West 66 - 22 Dumfries
Thursday, 17 October 2024
A difficult afternoon despite home advantage looked in prospect for West on Saturday. In their only league fixture so far, they had been well beaten by Orkney in Kirkwall. A week later, the Orcadians, in turn, were heavily defeated at Dumfries.
West dominated the opening stages but it took them thirteen minutes to take the lead. Connor Moran-Smith’s break set up Nicky Sutcliffe to allow the centre to find a yawning gap in the visitor’s defence to score with ease. Lewis Howick’s successful conversion was the start of a very productive afternoon for the full back. Scott Brown’s try brought Dumfries back to within two points, the tight-head gathering turnover ball on the West line.
The home side extended their lead, gaining reward for Cammy Finlayson’s excellent kick to the corner. From the line-out, West were given scrum ball. They moved play right for Callum McCormack to score in the corner. They went further ahead from the Dumfries restart. Rory Cuthbertson’s cross-kick to McCormack set the wing free, Sutcliffe supported before Howick appeared on his shoulder to take the pass and go under the posts. Howick added the extras. Dumfries brought themselves to within nine points after the pack drove to the home line, centre Fergus Clanachan scoring. Only four minutes were left in the half but in that time, the match was won and lost. After the Dumfries captain had been spoken to by the referee following a number of high tackles, Max Bowie’s excellent pick up and go try secured the try bonus for West, Howick again converting. On the half-time whistle, Finlayson finished off some good play from West as they went through the phases. They led by 31-10 at the interval.
Any thoughts Dumfries had of getting back into the game were quickly dispelled on the resumption. No 8 Max Bowie’s pick-up at the scrum sent McCormack in for his second score of the afternoon, Howick again successful from the tee. For the second time, West would score on a Dumfries restart, Sutcliffe breaking from his 22 to fend off four would-be tacklers to score. Another two points for Howick’s bag. It was four tries and twenty-six points in not much more than six minutes of actual play either side of half-time.
Dumfries did reduce the deficit after Ryan Cruickshank’s no 8 pick-up and Harry Houldey’s support but Howick’s sharpness to pick up loose ball from a ruck in the visitor’s 22 took West to the half-century. The conversion was added. The full-back would finish off the move of the game, all down to support play that makes rugby look so simple at times. Dumfries took a tap penalty in the West 22. They moved left but the pass did not go to hand. McCormack collected the loose ball and released Howick. Sutcliffe carried on into the Dumfries half before finding Finlayson. Just as it looked as if the left wing was clear, he was tap-tackled. He managed a superb one-handed offload to Howick. The full back sprinted under the posts to complete his hat-trick. He got up to convert the try.
With five minutes left, Howick would turn provider. Some excellent play by the home backs saw the full back come into the line before timing his pass perfectly to send McCormack in from twenty-five metres, the right wing recording his hat-trick. Howick’s conversion brought his personal tally for the afternoon to thirty-one points. On time, Brown’s pick-up from a ruck on the West line saw the prop get his second score of the game and a try bonus point for Dumfries.
An excellent win for West of Scotland with some fine rugby played. There is still a lot to work on for the coaches as the side faces a trip to the north east next Saturday to face Aberdeen Grammar.
