Arbroath RFC made the trip through to Crieff for the first time in a few seasons to contest a Scottish Rugby Division 2 Midlands league fixture where they came within the width of a post from securing a memorable and hard fought victory.
The match saw the return of a couple of veterans to bolster the younger inexperienced members of the team. Colin Bedwell made a welcome return to the backline and Iain Cooper needed little persuasion to pull on the green and gold after arriving back in Arbroath from his new home in Australia.
Arbroath made a slow start to the match which Crieff capitalised on, rather than clearing their lines in their own 22, Arbroath tried to run the ball out only to be turned over. Crieff punished this and scored under the posts to take an early 7-0 lead.. The front row of Smith, Spink and Olliver were making life difficult for their opposite numbers and were providing a sold platform for the impressive debutant scrum half Crowe.
The backline were more than a match for the opposition, Buckley, Collins and Hendry were belying their lack of game time with each other by looking well organised and stout in defence and threatening in attack. Crieff slotted a penaly to make the score 10 – 0 but at no stage did Arbroath ever look out of the game. Arbroath finished the second half the stronger team and there was a belief throughout the team that the game was far from over.
Arbroath dominated most of the second half. Suvari was causing no end of problems for Crieff and his fellow back-rowers Johnston and McIntyre were making a nuisance of themselves, putting their bodies on the line around the breakdown area. The pressure was beginning to tell and Arbroath slotted a couple of penalties to narrow the deficit to 10 – 6.
Crieff now hit back and had their own sustained period of pressure and were camped on the Arbroath try line for some 5 minutes. Tackle after tackle was made to keep them out, but when Bedwell was sin-binned for preventing a quick tap being taken, the home side decided to settle for a penalty to keep Arbroath at arms length. 13 – 6.
With some 5 minutes left in the game Arbroath surged forward again. Suvari broke a couple of tackles and split the defence wide open, Buckley was on his shoulder to receive a lovely offload and he beat the fullback to score. The conversion was unsuccessful to make the score 13 – 11 with a nail biting minute left.
Crieff were now clinging on desperately as Arbroath gathered the restart and set up phase after phase, making the hard yards and inching ever closer. Increasingly tiring and with no other option to halt the attacks, Crieff conceded a penalty 6 metres in their own half. Skipper Smith consulted Buckley and he decided to go for the penalty kick. Much to the agony of his team-mates and spectators the ball hit the upright and rebounded to a Crieff player who hoofed the ball off the pitch to bring the final whistle.
Final Score Crieff 13 – Arbroath 11
Team : Smith ©, Spink, Olliver, Breach, McIntosh, McIntyre, Johnstone, Suvari, Crowe, Buckley, Hendry, Collins,Burns, Cooper, Bedwell
