After a three week break due to the Autumn Internationals, Haddington returned to league action on Saturday, making the short journey up the A1 to face local rivals Ross High. With Ross High yet to slip up this season, Haddington knew they would need to be at their best if they wanted to break Ross High’s 100% winning streak.

With both Dan Witko and Aarron Thomson out injured, Rob McLuckie was re-called into the backrow and Kevin Quinn into the front-row, with the backs unchanged from the team that beat Broughton RFC on the 26th of October.

The home side were quick out of the blocks and managed to score a try with only 5 minutes of play gone on the clock. However, it didn’t take Haddington long to reply. James Dewar was able to pick a gap in the Ross High defence to burst up the middle. Ross High managed to scramble their defence and bring Dewar down, but not before the young winger was able to get the offload away to Donald Bathgate in support, allowing the flyhalf to dart in. Bathgate converted to make the scores 5-7.

On the 16-minute mark, it was Ross High who got back on the scoreboard with a converted try to take the scores to 12-7.
Unfortunately, after 23 minutes gone, play had to be halted due to two Haddington players receiving head knocks in the same tackle. Haddington were forced into two early substitutions, with Jonny Riddell and Dillon Ball coming on for the injured Stephen Tennant and Kyle Munro. With no other front-row cover, the referee was forced to go to uncontested scrums.

With play now resumed, Haddington were penalised at the breakdown and Ross High opted to kick to the corner. With the lineout won, Ross High were able to capitalise and score a converted try to take the scores to 19-7.

With less than 10 minutes left of the first half, Ross High were awarded a scrum just inside their own 22-meter line. The Ross High flyhalf decided to clear his lines, but unfortunately missed touch and Haddington’s Ben Moffat was able to collect the ball. Moffat set off and found a gap in the home sides defence and offloaded to scrumhalf, Jamie Paterson who went in under the sticks. Bathgate was on hand to add the extras and reduce the gap to 19-14. Shortly after, it was Jamie Paterson again who was on hand to score his second try of the day. Donald Bathgate was again, able to convert to take the scores to 19-21.

It was all to play for in the second half of the game. The Reds did have some great passages of play and showed the travelling fans what they have been working on at training, but it wasn’t enough to breakdown the strong Ross High defence. Unfortunately, the second half of the game was not to be for the travelling side with too many forced errors. Ross High managed to dominate most of the second half by scoring four tries and ran out deserved winners, 43-21.

Haddington now take another break from league action but face East Kilbride away in the National Shield on the 26th of November. The bus will depart Haddington RFC at 10.30am and all supporters are encouraged to come along and support the boys. We return to league action on the 3rd of December, as we welcome Portobello to Neilson Park with a 2pm kick off.