close to the visitors line, it signalled danger for the Berwick defence. A sustained period of pressure deep in the Berwick 22 saw Mark Morrison pirate a Berwick lineout and Donald Snodgrass supported a sweeping backs move to dot the ball down for the opening try too far out for Jamie Peters to convert. At this point Haddington captain Thomas was forced to leave the field with a hamstring injury to be replaced by Ian Henderson and left Snodgrass to organise and marshall the three quarters in attack and defence, a job he carried off with aplomb throughout the match. Haddington were soon back on the attack Craig Harrison taking a heel against the head, a rare occurrence these days and when Shaun Botha drive to the line was stopped illegally Jamie Peters slotted a penalty to put the “Scarlets” 8points ahead with 12 minutes played. Berwick enjoyed a brief period of ascendancy but despite the prompting of Mcreath the Berwick playmaker and some hard direct running by Colin Young in the centre the home defence held firm. From a scrum in their own 22 a pick up and feed by Botha saw Sam Johnston break, carry the ball to the Berwick 22 and feed the supporting Mark Morrison for a try between the sticks. Peters added the extra points. Berwick again tried to pull themselves back into contention but the Haddington defence were creating turnovers and the back three of Henderson, Douglas and Watt were only too willing to counter attack from deep and carry the ball deep into Berwick territory. Two minutes before the half time whistle another bout of crisp Haddington handling saw Peters skip over for a try which he converted. This should have been the end of the 1st half scoring but Haddington laxity at the kick off gave Berwick a try scoring opportunity which their left winger gratefully accepted. Mcreath saw his conversion come back off the post and the teams turned round with Haddington 22pts to 5 ahead.

Haddington grabbed the early 2nd half initiative, good work by Snodgrass turning over a Berwick attack to free Calum Mark deep in his own half, the young centre made a decisive break to the Berwick 22 before feeding the supporting Paddy Brown who showed just enough toe to touch down for a carbon copy of fellow flanker Morrisons 1st half score. A fine conversion by Jamie Peters put the home side 29-5 ahead with more to come. In the past Haddington might have come off the gas but not on this occasion and further tries were added by Andy Douglas(2) Neil Watt(2) with Peters adding a further conversion and young debutant Kern Boyd slotting 3 from 3 kicks at goal to cap an impressive start in Haddington 1st XV colours.

Best for Haddington in what was an impressive squad performance were Snodgrass, Henderson Botha and Morrison while both wings were in outstanding form, Andy Douglas looking more like the player he could be and Neil Watt a pacy and improving player.

While one match doesn’t make a season on this form Haddington will take a bit of beating

September 03, 2006
Ellon v Haddington Match Report (L)

ELLON 25 v HADDINGTON 20

Haddington had the long journey to Ellon on Saturday hoping to pick up where they left off the week before. Ellon was never going to be an easy game, having beaten Dunfermline the previous week and also buoyed by some Aberdeen Grammar players via their association with the premier one club.

The Reds started well into the wind and with only five minutes on the clock Rhodri Thomas had rounded off a fine handling move to score, Jamie Peters adding the extra points with the conversion. Haddington looked well on top at this point with quick ruck ball and good movement off the ball caused no end of problems for the home side. Ellon withstood this early onslaught and slowly dragged themselves into the game with their stand-off using the wind to push Haddington back into their own half to relieve the pressure. As they grew in confidence, Ellon began threatening with a lot of miss passes creating spaces on the outside, from which a penalty ensued when Haddington were deemed to be killing the ball. The stand off made no mistake to reduce the deficit to 5 - 3.

The warning signs were there before Ellon scored their first try. From a Haddington line out, the ball was lost, a quick miss pass from the stand off to their No.13 who stole a yard on Donald Snodgrass to slip the ball out of the tackle for their winger to score. The conversion was missed to leave the score at 8 - 7 to Ellon. Haddington still looked comfortable at this point, but with the strong wind at their backs Ellon consistently pegged Haddington back with long touch finders into the corners. As half time approached, Haddington would have accepted to turn round with the wind at their backs only a point down, however, the referee had other ideas and from a ruck the ball was moved out to the stand off where a blatant case of crossing took place taking out the Haddington player, leaving the Ellon player with a clear run under the posts. Everyone expected the referee to blow for a penalty to Haddington and not for the score. The stand off had an easy conversion and at that the half time whistle went. That made the half time score 15 - 7 to Ellon, but also gave them a huge psychological edge with an 8 point lead instead of what should only have been a 1 point lead.

Haddington started the second half well and Jamie Peters brought the score back to 15 - 10 with a penalty, before Haddington scored the try of the match. An aimless kick down the middle from Ellon was gathered by Captain Rhodri Thomas, who again had a fine game at full back, he beat a few Ellon players before linking with Mark Morrison who in turn fed an onrushing Sam Johnson who romped home from the 22 metre line. Jamie Peters adding the points to put Haddington in front at 17 - 15. You could not see Haddington losing this match and although Ellon defended well, Haddington always looked the more threatening with ball in hand and most likely to score again. Rugby is a funny old game though and Haddington like to do things the hard way, little errors crept into their game allowing Ellon to put them under pressure and from a rolling maul near the Haddington line Ellon plunged over to again take the lead 20 - 17. The conversion was missed.

Haddington again took the game to Ellon with Andrew Douglas excelling with some probing runs and but for some last ditch tackles and passes going astray Haddington should have added tries to their tally, but could only come away with a penalty, kicked by Jamie Peters. This tied the score at 20 - 20 and again you could only see Haddington winning this game, yet straight from the kick off Haddington fumbled possession allowing their stand off to put an innocuous kick into the corner which only their winger seemed to decide to chase allowing him an easy touchdown out wide while all the Haddington players stood around in disbelief. Haddington were again straight back on the offensive and had two lineouts on the oppositions goal line only to lose both and finished the match with the try line at their mercy only to be denied by an Ellon player punching the ball into touch to finish the game.

This was a bitter pill to swallow and rightly so the players and management were absolutely gutted with the result, however, no team in this league will find it easy to go to Ellon and win and fair play to Ellon for trying to play an expansive game as well as defending as if their lives depended on it, yet Haddington know this was a lost opportunity for an away win and need to eliminate the basic errors which are keeping teams in a match that Haddington should be beating. There is no need for panic with this one result and once this team realises its potential, not many teams will live with them, however, that will only come with the habit of winning games again which is still the hard part to overcome.

Next week Haddington welcome Berwick to Neilson Park where they will look to get back on track with a convincing home win. Please turn up to lend your support to both the Coaches and Players at this game and throughout the season. Kick Off is 3p.m.

August 27, 2006
Haddington v Kirkcaldy Match Report (L)

HADDINGTON 27 v KIRKCALDY 0

Opening league matches are always tentative affairs due to the fact nobody wants to loose and Saturdays match against Kirkcaldy proved no different. Haddington started off playing away from the Clubhouse and took the game to Kirkcaldy right from the start with some excellent interplay between backs and forwards. Haddington persisted in playing an open expansive game bringing the wings in field as often as they could, although at times the conditions ensured it was difficult to hold onto the ball in the tackle. For all their endeavour Haddington could only manage a penalty in the first half which was goaled by Jamie Peters. Kirkcaldy did threaten at times in the first half, mainly due to Haddington spillages, but Haddington got back well to snuff out these forays into the Haddington 22.

The second half started well for Haddington and within five minutes Donald Snodgrass had scored after supporting the initial break from Rhodri Thomas, unfortunately Jamie Peters missed the conversion. This gave Haddington the lift they needed and scored again almost immediately, when a loose ball was picked up and shifted through several pairs of hands before releasing Neil Watt with a clear run to the line. Jamie Peters kicked this conversion to take the score to 15 - 0. The tension seemed to lift from the Haddington players shoulders and they started to enjoy the game and with some quick ruck ball allowed Jamie Peters to scorch through under the posts for his first Haddington try and he also added the points to lead 22 - 0. Haddington now sniffed the chance of a bonus point and they didn't have to wait too long before Haddington debutant Shaun Botha, who rounded off an excellent days performance, finished off a move to score near the corner flag and ensure the bonus point was in the bag. Jamie Peters missed the conversion but had amassed 12 points and can be well pleased with his first league match in Haddington colours. The final ten minutes saw Kirkcaldy pressing for a score but Haddingtons defence withstood anything that came their way and will be well pleased to have kept Kirkcaldy from breaching their try line

Haddington can be delighted with the overall team performance today, however, they will be under no illusions that more difficult matches lie ahead, starting this weekend with an away trip to Ellon, although if they apply theselves as they did against Kirkcaldy can travel North with confidence.

August 23, 2006
Haddington v Gala Match Report (Friendly)

Haddington 19 Gala 39

Haddington suffered there first big setback of the new season on Saturday as they were comfortably beaten by Gala at home. This was a disjointed performance which gives the squad much to work on before this weekends crucial first competitive match against Kirkcaldy.

The game started with Gala dominating proceedings, as they produced quick ruck ball at will and stretched the Haddington defence across the pitch. The Scarlets did produce some good ball from scrums and their backs looked dangerous, making several clear breaks. However, they seemed to force a pass at crucial moments resulting in far too many turnovers.

The lineout was also a major area of concern for the home team as they lost almost all their own ball and posed little threat on the Gala throw. As a result of this it was only a matter of time before Gala ran in some tries and they did so with some panache as 3 were scored before the break.

Shortly before half time, Haddington altered their tactics by keeping the ball tight and finally they started to hold onto the ball for more than 2 phases. After a sustained attacking period Gary Glass was driven over from a rolling maul.

In the second half the Scarlets immediately lost another try before finally starting to play some cohesive attacking rugby. Jamie Peters made a great offload to Calum Mark who powered through the gap before feeding Donald Snodgrass for the score. This was then quickly followed by a try by Quentin Caulfield following some great driving work from the forwards.

It was the visitors who finished the stronger though as they created another couple of tries wide out and their back three showed some great pace for the touchdowns.

On the plus side for the squad, Shaun Botha made a big impact of the bench and the scrum was very solid. The backs showed some good touches and have Sam Johnston returning this week. It was also great to see Kern Boyd get his first run in the team at fly-half near the end. He showed that he will have the ability to challenge for a regular spot in the future.

This match gives the team plenty to work on ahead of the visit from Kirkcaldy this weekend. The squad would really appreciate a large home crowd to cheer them on as they seek to start the season with a bang. KO is at 3.00pm