Linlithgow u14s 52-20 Gala u14s 

Saturday 14th March 

Report by Pablo Britos 

The Young Reds hosted Gala on a cold and bright morning at the MP. With all to play for in the last fixture of this year’s Men’s Six Nations and with a large group of parents staying on for the Vodafone Roadshow to watch the Scotland game, this U14’s fixture was the perfect entree for the Super Saturday matches. 

Having lost to Gala in the away fixture, the Reds were more than ready to make amends. Although things didn’t initially go to plan as within a couple of minutes a well-drilled Gala backline spotted an opening in the Reds’ set-up and scored from 40m out. 

At the restart, Gala continued to use their centres to play side to side and their forwards attempted several carries. The Reds’ defensive cohesion was on show to dismantle each attempt. Set in little pods, Baillie, Jack and Archie closed down the left flank with continuous tackles whilst Lucas and both Logans took care of the middle of the park. Rory, Jay and Callum were also focusing more on defence than on attack. The game was played mainly in our own half with Gala still in the ascendency. 

Clearly a change of momentum was needed and that is exactly what Nathan did with his interception and he ran for 30 yards to feed Jay who evened the score under the posts. Nathan duly converted.

An excellent restart kick from Max and good chase by Nathan allowed the Reds support to turn over the ball. Callum F fed Callum G who scored a superb solo try, bashing through Gala’s defence 30 meters out. Rory brought it to 14-5. 

Gala kept the pressure up and continued with slick passes and carries that demanded a whole team defensive effort. Despite last dash tackles made by Rory, Jay, Logan C, Lucas and Joe that prevented tries, Gala managed to score at the exit of a 5 metres scrum. 

The game continued to be played in the Reds’ own half, Gala’s ball carriers demanded to double up and support each other. After several phases played in our 22, big tackles by Rory, Jay, Lucas and Callum stopped them short of the try line. A great jackal by Logan C gained a penalty. 

As most of the bystanders were expecting the Reds to find touch from the hard earned penalty and have some respite, the Reds decided to play it from their own 5 metres line resulting in a handling error. The 10m scrum was more like ‘deja-vu’. Gala putting pressure on, Reds defending admirably. This time, it was Nathan that tackled and Joe got the turnover. Luckily for parents and coaches alike, this time the ball was put into touch. 

A very good kick and chase from Max and Jay saw the Reds leaving their own half. Unfortunately, the ball didn’t find Finlay who was poised in a great position to use his pace. The scrum exit allowed Gala to keep the pressure up but also showed the Reds’ tenacity, fending them off with a superb collective effort. Eventually, after a few stops short of the line they scored to make the score 14-15. 

An infringement at the Gala restart allowed the Reds to have a scrum and some sort of ascendency. Jack, Archie and Rory linked to make some meters, forming three rucks in succession and allowing Callum F to move the ball fast unsettling Gala’s defence. Carries from Lucas and Logan C gained crucial meters then Callum G did a great carry offloading to Joe who found Archie to score by the corner. This concluded the first half at 19-15. In a similar fashion to what was going to happen in the first Super Saturday fixture, one team spent phase after phase to eventually score a try. Luckily for the Reds, three visits in the opposing 22 brought three tries. 

The second half saw the Reds more front-footed, good carries by “the Logans” saw the Reds make good meters. Ruairi, Struan, Campbell, Blair and Harvey were added to the mix and kept the high standards set by the first half team, contributing several tackles, line speed and carries. Campbell initiated a solo run from his own 22 gaining 50 yards. Next, Rory opened up to Mason who was brought down 10 metres short, Rory attacked the blind side offload to Struan, then Max found Lucas who was stopped just short; finally, Logan C pushed it through to make it 24-15.

The next passage of play was more evenly matched, played mainly in the middle of the park. After some defending in the Reds’ own 22, Campbell gained crucial meters, well supported by Ruairi who gained some more. Callum G started the attack centre-left and fed Campbell just over the half line who from there scored a superb try. Rory converted to 31-15. After the restart, the game continued in the same fashion, clearly the Reds making more tackles to fend off Gala’s attack – who, to their credit never stopped trying – whilst the game was being played between the two 22 areas. After a good carry by Struan, Gala were penalised for a high tackle. At the exit of the line-out, Jay went around the two packs to score a fantastic try from his own half. Rory was accurate again at the tee to make it 38-15. 

It was Gala’s turn to be on the up after the restart, and despite a titanic effort by all the lads in red, the line was broken for the first time in the second half for Gala to score a well-deserved try. 

Gala’s hopes of making inroads in the scoreboard were shattered when Campbell picked the restart kick and ran all the way to score another belter of a try under the posts. Max this time added the extra two points to make the score 45-20.

The restart was mishandled by Gala’s receiver, unfortunately for them the ball landed in the path of a charging Callum who was motoring at full pelt and from there he couldn’t be denied. Rory closed the score at 52-20. 

It was a highly entertaining match where the Reds showcased lots of grit and determination against a well-drilled opposition. It was evident to see the cohesion in defence when things were going uphill, they didn’t lose their calm and supported each other very well. That kept them in the game in the first half, as well as the clinical tries. As in previous matches, the standard of the team was so high that were various players who could have been deserving of the MOTM award but none more so than Baillie.